I have a confession to make. I haven’t been to the movies in about five years and three hundred days, which roughly coincides with the time I’ve stopped sleeping, which correlates with the time I started having kids. Not being invited to the premiere of the new Disney movie, Cinderella, is the least valid of my hypothetical reasons for not attending: a. No time b. Probably ends late c. Would rather sleep.
RELATED: The Real Message Behind Your Favourite Disney Movies
I will tell you this, though: just because I’m a mother, doesn’t mean I don’t have eyes or one minute and thirty four seconds to spare, so I treated myself to a Cinderella trailer viewing party and discovered that I also have opinions which, as it turns out, span Cinderella and the way she is making women like me who don’t enlist the help of farm animals with their house chores look. With slight aversion to her overly cheerful approach to dish washing I set out to check the transformation of Cinderella’s character over the years or lack thereof.
In the original 1950s trailer Cinderella happily skips as she makes her bed. Despite what the name of the movie suggests, the trailer actually has very little to do with Cinderella and is mostly dedicated to Mr. Walt Disney himself. There is a single reference to Cinderella when the choir sings with great pathos “Cinderella you’re as lovely as your name” thus enabling Cinderella’s evil step sisters who mockingly dubbed her, Cinder Ella.
The question which really comes to mind while watching the 1958 trailer is SPOILER MUCH (?), however as it turns out this trailer was put together by a kind Youtube Samaritan so kudos and more power to you, ma'am! In this trailer Cinderella played by Julie Andrews is “too excited to be tired” as she announces while polishing up a cup. I chase away a thought about just HOW excited she would get at my place and continue watching.
RELATED: Why Aren't There More Families Like This In Movies?
Cinderella and the prince, a man with an uncanny resemblance to a pre tanning salon era George Hamilton do a lot of talking to each other’s backs. He tells her he doesn’t know her name but loves her. He seems like someone who will let her polish up his cups. I see potential here.
It’s 1968 and there is no trailer for this movie, so work with me here. In this particular scene Cinderella, Lesley Ann Warren, is about to be reunited with the prince yet makes what was probably described in the script as a “hysterical female decision” (or maybe a “typical hysterical female decision”) to give up the love of her life due to stained clothes and face.The fairy god mother, representing logic convinces Cinderella that THE LEAST she could do is offer the prince a drink, since he must be thirsty. THAT works. The prince doesn’t initially recognize Cinderella, what with the stains and all, yet after she offers him a drink something must ring familiar and the acting suggests the prince is having a flashback. His horse, on the other hand, is very intuitive and recognizes the significance of the moment immediately. As he does so, he tactfully moon walks out of the frame and creates some space for Cinderella and the prince to explore their relationship.
There isn’t much happening in terms of Youtube trailers until the late 90s when Ever After with Drew Barrymore “a post feminist take” on the Cinderella story is released. Post feminism is really confusing and involves a less demure Cinderella thrusting an object at the prince’s head and wearing her clothes for a dip in the river. In between she throws some yelling tantrums and a couple of "I'm the king of the world" moves. It's the 90s, dude.
While it’s encouraging to see Cinderella growing a backbone and fighting her circumstances, I don’t think that real women toss stuff at men’s heads to make their point, correct?
Are we going to find the heroine we’re looking for in the 2015 trailer?
The newest trailer certainly plants a seed of hope. Girl power in the words of the Spice Girls or female empowerment seems to be gaining pop cultural momentum in the last couple of decades and is hopefully evolving into something more than just a cute slogan. We’ve seen some of that change in approach to animated female characters in the more assertive heroines of movies such as “Brave” and even Frozen. We’ve gushed over commercials such as Always’ Run Like a Girl and Hello Flo’s Camp Gyno which talk about women differently. Most notably, perhaps, we’ve recently learned of Barbie (whose face, boobs and disproportionately long legs have launched many a feminist ships) catching on and launching Super Hero Barbie. So has the heroine of history’s most famous makeover story caught on?
I’m going to be cautiously optimistic and say that possibly, judging by the trailer. I sat all teary eyed when as at 09 seconds, Cinderella’s mother shares her parting wisdom: have courage and be kind. Hear that? Have COURAGE and be kind. Amen. Watching the trailers of Cinderella's earlier versions almost makes it appears as though her mother’s parting message might have had something to do with cheerfulness and obedience, obedient cheerfulness in the face of chores perhaps? Delusion, if you like keeping it real.
Who says courage is just for boys?
Printer-friendly version