Spotlight

Spotlight Date: 27-January-08
Spoiler Rating: Medium

Ever After (1998)

Once upon a time it struck me as odd that I like "Ever After." It does not seem like a "me" movie, being a frothy but earnest, historically inventive retelling of Cinderella with a message for teenage girls. Watching it again, however, I realized just how much the heroine is a creature after my own heart. As embodied by Drew Barrymore and created by the writing team of Susannah Grant, Rick Parks, and director Andy Tennant, this abused orphan is the rare person who deserves reward for her excellent qualities and is herself reward for anyone with the sense to recognize them. She inspires the sensation of wanting both to be her and to know her (a feeling I have enjoyed since first noting it with Indiana Jones) and is more than vibrant enough to overcome a bland leading man (Dougray Scott). The prince need not be so charming when the future princess is so very, very charming herself.

"Ever After" is colored with Old World scenery and a modern go-girl attitude. (The cast speaks with British accents although the setting is 16th-century France.) All the familiar elements are here, with some amusing alterations. The witchy stepmother (Anjelica Huston) has a tiny streak of frailty which makes her particularly creepy. Her two daughters are naturally narrow-minded, but one (Megan Dodds) emerges as a real villain while the other (Melanie Lynskey) learns wisely from the opposing female examples in her home. And in lieu of a fairy godmother there is none other than Leonardo da Vinci (Patrick Godfrey), a delightful codger who preaches free will and the importance of true love during a prolonged visit to the French court.

The element of urgency stems from the prince, whose royal parents (Timothy West, Judy Parfitt) require him to marry immediately as a first step towards maturing into a king. But he is, to be frank, floundering. He has never given much thought to his station other than to resent its restrictions upon himself, and has never considered his subjects or responsibilities or anything that might make life worthwhile. Thus he is ripe for the influence of the heroine Danielle, who has laudably reached adulthood in a state of material but not moral degradation.

I have disparaged that cinematic romances are often based on deception. "Ever After" differs in this respect in that Danielle has good reason for pretending to be a courtier, which inadvertently gains her access to the prince. She has spent plenty of time pondering her station and has determined what things have meaning, such as independence, kindness, and working the land she loves. She inspires the prince with a gentle, albeit outspoken conviction which he has never encountered before. If he proves smart enough, he can give her riches and privilege. Yet she can give him a whole lot more.

That is why "Ever After" ends happily. Other Cinderellas get the hunk and the dough, but this one gives and receives peace of mind. Her quest is not to escape hard work at home (indeed, she would have liked it if it did not go so unappreciated); instead, she wants to share the fruits of her efforts and the beliefs of her soul with someone who cares. Is this idealistic? More than usually romantic? To be sure. It is the stuff of better fairy tale.

Copyright © 2008 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.