Rating Change (12/12/2004): I have changed my
original 2.5 Bucket rating of this movie to 3 Buckets.
After watching it for the third time, today, I think I
was too harsh on director Mark Rosman and the script, in
this review. Note that it is supremely entertaining and
has an amazing performance from Hilary Duff, and is well
worth seeing. The following is my 2.5 Bucket review,
which I wrote upon its theatrical release:
We live in a time in which people cannot appreciate
solid entertainment. I’m rather flexible in this sense,
and find myself equally enjoying powerful dramas like
Mystic River and popcorn flicks such as Charlie’s
Angels. While A Cinderella Story comes
nowhere close to being a classic motion picture, it is
fun simply because it’s breezy. I’d take it over the
more technically accomplished Shrek 2 or the more
horrifying Osama, any day. These two
pictures were released this year and, despite being
spectacles, they never really hooked me in. There is
nothing worse than having to sit in an uncomfortable
chair with a chatty audience when the movie, spanning
the length of the screen, isn’t engaging. This one may
serve as a by-the-numbers ‘tween flick, but at least
it’s an immersing experience for ninety percent of its
running length.
There is little to no
creativity to be found in A Cinderella Story’s
writing, direction, or camerawork. So, aside from the
fact that it has little competition, seeing that there
are only a few truly good films currently playing in
multiplexes, what makes it worth seeing? One actress:
Hilary Duff. Say what you want about the bubbly,
fake-blonde in her sixteenth year, but I will defend her
at all costs. Here, Duff dishes up another excellent and
instantly likeable performance as Sam, in the modern day
telling of the mythical fairy-tale the film bears the
name of. Only this time, Cinderella and her Prince
Charming have a meet-and-greet over AOL Instant
Messenger, and decide to acquaint themselves in person
at the High School Homecoming Dance. No beautiful,
finely decorated ballrooms ensue. She recognizes him on
their first date of sorts, as the football-team
quarterback, jock Austin (Chad Michael Murray). He, on
the other hand, has no idea who she is, even though the
mask she is wearing for the costume party is only
three-inches in height. After they dance for awhile, Sam
has to rush off to work, and he never finds out who she
really is. A search for the answer is only mandatory.
Aware of Austin’s many attempts to find her, Sam isn’t
ready to come right out and tell him. And when she
finally is, she’s interrupted by the annoyances of her
two evil sisters and stepmother (Jennifer Coolidge).
Hey, I never said the movie was probable. But, the
conduction is faithful to the fantasizing roots of the
original story, and all is well, as a result.
Perhaps the only good move the
director, Mark Rosman, made was to allow Duff to craft
her character, by herself. It seems as though, despite
the best attempts of the cast, every other persona the
audience is introduced to seems absolutely and
annoyingly idiotic. But thank God for Hilary; she’s the
greatest gift this kind of movie could possess. Every
time she’s onscreen, A Cinderella Story shines,
becoming instantly sympathetic and identifiable to.
There is something in her presence that all of us can
relate to, as she always brings about a lovely value to
performing that is free of common techniques to
superficially manipulate viewers, which are often used
by stars in this sort of picture. Duff is always
charming, and clearly sees how she should play her
cards. Sam is a rather one-note character, so instead of
trying to bring depth to her, the actress finds a simple
common-ground with the audience and uses it as a lever
for her work. As a result, she always seems interesting
and natural in the film, just the kind of star you’d
actually want to hang out with in real life for a day.
Here’s a tough question that I’m not sure I will ever be
able to answer: should Duff keep on improving terrible
‘tween flicks and making them somewhat watchable, or
learn to pick better scripts and contribute to more
enlightening material? It would be easier to jump to the
latter conclusion, but something inside of me would like
her to keep taking the same path.
Maybe I’m being utterly
ridiculous. Am I supposed to just take things at face
value and only appreciate artistically pleasing motion
pictures? I would love to think so; it would make my job
a lot easier. But, I enjoyed A Cinderella Story
far too much to dismiss it. My expectations of it were
bottomless, as I walked in, and I suppose this resulted
in the mediocrity of most everything in it being
insignificant.
The trailer for Raise Your
Voice, Duff’s upcoming project, was featured before
this one. I’m hopeful that it will be terrific. But,
living in this current moment, I’m still somewhat
unsatisfied with all of her choices of films, seeing
that I’ve never wholeheartedly recommended one of them.
Still, A Cinderella Story is definitely worth
seeing at a cheap matinee, or at least on DVD. If there
was one thing that home theatre systems and bargain
showings were invented for, it was this kind of movie.
-Danny, Bucket Reviews (7.24.2004)