Directed by: Andy Tennant
Produced by: Tracey Trench & Mireille Soria
Screenplay by: Susannah Grant, Andy Tennant & Richard Parks
Music by: George Fenton
Production Designer: Michael Howells
Costume Designer: Jenny Beavan

Danielle – Drew Barrymore
Prince Henry – Dougray Scott
Rodmilla – Anjelica Huston
Leonardo – Patrick Godfrey
Auguste – Jeroen Krabbe
Marguerite – Megan Dodds
Jacqueline – Melanie Lynskey
Pierre LePieu – Richard O’Brien

I decided to go with my heart and pick one of my personal favorites. Though not an obsessive Drew Barrymore fan (I love her – but won’t see a movie just because she’s in it), “Ever After” was a must-see for me as soon as I saw the movie’s trailer. Who could resist this Cinderella story complete with Anjelica Huston as the wickedly evil stepmother and Dougray Scott as the handsome prince? A show of hands from paying audiences would reflect that most people passed on this film when it was released in theatres.

The story begins with a distant relative of Danielle’s assuring the Brothers Grimm that their “Cinderella” truly did exist. After offering them proof in the form of a glass slipper, she recounts the life and hard-times endured by Danielle, and of Danielle’s love for her father and the handsome, intelligent prince.

Drew stars as the lowly cinder girl, Danielle, put upon by her wicked stepmother and monstrous stepsister. This movie’s Cinderella isn’t a shrinking violet. Drew’s Danielle comes across as strong, opinionated, and fiercely proud. She stands up for a family servant, risking the wrath of her family and the chance at being discovered masquerading as a woman of wealth. Her longing for love, and her loyalty to her father’s memory and the family’s farm, necessitate other acts of disobedience or deception. Danielle wins over the love of the prince, not by wile or physical beauty, but through her intelligence and charm.

Dreamers and romantics are sure to enjoy passing a few hours with this gorgeous film.