Movie Review: Cinderella

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J.M.J.

Caution: spoilers below

I have been waiting for months for this movie to be released. My anticipation has been mounting for so long. I was not disappointed. Not one bit. Except...the prince was a little less handsome than I thought he looked in the previews! Oh well. 

"Have courage and be kind." These words were first told to Cinderella by her mother as she lay dying. I have to insert here, the mother's death was kind of lame. I realize it wasn't the focus of the story, but she started coughing and then in the next scene she was lying on a couch, weak and dying. That could have been dramatized a bit better. Okay, back to that quote. "Have courage and be kind." Such simple yet such powerful words. They were said throughout the film,  not only by Cinderella, but by the prince too! You see, Cinderella was a good influence on him. She captured his attention and he started to emulate her sayings and to put her virtues into practice.

Cinderella is quite the virtuous character. She seems perfect. And yet, she is quite human. Losing a parent at a young age is a traumatic experience in any case, and losing both while you are still young must be frightfully hard, to put it mildly. Cinderella handles all hardships that come her way with grace and finesse. Though she is treated very badly after her father's death by her stepmother and stepsisters, she bears it all with great patience. Working hard to please those with whom she lives, life doesn't become easier for her, but you wouldn't be able to tell by her outward attitude which is fed by her inward goodness. I mentioned earlier that Cinderella, despite her angelic qualities, is quite human. One of the main reasons this is apparent is because she does cry and exhibit emotion. At one point, she loses hope. She cries out to her dead mother, apologizing to her for not believing anymore.

This is a turning point for Cinderella. Just when all hope seems to be lost, she encounters who appears to be a beggar woman. Ever following those instructions to "have courage and be kind, Cinderella gives her a cup of milk. It turns out that this woman is her fairy godmother. 

This parallels how things often work out in my own life. When things are going badly, I cry out to God, telling Him that I cannot go on like that. He lets me struggle for a short amount of time, and then when I finally surrender to Him, He holds me close and relief comes in an answered prayer.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Cinderella's outstanding glass slippers. I mean, just look at them:

They look very much like Cinderella's glass slippers in the older Disney cartoon version:

What did you think of Cinderella? Fun fact: that is my nickname at work.