And her hard work is rewarded when she is offered the chance to realize all her dreams. She even tells her stepsister that what other people think of how you look doesn’t matter what matters is how you feel when you look in the mirror. And although her stepfamily can be cruel, she does her chores gracefully-without complaint. Though a bit headstrong and outspoken, she makes time to help even the lowliest of creatures (such as rescuing a caterpillar from a spider’s web). However, the King goes to great lengths to change his attitude and honor his wife and daughter.įor her part, Ella is a hard worker and kind young woman. And his wife feels neglected after years of watching her husband dismiss her and their daughter in order to keep up appearances. Though he married for love, his son doubts that story since he’s ordering Robert to marry for power. The King himself goes through a pretty big transformation. And by the movie’s end, women are being rewarded for their hard work and given a literal seat at the table.
We see a shift in how people value women. That being said, these sexist attitudes are gradually addressed by the story.
And heaven forbid if a woman should reject an offer from a man of means. They’re only considered to be of worth if they come from money and stature (or if they smile). They aren’t allowed to give advice or offer opinions on matters pertaining to the kingdom. Women aren’t allowed to own businesses or run shops. On that note, we see some unfortunate sexist behaviors from both men and women in this film. And as a result, she tried to prepare all of her daughters for the harsh reality of what it means to be a woman in their patriarchal society (albeit through some very unsavory methods). We learn that Vivian had tried to pursue her own dream of becoming a pianist but wound up with nothing but heartbreak. But instead of being just a cruel woman abusing her stepdaughter out of spite, we see a more complex character. And they don’t destroy Ella’s dress to prevent her from attending the ball. However, Malvolia and Narissa (though often “obnoxious” and “self-absorbed”) also feel some sympathy for their stepsister. And he certainly isn’t ready to settle down.īut it wouldn’t be the story of Cinderella if she didn’t get the Prince, right?Īs I stated above, Cinderella’s family is still mean in this retelling. He enjoys philandering about, spending his days drinking and hunting. She wants to own a dress shop-but women in her tiny kingdom aren’t allowed to run businesses.Īnd the Prince? Well, he’s not entirely sure he wants to run the kingdom. However, Ella is also an aspiring fashion designer. In this variation of the classic Grimm fairytale, Ella is still kind, her stepfamily is still mean, and her fairy godmother still helps her get ready for the ball. She met the heir to the throne, Prince Robert, fell in love and lived happily ever after…īut surely there’s more to the story than that! However, everything changed when Ella went to the King’s ball. (“ And,” as Ella’s godmother points out, “because they weren’t that clever.”) And in their cruelness, they nicknamed their stepsister “Cinderella” because of the cinders that sometimes smudged her skin. Her own two daughters, Malvolia and Narissa, were taught to treat Ella as a servant. She delegated household chores to Ella and confined her to the basement of the house. Vivian, Ella’s stepmother, was very strict. Her father remarried, but then he passed away too. A girl named Ella lost her mother when she was very young.