'Ever After: A Cinderella Story' Save money with NextCard Visa Sumptuous, satisfying and sweetly subversive, "Ever After: A Cinderella Story" is more "Masterpiece Theatre" than "Faerie Tale Theater." There is no magical gourd and no stroke of midnight, but there is a handsome prince, an evil stepmother and, naturally, a pretty girl down on her luck. Only this 16th-century sister quotes freely from Sir Thomas More's "Utopia," can lift the prince straight off the ground and, when it comes to defending herself, has a mean left hook. She's the orphan Danielle and, as played by Drew Barrymore, there is a refreshing robustness rounding out the heroine's alabaster beauty. In this modern retelling of the well-known fable, she is one princess-in-waiting who does not need rescuing by any knight in shining armor. Even as a little girl, the feisty Danielle (Anna Maguire) could whip the boy next door (Ricki Cuttell).

But when her father (Jeroen Krabbe) dies, leaving her in the care of his new bride, Rodmilla (a deliciously vicious Anjelica Huston), Danielle's fire is buried under the soot from the hearth she is forced to clean. "Cinder-soot" and "Cinderella," her nasty and demanding stepsister Jacqueline (Melanie Lynskey) soon dubs her. Less snooty but no more helpful is the other stepsibling, namby-pamby Marguerite (Megan Dodds). Enter Prince Charming-excuse me, Prince Henry (Dougray Scott)-the disaffected dreamboat son of King Francis I of France (Timothy West). His Highness Henry is engaged to be married to the daughter of the King of Spain as part of the recent treaty between the two countries, but Daddy senses that Junior isn't too keen on the arranged match and gives him one week to find another bride. At the top of his list, of course, is Danielle, whom Henry only knows as the Countess Nicole.

(That's the pseudonym Danielle adopted while impersonating a noblewoman in order to buy back a member of her household out of slavery.) Now all he has to do is find Ms. Right while avoiding the grasping Jacqueline and her social-climbing mother. Sound familiar? Be prepared for a few surprises. One of the wonderful things about "Ever After" is its clever blend of historical accuracy and fantasy. Gone are Disney's talking mice and fairy godmother and in their place is Leonardo da Vinci (Patrick Godfrey) who, in the last few years of his life, actually did hang out in the court of Francis I. He's the one who gets Danielle to the royal ball on time and designs an extravagant costume for her, not with a wave of a wand, but by calling into play his legendary mechanical know-how. To be sure, there are a handful of anachronisms in this tall tale, not least of which is Danielle's strength and independence, practically unheard of in the 16th century. When she herself is sold into slavery to the vile merchant Pierre Le Pieu (Richard O'Brien), it is by her own wiles and swordsmanship that she is able to escape.

But such quibbles are negligible, given the fact that this is, after all, a bedtime story, framed by the oral narrative of actress Jeanne Moreau, playing a 19th-century grande dame whose ancestors supposedly knew the "real" Cinderella. One thing is certain. A commoner probably never strolled arm in arm through the woods with the crown prince and it is doubtful that anyone ever asked him, "Why is it men never stop for directions?" But with a romance this fanciful and filled with little delights, a tiny bit of poetic license is more than allowed. © Copyright 1999 The Washington Post Company What to Stream: Drew Barrymore's Revolutionary Cinderella Story 'Ever After' What to Stream: Drew Barrymore's Revolutionary Cinderella Story 'Ever After' Drew Barrymore and Dougray Scott in ‘Ever After’ Ever After (1998) The Basics: Drew Barrymore plays a version of Cinderella in the classic fairy tale, which is re-invented as a funny, forward-thinking period romance. If You Liked: The Princess Bride, Tangled, and Emma Disney’s new Cinderella (in theaters Friday) updates the animated classic with live action, digital effects, and a newly empowered heroine.

But this isn’t the first time the glass-slipper story has been given a feminist slant. In 1998, Drew Barrymore revolutionized the Cinderella tale in Ever After, a film that gives depth and strength to its fairy-tale princess without sacrificing an ounce of charm. What’s most unusual about Ever After is what it does sacrifice: the whole idea of magic. Related: Cinderella as Superhero: How the Timeless Heroine Keeps Casting Her Spell Directed by Andy Tennant (Hitch), with a screenplay co-written by Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich), Ever After transports the Cinderella story to Renaissance-era France. Barrymore plays Danielle, whose blissful childhood came to an end when her widowed father re-married and promptly died of a heart attack. At age 18, she is now a servant on her family’s farm where she’s treated badly by her domineering stepmother Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent (the incomparable Anjelica Huston) and her stepsisters Marguerite and Jacqueline (Megan Dodd and Melanie Lynskey, both hilarious).

