Ever After
The “real” story of Cinderella. A refreshing new take on the classic fairy tale.
- Director: Andy Tennant
- Genre:Comedy / Drama / Fantasy / Romance
- Runtime:121 minutes
Cast
Drew Barrymore : Danielle De Barbarac
Anjelica Huston : Baroness Rodmilla De Ghent
Dougray Scott : Prince Henry
Patrick Godfrey : Leonardo da Vinci
Megan Dodds : Marguerite De Ghent
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The movie begins with the Grimm Brothers visiting an elderly woman, the Grande Dame of France, who questions their version of the Cinderella story. The Brothers reply that there was no way for them to verify the authenticity of their story as there were so many different versions. After one of the brothers expressed curiosity about a portrait showing a young woman, the Grande Dame replies that the woman was Danielle De Barbarac (Drew Barrymore) and proceeds to tell her story.
In Renaissance France, Danielle de Barbarac was raised by her father in a small manor after her mother’s untimely death. Her father remarried a baroness with two young daughters when Danielle was eight, and shortly after he died of a heart attack, leaving Danielle with a stepmother and stepsisters she barely knew. The Baroness Rodmilla De Ghent (Anjelica Huston) was already resentful of Danielle, jealous of the love Danielle’s father felt for her. By the time Danielle is eighteen, the estate has fallen into decline, as the Baroness has no interest in farming and wishes to get back to court as soon as possible. Various treasured items have disappeared from the chateau and the family’s debts are mounting. The elder daughter Marguerite (Megan Dodds) has grown to be as cruel and arrogant as her mother, who favors her, while the younger daughter, Jacqueline, (Melanie Lynskey) is sweet-tempered and down-to-earth (mainly, it is implied, thanks to her mother’s comparative neglect). However, for much of the film, Jacqueline is too weak to stand up to her mother over her treatment of Danielle. Danielle still treasures her father’s memory and the last present he gave her, a copy of Thomas More’s Utopia .
Danielle has a series of chance meetings with The Prince of France, Henry (Dougray Scott), who becomes intrigued with her wit and intelligence. The first time, Danielle disguises herself as a countess to intercede with Henry for the freedom of one of her servants, giving her mother’s maiden name; Henry is thus unaware of her true identity. She also encounters Leonardo da Vinci, who is visiting the French court. Leonardo mentors her old friend Gustave, a budding artist, and discovers Danielle’s true identity. Meanwhile, Rodmilla and Marguerite are plotting to make Henry notice Marguerite and choose her as his bride, giving them both the social standing they desire. Upset that their son refuses to marry, the King and Queen of France issue an ultimatum: he must announce his engagement at the coming masquerade ball– if he cannot find a girl of his choosing by that time, they will wed him to the Princess of Spain. Since he already has Danielle in mind, Henry agrees, thinking he can present her to his parents at the ball. Danielle, her stepmother, and stepsisters all receive invitations to the ball. Danielle catches Marguerite trying on her mother’s dress from her (Danielle’s) dowry chest for the ball, Marguerite makes a callous comment about Danielle’s mother being dead and Danielle punches her and then chases her around the manor. Marguerite after being backed into a corner, retaliates by threatening to burn the book her father gave her. Although Danielle gives in and allows Marguerite to take the dress and the glass shoes which come with it, Marguerite burns the book anyway. The shoes and dress then mysteriously disappear. Danielle is beaten, and Jacqueline attempts to treat and comfort her. It is at this point that she begins to change and become a little less tolerant of the cruelty toward Danielle, although her abilities to help are still quite limited. Read more
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