You don’t have to be a fairy tale expert to know that Cinderella is EVERYWHERE. Seriously, there’s no escaping this famous story. Every decade (or sooner) there seems to be a new film version of Cinderella. It’s a ballet and a musical. It’s been parodied and made into teen dramas. There are satirical TV episodes of it, sports underdog stories, and historical novels. Young adult retellings out the wazoo of course. And if you do go looking for Cinderella fairy tales, you’ll find versions in just about every language on earth. Yes, the rags to riches tale has been pretty overdone, and yet—and yet—we just keep making and enjoying Cinderella stories. This story seems to be magnetic to the human imagination.
But if I had to pick my absolute favorite Cinderella retelling? The one that sings to my heart? It would have to be the 1998 period drama Ever After starring Drew Barrymore.
Seriously, Ever After is a GREAT Movie
I first saw this movie in the 90s at my best friend’s house, and I was instantly enamored. I don’t know if I could pick one all-time favorite movie, but this one is definitely in my top three. And it’s certainly won the title of my favorite Cinderella retelling ever. This news might surprise some people since I’m an outspoken fan of Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. But admittedly if I had written Ella Enchanted, there are a few things I would have changed about it.
But when it comes to Ever After, this story is basically perfect. There is NOTHING about this plot that I would change if given the chance, and that’s high praise coming from a writer. So for fellow fans like myself—or for anyone unfamiliar with this masterpiece (please stop reading this and go watch Ever After instead)—here are all the reasons why I adore this version of Cinderella.
15 Reasons Why I Love Ever After (In No Particular Order)
Reason #1: The Unforgettable Heroine
Drew Barrymore was cast flawlessly as Danielle de Barbarac. Her earthy beauty, tomboyish strength, and sharp wit are all great fun. And yet this heroine is still capable of being refined and feminine. Many Cinderella retellings insist on making their heroines brash and noticeably masculine to turn them into “strong women.” Oh the irony. But Ever After strikes the perfect balance. Danielle is refreshingly active, slaving for her stepfamily not because she’s a doormat, but because she’s determined to preserve her childhood home. She’s a hard worker who’s unafraid to get dirty, but she’s also passionate about books and kind toward the other servants surrounding her. I found this so insightful that Cinderella would be deeply empathetic toward the working class that she’s been forced to join. And although Danielle is far from perfect, she’s still fantastically likeable and manages to save herself in multiple situations. I love it.
Reason #2: The Incredible Opener
The first five minutes of this movie is the definition of nostalgia for me. I mean, the Brothers Grimm visiting the queen of France to hear the real story of Cinderella? Sign me up. But really, the frame story of Ever After beautifully sets up the tone of the movie and its unique blend of fact and fiction. This movie definitely takes creative liberties, but it has just enough historical details to make this fairy tale feel more like a French legend rather than a made-up story. Which brings me to my next point . . .
Reason #3: The Random Historical Details (though Historically Inaccurate)
This movie is packed with historical Easter eggs. Aside from the Grimm Brothers’ frame story, several characters are based on actual people. King Francis I and his son Prince Henry II were real monarchs of France. I was under the impression that the whole Leonardo da Vinci plot point was made up, so imagine my shock when I learned that Leonardo da Vinci actually DID visit the French court of King Francis, who was good friends with the Italian painter. Da Vinci lived in central France the last three years of his life (1516–1519), and he really did bring the Mona Lisa painting with him to France. Although the book Utopia was written the same year da Vinci came to France and Prince Henry II was born the same year da Vinci died, I still think it’s awesome that so much real history made its way into the movie.
Reason #4: Leonardo da Vinci Filling in as Danielle’s Fairy Godmother
Who came up with this concept? WHO?! Because this fresh take on an old trope is absolutely brilliant. Patrick Godfrey is the perfect person to portray Leonardo da Vinci, and he brings so much warmth to the film. In my humble opinion, the way that da Vinci becomes both Prince Henry’s wise old man AND Danielle’s fairy godmother stand-in simultaneously felt so natural. He’s basically the matchmaker who brings these two young people together. Beyond that, integrating Leonardo da Vinci into this movie added so much to the setting by helping the audience visualize exactly when and where we are. In my mind, this part of the story is perfection.
Reason #5: The Soundtrack
I’m a huge fan of movie soundtracks generally and own many of them, but Ever After’s score written by George Fenton is my favorite. Easily. It’s the sound of romance and fairy tale joy to me. I’ve listened to it thousands of times to help me get in the zone while I’m writing, and it still never gets old. In fact, I’m listening to it right now. Please do enjoy a taste of this fantastic score . . .
Reason #6: A 100% Solid Father Figure
I bring this up all the time, but Cinderella is known for having an absent and highly questionable father in most versions of the fairy tale. This version though? Her dad is the emotional glue that holds the entire film together, even after his death. That’s saying a lot considering how little screen time the guy gets. But he really is Danielle’s inspiration and a huge reason why she’s so awesome when she grows up. He’s the one who loved her quirkiness unconditionally and ignited her love of books. Even in his final moments, we can see that Danielle is the person he loves most in all the world. I’m always a sucker for a great father-daughter relationship.
Reason #7: A Prince Charming with Actual Depth to Him
While we’re talking about the men in this movie, let’s tip our hats to Prince Henry. Because he’s a really great love interest, even if he isn’t the typical heartthrob specimen for a movie. Let’s face it: he’s a spoiled brat at the beginning, but it makes sense. Growing up with everything tends to do that to people. But Prince Henry’s character arc is SUCH a lovely coming-of-age story. He grows from a selfish and flaky boy into a man who knows what he wants in life and how he’s going to make the world a better place. The fact that Danielle brings out such a wonderful side of this prince is a testament of their chemistry. And their meet cute? Her knocking him off a stolen horse with only an apple? This is the stuff that great cinema is made of.
