Plot
Ella is under a spell to be constantly obedient, a fact she must hide from her new step-family in order to protect the prince of the land, her friend for whom she's falling.
Release Year: 2004
Rating: 6.2/10 (17,951 voted)
Critic's Score: 53/100
Director:
Tommy O'Haver
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Hugh Dancy, Cary Elwes
Storyline Based on Gail Carson Levine's award winning novel, this is the story of Ella, a young woman who was given a "gift" of obedience by a fairy named Lucinda. Anything anyone tells her to do, she must obey. When her mother passes away, Ella is cared for by her thoughtless and greedy father who remarries a loathsome woman with two treacherous daughters. This modern-day, fantasy Cinderella features fairies, ogres and elves...as well as a hero in the guise of Prince Charmont, whom Ella falls in love with. Unlike Cinderella though, Ella must depend on herself and her intelligence to get her through her troubles and find Lucinda in order for her "curse" to be broken!
Writers: Laurie Craig, Karen McCullah Lutz
Cast: Anne Hathaway
-
Ella
Hugh Dancy
-
Char
Cary Elwes
-
Edgar
Aidan McArdle
-
Slannen
Joanna Lumley
-
Dame Olga
Lucy Punch
-
Hattie
Jennifer Higham
-
Olive
Minnie Driver
-
Mandy
Eric Idle
-
Narrator
Steve Coogan
-
Heston
(voice)
Jimi Mistry
-
Benny
Vivica A. Fox
-
Lucinda
Parminder Nagra
-
Areida
Jim Carter
-
Nish
Patrick Bergin
-
Sir Peter
Filming Locations: Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland
Box Office Details
Budget: $35,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $6,169,030
(USA)
(11 April 2004)
(1931 Screens)
Gross: $22,913,677
(USA)
(8 August 2004)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
The first song Ella sings, "Somebody to Love" was not the original song choice. Tommy O'Haver had discovered that Anne Hathaway didn't have very good chemistry with their first choice, a more classical "fairy-tale" song. O'Haver and Hathaway were relaxing when she starting singing along and dancing to the song that was currently playing: Queen's "Somebody to Love". They both decided that "this was it".
Goofs:
Continuity:
After her stepsisters order Ella to steal, at the end of the chase one of the guards yells "freeze". She freezes and hangs in the air with her mouth closed. In the next shots her mouth is wide open.
Quotes:
[first lines]
Narrator:
Fairy tales tell, as their labels imply / Stories of magic, of creatures that fly / With giants and dragons and ogres and elves / And inanimate objects that speak for themselves / There's romance and danger and plotting of schemes / There's good guys...
User Review
A Ton of Fun
Rating: 9/10
I had so much fun watching this movie, a piece of light hearted fun
that everyone can enjoy. *If* they remember the opening lines of the
movie; this is a fairytale. And is therefore not to be taken seriously,
it should be watched for the pure enjoyment of getting away from the
daily humdrum.
I have seen this movie twice and both times the audience was literally
buoyed by the fun of the movie, though I must say the best parts and
lines come from Uncle Edgar(a deliciously evil Cary Elwes) and Heston
the snake(the slimy voice of Steve Coogan is wonderful). That is not to
say that the two leads(Anne Hathaway and Hugh Dancy) are not bright and
funny in their parts, they are. Only that the wonderful and memorable
lines come mainly from the more evil characters.
Joanna Lumley (as the evil Dame Olga) and Minnie Driver(one of her best
yet, possibly only beaten by her surprisingly good turn in "Phantom of
the Opera") are also great in their minor roles, providing colorful
characters and not just filling in screen time. Aidan McArdle(Slannen
the Elf) is wonderful comic relief each and every time he appears, as
is Lucy Punch as the horrid Step-Sister and chief fan-girl(shudder).
Eric Idle, Jeniffer Higham, Jimi Mistry and Parminder Nagra are also
memorable, particularly Jimi as Benny, Eric as the Narrator and
Parminder as Ella's best friend, though I think Parminder's talents are
woefully under recognized in this film and I would love to see her in
more main roles like in "Bend it like Beckham".
But I digress.
Hopefully those watching this movie will remember the fun it is
supposed to be and not fall into the trap of over analyzing this piece
of light-hearted happiness.
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