Instead of pouring her heart out to pet mice, Danielle finds companionship in nature, books, and her fellow servants. And then there’s Prince Henry ( would-be Wolverine Dougray Scott ), who hates his life in the castle and has taken to roaming the countryside on horses stolen from peasants. He makes the mistake of attempting to steal one from Danielle, who lobs an apple at him. And so their love story begins. Unlike other Cinderella stories, the royal ball is not the centerpiece of Ever After. Instead, the essential elements of that scene — Cinderella disguises herself as an aristocrat, the prince is smitten, she runs away, and the whole thing repeats — are cleverly woven throughout the film. Danielle first tries to pass as a courtier so that she can buy back the freedom of a family servant who has been sold by her stepmother. At the castle, she engages in a full-on debate about class structure with Prince Henry, who doesn’t recognize her as the apple thrower and is smitten by her passion (and her ability to quote Thomas More’s Utopia).

She runs away before he can ask too many questions, but continues the ruse when she and the prince are reunited by the film’s version of a fairy godmother: Leonardo Da Vinci. Yes, that Leonardo Da Vinci. Instead of magical spells and transforming pumpkins, Ever After summons its happy ending through the Renaissance ideals of science, art, and learning — and who better to embody these than the man who painted the Mona Lisa? In the film, Da Vinci (a visiting guest of the palace) spends his days tromping around the kingdom with Prince Henry, testing out whimsical inventions like “boat shoes” and urging the prince to marry for love, not politics. Played by Patrick Godfrey, this character bears little if any resemblance to the historical Da Vinci (who wasn’t even alive during the film’s designated time period, as many IMDb annotators have noted ). But Ever After isn’t concerned with historical accuracy. This is history painted as myth, and Leonardo represents a bigger way of thinking about the world than “haves” and “have nots.” Therein lies the genius of removing magic from the story: In the usual narrative, Cinderella transforms instantly and painlessly from peasant to princess.

Ever After takes away that trick, and forces its characters to grapple with the very real difficulty of communicating across class barriers. But fear not, fairy-tale purists: All of this does culminate in a ballroom, and a scene in which the prince kneels at Danielle’s feet with a glass slipper. The difference is that when Prince Henry arrives to rescue Danielle, he discovers that she has already rescued herself. Back in 1998, this seemed like the anti-Disney interpretation of Cinderella. Who knew that 17 years later, the mouse would finally come around? Ever After is available on Netflix Instant, iTunes, Amazon Instant, and Google Play Watch the trailer: Cate Blanchett In ‘Cinderella’: Why She’s The Most Evil Stepmother Of All - Hollywood Life 143 Photos There have been so many movies focusing on the ‘Cinderella’ fairy tale, but Cate’s performance as the evil stepmother in the 2015 version is above and beyond the best. It feels so good to be bad sometimes!

Cate Blanchett , 45, nearly stole the movie when she stepped onto the screen as the deliciously wicked Lady Tremaine in the live-action remake of Cinderella . Anjelica Huston, 63, Jennifer Coolidge, 53, have all tackled the nasty character, but Cate managed to one-up them all. Let’s take a look back at previous Cinderella stepmothers to really drill home why Cate takes the evil crown! Cate Blanchett In ‘Cinderella’: Why She’s The Most Evil Stepmother Of All Anjelica Huston in Ever After: A Cinderella Story Angelica made Drew Barrymore’s life a living hell in this fresh take on the fairy tale. As Danielle’s (their name for Cinderella in the movie) stepmother Rodmilla, Anjelica is snarky, sassy and fabulous. However, I couldn’t help but feel like it was actually Rodmilla’s daughter Marguerite (Megan Dodds) who was the most evil. And when you’re supposed to be the evil stepmother, there should be no question as to who rules as the most cruel.

Jennifer Coolidge in A Cinderella Story Where do I even begin with Jennifer? The 2004 version of the tale featuring Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray was a sweet teen take on the classic. Jennifer’s evil stepmother character — named Fiona — owned a diner and had a tanning bed in her house. As always, Jennifer slayed at her crazy, over-the-top character, but it’s hard to compare her to the likes of Anjelica and Cate. I feel like if Sam (Hilary) had just undercooked Fiona’s precious salmon a little bit, her problem could have been solved a lot quicker. Eleanor Audley in Cinderella (1950) She’s the original evil stepmother, and we have to give credit where credit is due. Eleanor’s voice had a brutal snark to it, making the Lady Tremaine we saw on screen that much more wicked. However, when you have a real-life stepmother to loathe, it’s difficult to really let an animated character get under your skin. Cate Blanchett in Cinderella (2015) And here we are. The moment we’ve all been waiting for.

