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Every Disney fan has his or her favorite classic princess. Some prefer the innocence of Snow White. Others enjoy the battle between good and evil in Sleeping Beauty. For me, though, the magic, the romance, and the whimsy of Disney’s Cinderella is as good as fairy tales get.
Cinderella (voiced by Ilene Woods) once had a happy life, with a loving mother and father. After her mother died, her father decided to remarry, choosing a cold new stepmother (Eleanor Audley)—and two selfish stepsisters (Rhoda Williams and Lucille Bliss)—for his daughter. Soon, her father died, too—and Cinderella became a servant in her own home.
When the king decrees that every eligible young maiden in the kingdom is to attend a ball for his son, the prince, Cinderella is eager to escape her work for one magical night. Of course, her step-mother goes out of her way to make the evening impossible for Cinderella—and it isn’t until Cinderella’s fairy godmother (Verna Felton) steps in that Cinderella’s fairy tale can truly begin.
Disney’s Cinderella has everything that you could possibly want from a fairy tale: magic, music, romance, and a beautiful princess who, in the end, gets the love and happiness that she so deserves.
Cinderella is the kind of character to whom any would-be princess can relate. She’s just a regular girl who dreams of a better life—one without a demanding stepmother and two lazy stepsisters (or maybe one without mean girls at school…or a demanding boss at the office). Despite her hardships, though, she remains positive and upbeat. She may grumble a little bit as she goes about her daily grind, but she’s still kind and thoughtful and hard-working. She even manages to find time to care for the creatures who need her help: the old dog in need of a home and the poor, defenseless mice who find themselves caught in the traps around the chateau.
Those creatures, meanwhile, play a pretty big part in Cinderella’s story. At times, in fact, the story seems to focus more on the ongoing struggle between the lovable mice and that nasty old cat, Lucifer. In the process, though, they add plenty adventure and whimsy to the story—along with some memorable songs and a little bit of magic. Although their parts of the story may sometimes feel like added fluff, they make the movie fun.
Still, Cinderella is also a magical fairy tale, filled with majestic castles and romantic chateaus—not to mention magical carriages and a grand royal ball. The animation is gorgeous, the characters are charming, and the music is absolutely infectious. Throw in some beautiful ball gowns, a handsome prince, and a happily-ever-after, and you’ve got a delightful film that you’ll turn to whenever the real world gets you down.
Blu-ray Review:
Fans of Disney’s Cinderella won’t want to miss the extras included on the film’s Diamond Edition Blu-ray release. On the Blu-ray disc, you’ll find both old, classic features and new ones—from deleted scenes and a digital storybook (though you’ll need to connect to another device for that) to a behind-the-scenes look at Walt Disney World’s new Fantasyland expansion with some Disney Imagineers and Once Upon a Time’s Ginnifer Goodwin.
Even if you’re not interested in the behind-the-scenes stuff, though, you’ll still want to check out the all-new short, Tangled Ever After, which shows the slapstick antics that take place on Rapunzel’s wedding day. With its lovable creatures and its fairy tale setting, it makes a great companion piece to this timeless classic.
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