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I've got a problem. If you've read any of my reviews, you'll know that I love teen movies. I don't know what it is, but I just do. Last week I watched Van Helsing - fell asleep. The week before, Hellboy - fell asleep. And last night, A Cinderella Story - and I was glued to the TV. What's wrong with me?
A Cinderella Story is the modern-day retelling of the classic story (made famous by Walt Disney) about a girl, her evil step-family, the prince of her dreams and those dreams coming true. It's modern-day because instead of losing a glass slipper, she loses her cell phone. Instead of a kingdom far far away, it's the San Fernando Valley. And instead of Cinderella, we get Sam (Hilary Duff). Sam's perfect life is tragically destroyed when her father is killed in an earthquake. Left in the care of her wicked step-mother, she's forced to do all the chores while slaving away in what was once her father's diner while the step-mother and the step-sisters live in the lap of luxury. Sam's life isn't so bad, though. She's got an IM/EMail love interest - but neither knows who the other is. Come the night of the Halloween/Homecoming dance, they agree to meet - but all doesn't go as planned when Sam realizes that her true love is actually Austin Ames (Chad Michael Murray), the most popular boy in school. Dressed as Cinderella, but hidden behind a mask, Sam makes the choice to stay hidden rather than reveal herself. But she can't stay hidden forever, as it seems everyone is out to get her. Will her dreams come true?
First of all, I love Cinderella. My kids love the movie, and I've seen it over and over again. And A Cinderella Story isn't such a bad redo. Sure, the lost glass slipper/cell phone thing doesn't really mesh, but overall it's a fun flick with a nice message for young girls. Plus, you gotta love Hilary Duff.
Now available on DVD, the movie comes with some okay special features. First, we get a commentary ("Hanging Out With Hilary and Friends") featuring stars Hilary Duff, Chad Michael Murray, Madeline Zima and Andrea Avery (the step-sisters) and a couple of others who I can't really remember. They pretty much talk non-stop so it's kinda hard to tell who's talking when, but for the kids out there, this might be a little fun to hear these guys talking about everyday teen-type stuff. Next we get a featurette titled "Cinderella Couture: The Making of a Fashionably Modern Fairy Tale" which looks at how the filmmakers updated the story. Really, they talk a lot of Duff and how they turned this teen dream into a teen princess (ie. make-up and costumes). This shouldn't be mistaken as a making-of featurette - instead it's a lot of fluff. But again, for the film's audience (tween/teen girls and the odd teenage boy) this might be fun. Also included, we get some deleted scenes, some of the star's screen tests, a music video for "Our Lips Are Sealed" featuring sisters Hilary and Hallie Duff, a public service announcement from Ms. Duff and a fun little game where you can find your prince/princess from the movie. Hilary was my princess! (I am ashamed to admit that I even took the time to find out who my prince would be...)
Anyways, I enjoyed this movie. First up, I love the Cinderella story. Second, I love teen movies. Third, I really enjoy Hilary Duff - but in a wholesome way. So, the marriage of these three pretty much guaranteed that I would have a good time. So, it isn't difficult to see why this movie was a success in theaters - and will likely continue that success on DVD. For those of you who can't wait until October 2005 to own Disney's definitive Cinderella story, this disc will easily fill that space on your shelf until then.
Check out the official site.
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