Cate completely morphed into the character of Lady Tremaine in the live-action remake. But Cate wasn’t just a normal villain. She really got to the root of Lady Tremaine’s evil. She realized the jealousy Lady Tremaine harbored toward Cinderella and infiltrated that into her performance. Every look Cate’s character gave Cinderella told a thousand words. She was full of hatred and envy. She tried to hide her disdain in her lavish gowns but to no such luck. Cate’s take on the Cinderella’s evil stepmother was chillingly real, and that’s what makes her the most vicious one of all. HollywoodLifers, what did you think of Cate’s performance as Lady Tremaine? Let me know! — Avery Thompson EVER AFTER: A CINDERELLA STORY HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE OUR TAKE: 6 out of 10 Anyone who's familiar with romantic fairy tales knows that the man and woman "live happily ever after" at the story's close. Thus, the origin of the title for this updated version of the classic "Cinderella" story that certainly -- and not surprisingly -- doesn't stray from that formula that's proven successful throughout the ages.

Unlike the well-known Disney version, however, this one has forgone the fairy godmother, the pumpkin and the mice in favor of a more streamlined and "realistic" telling of the Brothers Grimm classic. Thus, those looking for those elements may be disappointed, but fans of old-fashioned romantic dramas should find this film to their liking. That's mainly due to the lead characters and the standard complications in their lives that nearly prevent, but (of course) cannot stop the inevitable "ever after" finale. As such, director and co- writer Andy Tennant ("It Takes Two," "Fools Rush In") -- working with cowriters Susannah Grant and Rick Parks -- has fashioned something of a 90's version of the traditional story. No longer is Cinderella -- the nickname used by Marguerite for Danielle -- a passive woman waiting and hoping for her prince and/or lucky day to come along. This woman, wonderfully played by a buoyant Drew Barrymore ("The Wedding Singer"), is well-educated, confident, and not initially enamored by the handsome prince. The former "E.T." child star certainly turns on the charm for this role and delivers an extremely likeable and winning performance.

While her demeanor, words and actions will no doubt please today's moviegoers (as well as those looking for good role models for young girls), Tennant and company's script is certainly anything but socially accurate for the historical time. Fortunately, the story's long history as a fantasy type fairytale makes such "unrealistic" material that much easier to swallow. Dougray Scott ("Deep Impact") is good but not outstanding in the standard issue role of the handsome prince. Fortunately, he gives the character enough charm to overcome such shortcomings. The scene stealer, however, belongs to Angelica Huston ("Prizzi's Honor," "The Grifters") as the cruel stepmother. While she nicely avoids the almost expected, over the top performance (such as exhibited by Glenn Close in "101 Dalmatians"), she does play the character with enough humorous camp not only to make her more interesting, but also more accessible to the audience than a straightforward villain. Supporting performances are fine, including the interesting inclusion of Patrick Godfrey playing the legendary artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci (who essentially replaces the fairy godmother).

Although the story is about as predictable as they come (especially because of its long and well- known history), the movie still manages to be moderately enjoyable. The film's previews, however, nearly do the picture a disservice by making this look like yet another Generation X update of a classic (� la the recent "Romeo & Juliet" and "Great Expectations"). Thankfully it's just a marketing ploy and the film does play out like an old-fashioned film from yesteryear (albeit with modern day dialogue and conventions). The film should play well with women (who historically favor such movies more than men) and young girls (as long as they're not expecting the Disney version), but how it will perform with the rest of the audience is questionable. If our less than half full preview screening is any indication, this film's carriage ride to the box office ball might get stuck in some deep pumpkin and consequently find "midnight" arriving sooner than expected. Fortunately the picture is filled with enough complications to keep things interesting, doses of humor to lighten things up, and winning performances from the likes of Barrymore and Huston all of which make the film moderately entertaining.

We give "Ever After: A Cinderella Story" -- a decent, but not great retelling of the classic fairytale -- a 6 out of 10. OUR WORD TO PARENTS: While the original theatrical release was rated PG-13 for "momentary strong language" (evidently related to several muttered "f" words that few people actually heard), they've been excised and this "new" VHS video version has subsequently been rated PG for "brief language and mild thematic elements" (the DVD release, however, was not edited and is still PG-13). Otherwise, a brief, but certainly not intense sword fight also occurs, and we briefly see some bloody lash marks on Danielle's back (indicating that she received a lashing -- that we don't see -- from Rodmilla's orders). Both the stepmother and one stepsister have bad attitudes toward Danielle, and there is the brief thematic element of a young girl watching her father die of a heart attack. Beyond that, however, the remaining categories have little or nothing in the way of major objectionable content.