Reason #8: A Fantastic Portrayal of Cinderella’s Evil Stepmother
Another casting choice that totally knocked it out of the park for me is Angelica Houston as Rodmilla de Ghent, a.k.a. Cinderella’s evil stepmother. The woman just oozes elegance in this film, and she perfectly captures the cool jealousy of this famous character. What’s a fairy tale retelling without a villain you love to hate? And yet this stepmother has an interestingly complex relationship with Danielle. They do have some intimate moments where they actually talk, but Rodmilla’s underlying hatred for Danielle definitely comes through in the second half of the film. All of her blows feel deeply personal in this retelling, as they should coming from a stepmother who should love and protect you and totally doesn’t. I also appreciate that in this version, the evil stepmother sure gets her comeuppance in the end.
Reason #9: Danielle’s Heartwarming Sister Relationship with Jacqueline
On the flipside, not all of Danielle’s stepfamily members are bad. She may have an evil stepmother and one evilly beautiful stepsister, but her second stepsister, Jacqueline, adds some real heart to the action. Melanie Lynskey is absolutely adorable in this roll, not to mention relatable. Don’t we all sometimes feel like the forgotten plain girl who nobody seems to notice? Yet she’s always faithfully there, providing a few kind words and some sweet comic relief in just the right places. But lest anyone think Jacqueline is silly, we can’t forget that beautiful scene where Jacqueline tends to Danielle’s wounds. It’s a vulnerable moment and one of the few acts of kindness granted to Danielle in the film. Once again, Ever After takes the trope of the evil stepsisters and changes it just enough to keep us guessing.
Reason #10: THE WARDROBE
Like any self-respecting period drama, the costuming in Ever After is a character in its own right. And boy does it land. This entire movie is overflowing with sumptuous fabrics and historical silhouettes. Tasty headpieces, glittering jewels, and romantic gowns. Danielle’s glass slippers alone—which make an appearance right at the beginning—are gorgeous. And how could I possibly forget The Dress. THE Dress that Danielle wears to the ball to get her boy. It’s literally her mother’s wedding dress, and although it’s the least historically accurate piece of clothing in the whole movie, it’s to die for in every way. The only thing that could possibly improve it was Signor da Vinci’s perfect addition of the angel wings. Chef’s kiss.
Reason #11: The Grand Entrance of All Grand Entrances
I live and die for a good ballroom scene. And what is a Cinderella story without an incredible ball to attend? Ever After’s masquerade ball is a feast for the eyes with anachronistically modern costumes, and even though Danielle attends for only five minutes, her grand entrance is unforgettable. I also really love how this movie turns the “love at first sight” trope on its head. Henry and Danielle have been getting to know each other for a while before that fateful entrance at the ball where the prince can’t keep his eyes off her. Sure, they’ve still only known each other for like a month, but after all the encounters they’ve had, you can TOTALLY see how and why they’ve fallen for each other by the night of the ball.
Reason #12: A Truly Logical Reason for Cinderella Pretending to Be Someone She’s Not
I mean, wouldn’t you tell a few lies and put on a dress that’s not yours to save a family friend’s life? Granted, Danielle had no idea she was going to bump into Prince Henry while these escapades were going down. And she certainly didn’t expect one lie to turn into a prolonged deception with lots and lots of lies to the man she’s falling in love with. Even so, I think we can all understand why Danielle did it, even if that’s not an excuse for failing to tell the truth when she had a lot of opportunities to set the record straight. But hey, she broke the law. And it was for an incredibly noble cause. Once again, Ever After takes a basic aspect of the Cinderella story and makes it just believable enough that it totally works.
Reason #13: Actual Consequences for Cinderella’s Deception
Another reason I love this version of Cinderella? The moment this princes finds out who she is, he rejects her. Because of course you would turn down someone who’s been lying to you since the moment you met. Danielle didn’t even tell him her real name! I just really like the realism that the prince doesn’t just fall into Cinderella’s arms when he finds out she’s a commoner. So many romantic movies feature relationships based on lies, so I find it really refreshing that there were real consequences here. Although Danielle was in a complicated situation, she almost lost her happily ever after by not being honest with Henry. And I think that was an important hurdle they had to overcome before everything could be neatly resolved.
Reason #14: A Proposal Scene that Will Make Any Girl’s Heart Soar
I mean . . . you can’t really spoil the ending of Cinderella, can you? It’s been told way too many times. But I will say that this movie’s resolution sequence and truly heartrending proposal scene is what all girls dream about. I’m here for it, man. No matter how many times I watch it, it feels like the happily ever after that Cinderella truly deserved. And somehow it’s made all the better by the fact that Danielle is filthy and wearing raggedy clothes when it happens. Henry still knows she’s the one.
Reason #15: Danielle Takes ALL Her Friends with Her into Her New Royal Life
Maybe this was a small choice in the movie, but it’s one that I love SO MUCH. What’s the first thing Danielle does when she becomes a princess? She takes everyone she loves with her to a better life in the royal palace. Most Cinderella stories don’t show anything after the wedding, but this one shows just enough that it really hits home. Danielle didn’t leave anyone behind who stuck with her through those hard years of toil. It says so much about someone’s character when they take the time to share their good fortune with everyone they care about. THAT sounds like happily ever after to me. ❧
And while Cinderella and her prince did live happily ever after, the point, gentlemen, is that they lived.
Ever After (1998)
