Cinderella (1997, G)

Cinderella has never been one of my favorite princesses, and while I like Rodgers and Hammerstein, this isn’t one of my favorite shows of theirs. But this made-for-TV adaptation of the musical is probably my favorite “classic” version of the story.

Cinderella is forced to work as a servant for her cruel stepmother and selfish stepsisters, who treat her like dirt. When the king holds a ball for his son and invites every eligible maiden in the kingdom to attend, Cinderella’s stepmother contrives to keep her away, but her fairy godmother has other ideas about that.

I didn’t actually see this movie as a kid, although I watched other examples of those Sunday night movies ABC used to do. But when I saw it as an adult, I was transported back to that feeling. The bounciness and bright colors of ‘90s family fare, the familiar fairy tale done in a new way with lush music (though not the music my Disney-raised ass had always associated with Cinderella.) The production definitely shows its age and budget, but it’s a lot of fun, and it goes all in on the costumes, the comedy, and the romance.

Again, I’m not super familiar with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. I’ve actually seen it onstage twice—once at a high school and once in a Broadway touring production—but its score isn’t as indelible in my mind as The Sound of Music or The King and I, and I haven’t listened to any of its cast recordings as much as Flower Drum Song. However, it does have some lovely numbers in it. Cinderella’s “In My Own Little Corner” is a delightful active-imagination mood, I get a kick out of “The Stepsisters’ Lament,” and “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful” has a melody that just soars with romance. I think this is first version of the show that allowed me to fully appreciate the music, which, admittedly, is something I’ve needed before with Rodgers and Hammerstein—I still haven’t found a production that makes Oklahoma! click for me.

The best thing this movie has going for it is its cast, which is awesome, super ‘90s, and yet also wonderfully radical for its time. I’m not sure if there was much else being made around that time that went so hard into the racebent casting. This is most clearly exemplified in Paolo Montalban as Prince Christopher, a Filipino American actor playing the son of Whoopi Goldberg and Victor Garber. Brandy makes for a sweet Cinderella, and even though her singing voice isn’t as strong as some of the powerhouses around her, it’s fitting for the character, and she does a nice job of showing Cinderella’s inner strength while still being quiet and gentle. She has terrific chemistry with Montalban, who’s charming and in excellent voice (I was first introduced to Montalban in a later project of his, playing Manjiro in the 2004 revival of Pacific Overtures.) Whitney Houston is every bit as terrific you’d think she’d be as the fairy godmother, all flyaway energy and incredible vocals, while Bernadette Peters takes a good bite out of the scenery as the wicked stepmother. In addition to Goldberg and Garber, the supporting cast also features Jason Alexander as Lionel, the prince’s beleaguered valet.

Warnings

Slapstick violence and thematic elements.

Cinderella (1950, G)

There are still other old-school Disney films on my list to rewatch (thank you, Disney+!), but this is the last of the princess films I hadn’t gotten around to yet. Like some of the other half-century-or-older Disney princess movies I’ve revisitd, I’m struck by the fact that while, yes, it leaves a lot to be desired compared to its more recent/enlightened counterparts, it’s better than my memories of it.

Cinderella is forced to work as a servant for her cruel stepmother and selfish stepsisters, who treat her like dirt. When the king holds a ball for his son and invites every eligible maiden in the kingdom to attend, Cinderella’s stepmother contrives to keep her away, but Cinderella’s fairy godmother has other ideas about that.

It’s all the classics I remember, of course. The glass slippers, the pumpkin-turned-carriage, the last stroke of midnight. All this stuff is beautifully animated, the music is lush (when it’s not sung by mice, natch,) and the most iconic sequences still hold up. I especially like Cinderella’s first attempt at going to the ball, her hurried flight at midnight, and the sequence at the end with the glass slipper.

I remembered all of Cinderella’s animal friends (who could forget Gus-Gus?), including the birds helping her get dressed in the morning. It’s one of those things that’s become twee, and it is, but it also demonstrates a couple of important things. First, it shows Cinderella’s kind heart. As deprived as she is, she still takes time to look after, clothe, and befriend the mice, and especially in these earliest Disney princess movies, the heroine is marked for her kindness. Second, it shows that, before the fairy godmother comes along, the only ones who are rooting for Cinderella and want to help her are these animal friends of hers. She’s a teenage girls who’s trapped in a pretty horrible situation with people who verbally abuse her, exploit her, and get off on making her miserable, and these tiny little mice are the ones doing everything in their limited power to try and make her life better, which is very sweet. Not to mention, their expanded presence also helps pad the film, offering opportunities for comic/action sequences featuring Jaq and Gus’s run-ins with the cat Lucifer.

As far as Cinderella goes, it’s important to remember just how desperate her situation is, and she really doesn’t have a lot of options. Not that fighting back or escape wouldn’t be possible, but even if she were to get away, her prospects would still be limited and she might find herself in danger from other avenues. As such, she doesn’t really try to openly rebel against her abusers, but she does manage to maintain her own sense of self despite everything that’s happened to her. She makes (lightly) snarky comments to her animal friends, she tries to reason with her stepmother where she can, and she keeps a spark of hope/optimism alive by holding to her dreams. Obviously, Disney princesses’ agency has come a lot further since then, but it still isn’t nothing.

Warnings

Thematic elements, scary moments for kids, and brief violence.