Nonetheless, you may want to take a closer look through the listed material should you still be concerned about whether the film is appropriate for you and/or your kids. Ever After (Film) - TV Tropes Ever After You need to login to do this. Get Known if you don't have an account Share "And while Cinderella and her Prince did live happily ever after, the point, gentlemen, is that they lived." —Grande Dame Ever After: A Cinderella Story is a 1998 film adaptation of the classic " Cinderella " story. Set in Renaissance France, the film eschews the magical elements of the original story and treats the plot as straight Historical Fiction . The story begins when The Brothers Grimm are invited to the home of a French noblewoman who tells them how much she enjoyed their story of Cinderella , but that they got some details wrong. She then proceeds to tell them this story... Danielle de Barbarac ( Drew Barrymore ) is the beloved only child of the widowed Auguste de Barbarac and his late wife, Nicole de Lancret.

When she is eight years old, he remarries the Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent (portrayed by Anjelica Huston ), and brings her home along with her two daughters, spoiled and cruel Marguerite and gentle but weak-willed Jacqueline . Shortly thereafter, he dies, leaving Danielle to the care of her stepmother, who already resents the love that he displays to his daughter (especially as he calls for her over his wife in his final moments), and the estate's three devoted servants - the housemaids, Paulette and Louise, and the retainer, Louise's husband Maurice. The movie skips ahead ten years, to when Danielle is eighteen. Their estate has fallen onto hard times and things keep "disappearing," to the anger of the Baroness. Danielle has, of course, become a virtual house slave to the family, but takes comfort in the familial love she shares with the servants and the kindness she receives from Jacqueline. One morning, she is gathering apples in the estate's orchard when she spies someone stealing the horse of her late father. Enraged, she chucks apples at him, ultimately causing him to fall.

It turns out to be the Crown Prince of France, running away from a father who wants to marry him off . To buy her silence, he gives her a great amount of gold. Danielle and the Prince meet again when Danielle, disguised as a courtier and using her mother's name, goes to the castle to rescue Maurice, whom the Baroness had sold into slavery to pay off some of her debt. The Prince is intrigued by "Nicole's" beliefs and courage, and asks to meet her again. A courtship ensues, in which Danielle keeps trying to tell Henry that she is really not a countess and the Baroness gets increasingly suspicious of Danielle's odd appearances and disappearances. The King and Queen, desperate to marry their son off, are delighted that he has found a girl... but are keen to meet her, something Danielle wishes to avoid. Meanwhile, Leonardo da Vinci , who has been invited to court, befriends both Danielle and Henry and everything seems to be going along well, save for Danielle's growing anxiety about maintaining the masquerade. This film provides examples of: Academic Athlete : Danielle, who's a bookworm, a tree-climber, and does her own heavy lifting, certainly qualifies.

She's also an accomplished pitcher (the apple scene) and swordswoman. Action Girl : Danielle swims, climbs trees and punches people in the face. Later frees herself from slavery by threatening her captor with a sword. Actually Pretty Funny : The gypsies' response to Danielle picking up Prince Henry and walking away with him. Altar Diplomacy : Prince Henry of France is supposed to marry Princess Gabriella of Spain, and it's implied that it'll be a diplomatic nightmare for his father King Francis if Henry sidesteps the match. Henry, who especially at the beginning of the movie is kind of a brat, doesn't care. There's also an allusion to the fact that Henry's parents married for diplomatic reasons as well. Queen Marie: Sweetheart... you were born to privilege, and with that comes specific obligations. Henry: Forgive me, Mother, but marriage to a complete stranger never made anyone in this room very happy. Queen Marie: [glances awkwardly at King Francis] All There in the Manual : The novelization of the movie specifies the setting as 1512. Amazon Chaser : Henry wants to know how "Nicole" lives with that kind of passion.

He says to her, "You swim alone, climb rocks, rescue servants. Is there anything you don't do?" Later in the scene she hoists him over her shoulders to save his life. Archetypal Character : Danielle = Cinderella, obviously. Arranged Marriage : Defied. Since neither the groom nor bride wants to go through with it, the wedding is canceled midway through the ceremony. Artistic License ï¿½ History : This is almost right, but... the researchers misunderstood. At one point, Henry feeds one of the stepsisters chocolate saying "the Spanish monks keep sending bricks of it." Yes, the Spanish were responsible for bringing chocolate abroad during their missions, and yes, chocolate was popular in France, causing the rise of several "chocolate houses", but there wouldn't be any "bricks" of chocolate. Solid chocolate was developed about two centuries later by the British, and mastered by the Swiss (who made milk chocolate). So, either she would be drinking it (she wasn't) or eating a cocoa bean (which is bigger), or the seed (conceivable, but she wouldn't be finding it "sinful" because the seeds of the bean were rather bitter without sugar).

