Cinderella – A Feminist Take That Finally Breaks Away From The Evil Stepmother Trope

At the outset let me say that I am not a huge fan of Hollywood musicals (with some exceptions of course, most recently La La Land). The Indian cinema fan in me finds them tiresome as maybe opposed to audiences for which they may be novel. This was the feeling I struggled with the most while watching Kay Cannon’s Cinderella but halfway through, the film had become compelling enough for me to ignore this personal distaste & get sucked in by the world it seeks to create – one where fairy godmothers are gay cross dressing dudes & ‘happily ever afters’ more than marrying the one you love.

In Cannon’s universe, Ella (a charming debut by Camila Cabello) is an enterprising, hardworking & aspirational young girl who dreams of creating a better life for herself and her family by becoming a famous fashion designer & businesswoman. For her everything comes second to this dream, even true love if the said lover cannot promise her his support for her endeavours.

However the character & story arc that stood out for the most has to be that of the Stepmother (superbly portrayed by Idina Menzel). This film fights hard against the trope of evil stepmothers, something that the popular version of the story of Cinderella has helped propel for many years. It gives the woman a backstory that is consistent with the theme of the film while still being uniquely her own. You can’t help but empathise with her. Even her “cruelty” towards Ella rises out of love not only for her own flesh & blood but also a strange affinity with the principal character.

While Cinderella gets the Stepmother’s character spot on, the others don’t fare that well. They seem rushed & their arcs incomplete, especially that of the King. Perhaps the Prince & his family should have been given more time to come across as well fleshed out as Ella & her stepmother.

There is also an utter lack of subtlety regarding the film’s philosophy. The fact that this is a feminist take on an age old fairytale is hammered into the audience’s head in almost every scene. That said, how subtle has the opposite of it been for one to complain in this case?

💻 – Amazon Prime India

Direction: Kay Cannon

Cast: Camila Cabello, Pierce Brosnan, Idina Menzel, James Corden, Billy Porter, Romesh Ranganathan, Nicholas Galitzine, Minnie Driver