As someone who grew up with Cinderella, I often found myself imagining the castle, the dress and, most importantly, the shoes. I pretended to wait for my perfect man and hoped my mom’s van would magically turn into a horse drawn carriage, but unfortunately many of these ideals were simply fantasy ending with the sudden realization that glass slippers would probably not suit me. Growing up with Cinderella made me think that she would grow up with me, but she didn’t.
The newest adaption of “Cinderella” is true to its original Disney form. All of her dreams come true because she remembers to “be kind and have courage.” The writers occasionally added a scene of intrigue, such as the much needed encounter between Cinderella and her prince before the ball. The butterflies added to her dress and shoes as a way to remember her father were also a subtle way to let her have more character. The movie was filled with fantasy, as it should be, but while many “fairy tale” movies that have been made in the past decade have been modernized, I don’t feel as if Cinderella was.
Many viewers will say this does the movie justice and that the lack of change allows it to be a classic. While in some ways I agree, I also was completely blindsided by the movie’s lack of change when I watched it.
The change for animation to live action seems to suggest a more modern, adult atmosphere, which probably caused my expectations for “Cinderella” to be as high as they were. Between “Into the Woods” and new animated movies such as the over-hyped “Frozen,” Disney has stepped up to the plate in finding ways to make its movies more appealing to adults and more empowering to men and women. And while “Cinderella” did modernize in small ways, it wasn’t enough.
Ella’s “kindness” got in the way of her courage when it came to her step sisters and step mother, almost to the point where it didn’t seem like she had any sort of backbone, something a modern woman would hardly be able to live without. Additionally, the relationship between Kit and Ella was almost unbelievable, making the authenticity lackluster. It may have been more than love at first sight in the original, but it wasn’t far from it.
My generation is no longer full of girls who are waiting for someone to save them, nor are the men only waiting for the love at first sight moment with their princess. We are strong, independent people who can stand on our own without always having the influence of outside sources overshadow our own. Yes, these pressures may be real, but they are not always front and center.
I find it sad that “Cinderella” hasn’t changed. I find it sad that it took having a black President before we got a black princess, and I find it sad that Elsa, while being the only princess without a man, is still portrayed as coldhearted.
I’m not asking for a Grimm brother’s “Cinderella” or a Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid”. I understand that while our generation may not be the target audience for these new fairy tale movies, we are raising a new generation with what we put into them. Blood and gore may not be the best approach to raising 6-year-old girls, but maybe having a relationship that seems realistic or a girl who isn’t a size zero would be a good place to start.