In any case, shipping to France would not have been done by the Spanish, since the Spanish kept it a secret for a century or so. More here . The entire movie is rather hodge-podge as far as accuracy goes. While the novelization by Wendy Loggia specifies the setting as 1512, Thomas More's Utopia was published in 1516, and Leonardo da Vinci died in 1519 (in France, it must be said). 1519 was also the same year Henry II, son of Francis I, was born. His mother's name was Claude, not Marie, and he was married to Catherine de Medici. Another big one is that Henry saves the Mona Lisa, which is depicted as being painted on canvas rolled up in a tube, when it's actually on wood. "I wanted four-minute eggs, ''not'' four one-minute eggs, and where in '''God's''' name is our bread?!" Break the Haughty : Rodmilla and Marguerite get their pride completely shattered near the end of the film. There's also Henry, but unlike the first two, he turns out better for it.

Call Back : Danielle is the only one to see her father collapse from his fatal heart attack, because she's the only one to watch him ride away, explaining that "It's tradition - he always waves at the gate." Ten years later, when she goes to the ball, the servants stop Leonardo from going to see Gustave's paintings by exclaiming, "It's tradition!" Sure enough, at the gate, Danielle waves to them from the carriage. Chewing the Scenery : Everyone is occasionally (probably consciously, due to the quick changes between humor and seriousness) guilty of this, the eight-year-old Danielle in particular. Honorable mention to Marguerite, who throws a full-blown temper tantrum with stamping and screaming and yelling in front of the Queen of France. ("There was a bee.") Childhood Friend Romance : Downplayed with Gustave, who admires Danielle in her noblewoman's dress but encourages her to go after the prince. "No one will be looking at your feet." Clothes Make the Legend : Danielle's mother's shoes, which give rise to the legend of the fabled "glass slipper." Cloud Cuckoo Lander : Leonardo da Vinci tries to walk on water using special shoes he made!

He also tries to make a flying machine or two. Cruel Mercy : Danielle keeps Rodmilla from being shipped off to the Americas... by asking the king to "show her the same courtesy that she has bestowed upon me." Cut to Rodmilla and Marguerite being ushered to their new jobs in the palace laundry. Also doubles as an epic Oh Crap! moment for Rodmilla and Marguerite at Danielle's words. Danielle: I want you to know that I will forget you after this moment, and never think of you again. But you, I am quite certain, will think of me every day and for the rest of your life. Distressed Dude : Maurice, whom Danielle saves from being sold and shipped overseas near the beginning of the film. Henry runs into some trouble with a band of gypsies, leading to Danielle being the one to save him. The Dog Bites Back : Jacqueline finally standing up to her mother at the end. Dying Declaration of Love : Auguste to his daughter, Danielle. Rodmilla didn't take very kindly to this. Earn Your Happy Ending : It isn't easy for Danielle or Henry, but they ultimately find happiness in their marriage.

Effortless Amazonian Lift : When told by the gypsies who've waylaid them that she may leave with anything she can carry, Danielle hoists Henry over her shoulder and proceeds to walk off with him. The Leader of the gypsies is so impressed that he calls her back to offer her a horse. Empathic Environment : As Danielle sits alone and crying after Henry publicly rejects her at the masque, it starts pouring. Exact Words : When Danielle picks Henry up after being told she can leave with "anything she can carry". Famous Ancestor : It's not clear exactly who the woman telling the story to the brothers Grimm is (they address her as "Your Majesty," while the credits identify her as "Grande Dame"), but at the end she refers to Henry and Danielle as being her great-great-grandparents, adding that by the time of "the Revolution," "the truth of their romance had been reduced to a simple Fairy Tale . It's been speculated that the woman is Marie Therese, daughter of Louis XVI and Marie Antoniette.

It would make sense, since she would be the direct descendant of Henry and Danielle, and would qualify to be "Your Majesty", since she was, by marriage to her cousin, Queen Consort of France.note If only for about twenty minutes on 2 August 1830. That was how long it was between her uncle/father-in-law's signing of the official instrument of abdication and the time her husband (reluctantly, and despite her impassioned pleading against it) signed the same document. Her headstone declares her "Queen Dowager of France" in recognition of their brief reign. Framing Device : The movie is about one of Cinderella's descendants telling The Brothers Grimm about her real life. Freudian Excuse : Rodmilla laments that her own mother was so hard on her and feels like the position of Baroness is a sign of her hard work paying off. In addition, it's implied Rodmilla was saddened that she barely knew her second husband and wished that he did love her.

Happily Married : King Francis and Queen Marie (despite their periodic snarkiness with each other) Danielle and Henry clearly establish that they're going to be this in the first few months of their marriage that we see. It's implied that Jacqueline and Laurent will end up this as well. Heelï¿½Face Turn : Jacqueline wasn't a terrible person to begin with - just withdrawn and somewhat whiny - but she becomes much more sympathetic to her stepsister after the Sadistic Choice incident Marguerite puts Danielle through. Historical-Domain Character : If this movie is to be believed, Cinderella's fairy godmother was really Leonardo da Vinci . Historical Fiction : The Cinderella story minus the magical elements and thus also count as Demythtification Humiliation Conga : Happens to Rodmilla and Marguerite in the end; permanent service in the Palace Laundry, as well as Rodmilla being stripped of her Baroness title. I Gave My Word : Danielle asks for this from the Gypsy leader to allow her anything she can carry. He agrees and does nothing to stop her from lifting the Prince to carry him away. He's so impressed, he offers Danielle and the Prince a horse and a meal.

Impoverished Patrician : Baroness Rhodmila of Ghent externally acts like she has money to burn when in actuality she secretly sells possessions and even a servant to pay off her debts. Informed Ability : Danielle is an old hand with the sword, though we never see her use one and it is only mentioned once. It's entirely possible that she's bluffing, given that she claims she was trained by her father, who by her account would have had to have taught her well before she was eight. Inelegant Blubbering : Gabriella, the Spanish Princess, because she's forced to marry someome other than the Spanish courtier she's in love with. Can you really blame the poor girl? Kick the Dog : Rodmilla kicks several dogs through out the movie. After Danielle has been rejected by Henry and utterly humiliated in front of the entire French court, Rodmilla decides to sell her - to her Stalker with a Crush .

When Danielle asks Rodmilla if she has ever loved her, even a little bit, Rodmilla's response is a cold "How can anyone love a pebble in their shoe?" The whole business of selling off household items on the sly and then punishing the servants for their "theft" by docking their wages... Even after a satisfying sock to her right eye by Danielle, Marguerite throws Danielle's favorite (and only) book, the last gift she ever got from her father, into the fireplace, even after Danielle surrenders her mother's shoes to her. Then Rodmilla gives her a lashing that occurs off screen. Early on in the film, Rodmilla advises Jacqueline (who is much softer-spoken than her sister) "not to speak unless (she) can improve the silence." Marguerite is like her mother. Not just the book incident; she also tells Danielle that Jacqueline (who was actually upset that her mother was trying to give Danielle's dress to Marguerite) didn't want Danielle to go to the ball. Laser-Guided Karma : Everybody gets what they deserve. Rodmillla and Marguerite are forced to work in the palace laundry.

Monsieur le Pieu traded everything he bought from Rodmilla for Danielle, then lost it all when she escaped. Meanwhile, the kinder stepsister Jacqueline and the Barbarac servants who essentially raised Danielle all get to live with her in royal comfort, while she and her Prince get their Happily Ever After . Masquerade Ball : A regal celebration at which Henry's engagement is to be announced. Memento MacGuffin : The copy of Utopia which was Danielle's last gift from her father; also Danielle's mother's shoes. A Minor Kidroduction : We first meet Danielle, her stepsisters, and her friend Gustave as children, before Danielle's father's death ushers in a ten-year-long Time Skip . Mythology Gag : Some of the traditional elements of the Cinderella story show up in different places than usual. For instance, in this version Danielle's trip to the ball doesn't end with her exclaiming at the time and doing a runner, but one of her earlier meetings with Henry does. The Namesake : The 'Cinderella' title is invoked when we learn that this is Marguerite's nickname for her stepsister.

It comes into play when they're having tea with the Queen, who asks them if they know the woman who has so enraptured Henry. Rodmilla: She's been around for years. And, staying with us as a matter of fact. Marguerite: Yes. Of course. ...Our cousin. Rodmilla: ...Whom you like to call 'Cinderella'. Marguerite: [realizes who this means and throws a massive tantrum] Oh Crap! : "Did you, or did you not, lie to Her Majesty the Queen of France?" Danielle is also clearly having these thoughts when she first pretends to be a courtier (trying to free Maurice) and hears Prince Henry behind her. Parental Abandonment : Danielle's father dies of a heart attack about fifteen minutes into the film. Perverted Sniffing : Pierre le Pieu sniffs Danielle's hair this way after she is sold to him. Pet the Dog : After Danielle is whipped (not shown) for punching Marguerite in the face, Jacqueline nurses the lash-marks on her back, adding that Marguerite should never have said what she did about Danielle's mother.

Rodmilla gets a single moment of this when she tells Danielle how sorry she is she never got to know her mother that she looks a lot like her father. Subverted immediately afterward when she appears to catch herself and explains that what she really meant is that Danielle's appearance and mannerisms are mannish. Please Don't Leave Me : Rodmilla does one of these to Auguste as he lies dying of a heart attack, but it's more out of selfishness than love, since she's wailing that he "cannot leave [her] here" and basically ignoring his heartbroken young daughter kneeling beside him, and proceeds to be horrible to her for the next ten years. It's implied she's also jealous of the fact that Auguste said his "I love you" to Danielle instead of her. The Queen's Latin : Although they are in Renaissance France, everyone (including the Italian Da Vinci) speaks with a British accent. Barrymore's is particularly jarring. Reasonable Authority Figure : Queen Marie, who despite Danielle's deception of her son looks highly uncomfortable by her humiliation at the ball, and earlier is also sympathetic to Henry's wish not to marry Gabriella of Spain.

Rebel Prince : Henry isn't keen to assume his princely duties, and first meets Danielle when he's running away from home. He's rebellious out of snobbish boredom . Renaissance Man : The original Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci himself, shows up to facilitate the romance. Requisite Royal Regalia : The King and Queen, as well as Prince Henry, are crowned and in full court dress for the public humiliation of Rodmilla and Marguerite, and the revelation of Henry's wife, the newly-titled Princess Danielle. Returning the Handkerchief : What the girls hope will happen in the badminton scene—Henry has handkerchiefs stuffed into his clothing by hopeful courtiers. Rich Bitch : Rodmilla and Marguerite. Henry may also count as a male example, at least at first. Royal Brat : Prince Henry is a male version, to some extent. After he gets taken down a peg with an AWESOME speech from Leonardo da Vinci (yes, that one), he gets better. Sadistic Choice : Danielle is forced to choose between letting Marguerite wear her dress and shoes to the masque or forever lose the last thing her father ever gave her.

Even after she surrenders the shoes to Marguerite, the spiteful bitch tosses the book in the fireplace anyway . Say My Name : Danielle, in a heartwarming scene where Prince Henry (in apologizing for being a Jerkass ) spontaneously calls Danielle by her real name (instead of Nicole, her mother's name, which he has been using up this point). She begs him to repeat it — not the apology, but the part where he says her name. There's the bit where he tells her to call him Henry instead of "Your Highness" (which is how he demanded she refer to him as when he discovered she was a commoner). She Cleans Up Nicely : Everybody notices when Danielle arrives at the ball. The moment is soon ruined of course. Shrinking Violet : Jacqueline is quiet and shy. Smug Snake : Le Pieu is especially smug after Danielle is made his slave. Danielle: A servant is not a thief, your Highness, and those who are cannot help themselves. Henry: Really! Well then by all means, enlighten us.

Danielle: If you suffer your people to be ill-educated, and their manners corrupted from infancy, and then punish them for those crimes to which their first education disposed them, what else is to be concluded, sire, but that you first make thieves and then punish them? Although it is difficult to figure out how being poor teaches you to steal. The implication being that if you don't have a lot, it means you have the right to take it? Stalker with a Crush : Monsieur le Pieu is implied to be something like this to Danielle, judging by his behavior toward her in the marketplace and then later when he owns her. Stealth Pun : The historically homosexual Leonardo da Vinci is Danielle's Fairy Godmother. Seeing how very few people believe him to have been homosexual, it could be wishful thinking. A Taste of the Lash : Rodmilla gives this to Danielle as punishment for punching Marguerite. We do not see the lashing take place, thankfully, instead it cuts to a touching scene of Jacqueline treating her wounds. Leonardo da Vinci : Horse. Shit. A bit inaccurate. A royal should, and would put the welfare of the country long before his own marital happiness.

You pay for what you get when you are royalty by devoting every bit of your personal life to the good of the land. May also count as a Precision F-Strike - although the actual f-bomb is not dropped, this is the only real instance of profanity in the movie, and leaves both Henry and the audience somewhat stunned. Wicked Stepmother : Wouldn't be a Cinderella retelling without one, would it? Yank the Dog's Chain : Danielle goes to the masquerade ball to attempt to tell Henry who she truly is. Unfortunately, Rodmilla immediately seizes the chance to tell him herself, humiliating Danielle in front of the entire French court and causing Henry to coldly reject her. You Got Spunk : Le Pieu, as he tells Danielle more than once, likes a girl with spirit. :: Indexes :: 17 reasons ‘Ever After’ is the best Cinderella movie ever – EW.com via GIPHY 6. The score George Fenton’s lovely, sweeping score is so swoonily romantic, it’s enough to make you want to strip to your undergarments and go swimming before a storm. 7.

The king and queen Timothy West and Judy Parfitt have a wonderfully authentic rapport as a (royal) old married couple who have been together — if not happily — for a very long time. Henry’s parents’ marital discord is never explored but frequently referenced, which makes their son’s desire to marry for love that much more significant; it also makes it that much sweeter when they both start laughing together at the King of Spain’s tantrum. Also: “I will simply deny you the crown and live… forever!” 8. A sweet stepsister Melanie Lynskey’s presence has never once failed to improve a movie, and Ever After is no exception. In making Lynskey’s stepsister character Jacqueline sweet and sympathetic to Danielle but obedient to her mother — until the unforgivable “only going for the food” line — Tennant complicates the entire family dynamic. 9. A beautiful stepsister Even better than having a nice stepsister, Ever After also makes one of them especially pretty — perhaps even more conventionally beautiful than Cinderella herself. Megan Dodds’ Marguerite is scarier than any ugly stepsisters that came before her, especially as it appears, briefly, that she has a legitimate shot at winning the prince.

10. Utopian philosophy The reason Danielle is covered in cinders is because she falls asleep next to the fireplace so she can read Thomas More into the wee hours of the morning, and then philosophize about social injustice to anyone who will listen. Because this is an empowering, historically grounded Cinderella movie, in case you weren’t aware. 11. Romance! From the apple-throwing meet-cute to the return of the crucial slipper, Henry and Danielle are a happily-ever-after we can get behind. 12. High stakes No sooner has Danielle averted disaster by saving Maurice from being shipped off to the Americas than she realizes that her stepmother has squandered their fortune on brooches and bribes and they’re going to lose the manor. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Danielle has been sold to the creepy guy with the mustache! Conveniently, she’s an accomplished swordfighter. 13. Anjelica Huston Various elements of Anjelica Huston’s performance as Danielle’s stepmother could easily have comprised every single item on this list and that would be a compelling enough argument.

Her Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent is cruel and calculating, yes, but also intelligent, funny, and strangely appealing. The actress more than makes the most of the one scene that humanizes her, in which she observes to Danielle, “You have so much of your father in you,” then admits regretfully, “I barely knew him.” 14. Anjelica Huston’s eyebrows It was 1998, okay? Everyone overplucked. But Huston can do with one skinny little ‘90s eyebrow what most actresses couldn’t with Cara Delevingne’s. 15. It’s decidedly French, sort of Ever After doesn’t take place in a made-up or unnamed land; it is made clear from the beginning that this is France. While of course all of the actors speak in that flavorless English accent that is used in all American movies that take place in any European country, the casting of Moreau nods at the Frenchness of this Cinderella (that is, Cendrillon), as do some of the (female) character names and the frequent reminders that Henry is “the crown prince of France!” It may be pretty superficial, but it helps historicize the tale. 16.

It’s decidedly ‘90s, definitely Ever After’s historical setting is very much the 16th century via the 1990s, kind of like how Dirty Dancing supposedly takes place in the 1960s (we know this because there’s one JFK reference, in voiceover) but all the clothes and half the music are straight out of 1987. The decade during which Ever After was made clearly trumped the one in which it takes place when it comes to the makeup design, Danielle’s overlong Alanis Morissette hair, and the movie’s particular you-go-girl brand of female empowerment (not to mention the casting of Barrymore in the first place). 17. It’s decidedly ‘Cinderella,’ above all Fairy tales speak to us on a fundamental human level, but the ways we reinterpret and repackage them reflect the contemporary values of our culture — even the uglier ones — back at us. The greatest joy of Ever After is that it is hopeful, sincere, empowering, and even “realistic,” without ever not being faithful to the Cinderella story.

There’s nothing wrong with fairy tales if only they’re told correctly — as the Grande Dame makes sure to do at the beginning of the movie. “While Cinderella and her prince did live happily ever after,” she concedes, accepting this small piece of the Grimms’ fantastical world, “the point, gentlemen, is that they lived.” Show Full Article

Question: Who played Drew Barrymore's stepmother in Ever After?
Answer: Angelica Houston