Ella Enchanted parents guide

Ella Enchanted Parent Guide

A satisfactorily quirky remake of the Cinderella tale.

Overall B

Most parents would jump at the chance of having a child that did everything it was told. But in the magical world where Ella (Anne Hathaway) lives, being placed under the enchantment of perfect obedience proves to be more of a curse than a blessing -- especially when others begin to exploit her inability to ignore their commands.

Release date April 8, 2004

Violence B-
Sexual Content A
Profanity A
Substance Use C+

Why is Ella Enchanted rated PG? The MPAA rated Ella Enchanted PG for some crude humor and language.

Run Time: 96 minutes

Parent Movie Review

What parent wouldn’t jump at the thought of having a perfectly obedient child? In the magical medieval world where little Ella is born, it is customary for each child to be given a supernatural gift from a fairy Godmother. When Fairy Lucinda (Vivica A. Fox) shows up at the door, she feels the crying baby requires the ability to perfectly obey, and thus the spell is given.

The mysterious manipulation is handy for quieting a fussy infant, but once Ella has grown into a young lady (Anne Hathaway), her inability to ignore anyone’s command becomes a major problem. Topping the list of potential exploiters are her two evil stepsisters, Hattie (Lucy Punch) and Olive (Jennifer Higham).

But where there are evil stepchildren, there must also be a handsome prince - and in this case it’s Prince Charmont (Hugh Dancy). With good looks, wit, and charm worthy of regular coverage in Medieval Teen Magazine, Charmont has an active fan club, of which Hattie and Olive are charter members.

Ella, on the other hand, is not so easily swayed by a twinkling smile and nice hair. Instead, the humble maiden is miffed by the less than royal treatment shown to the laboring gentle giants and entertaining elves living in the kingdom. She considers most of the upper class -including the Prince-to be human rights abusers.

Inevitably, Ella and the Prince cross paths. Much to her surprise (but not the audience’s), all preconceived notions begin to melt away. The evil stepsisters are quick to notice the growing mutual fondness, and determine to poison the relationship. Engaging the selfish personality of competing Prince Edgar (Cary Elwes), the trio hatches a plan that will use Ella’s involuntary obedience to serve their greedy desires.

This thin Cinderella plot holds no surprises and leaves screenwriters with lots of time on their hands. Thus, characters break into needless song, singing tunes like Queen’s Somebody to Love. Other scenes padding the film to its 100-minute length involve conflicts between ogres, elves, giants, and all the king’s men. These moments provide generous amounts of cartoon-style violence, along with some flatulence humor and comic drunkenness. This content will be of mild concern for parents evaluating the appropriateness of this movie for young viewers.

Yet it’s in the visuals that Ella becomes a tad more enchanting. The set design and script are full of intentional anachronisms. For example, the girls spend the afternoon at a medieval market that is fashioned after a modern shopping mall, complete with ye olde wooden escalator. Such elements contribute to making Ella feel similar to 2001’s A Knight’s Tale, but with a strange quirkiness best described as Monty Python for juniors.

The other attraction of Ella Enchanted is the strong message about taking control of your life and not blaming outside influences for your wrong decisions. Aimed at young viewers (who are also more likely to fall under the movie’s spell than was I), this lesson is reason enough to recommend the film to family audiences.

Directed by Tommy O'Haver. Starring Anne Hathaway, Hugh Dancy. Running time: 96 minutes. Theatrical release April 8, 2004. Updated

Watch the trailer for Ella Enchanted

Ella Enchanted Parents' Guide

Ella Enchanted clearly demonstrates why being perfectly obedient can be a problem. However, being perfectly disobedient would be just as bad-perhaps even worse. When someone asks you to do something, how can you know if obeying their request will be in the best interest of both people?

Ella had preconceived ideas of what type of person Prince Charmont was, based upon how other members of his family acted. Have you ever had an opinion about one person that was based on similar falsehoods?

While at the market, Ella’s stepsisters command her to steal. How can falling under the spell of peer-pressure causes us to make poor decisions?

Loved this movie? Try these books…

This film is based on Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. Although the film shares elements of the novel’s plot, the two have very different tones and some of the events also differ. Fans of fairy tales, magical stories, and clean romances will love the book. Suitable for older kids and teens.

Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George retells the Cinderella story in an English setting. Two girls wear the magical glass slippers - an English housemaid and a German princess (who was one of the twelve dancing princesses). And the wicked stepmother is replaced by a witch. But there’s still a handsome prince.

Marissa Meyer’s Cinder, first in her Lunar Chronicles series, features a Cinderella figure who is actually a cyborg. This series, which also mashes up elements from other fairy tales, is a great twist on the traditional tale.

Do you think Cinderella is nuts to marry a guy she barely knows? Then you’re thinking along the same lines as Margaret Peterson Haddix. In her novel, Just Ella, the protagonist comes to realize that palace life isn’t for her. But getting out of the palace is much harder than getting there.

Interested in the perspective of the ugly stepsisters? Trisha Speed Shaskan has written and illustrated Seriously, Cinderella is SO Annoying!: The Story of Cinderella as Told by the Wicked Step. Suitable for kids.

Versions of the Cinderella story are found around the world. Rafe Martin and David Shannon’s The Rough-Face Girl is a richly illustrated Native American version. Yeh-Shen:A Cinderella Story from China by Ai-Ling Louie and Ed Young provides a lushly illustrated version of what is believed to be the original version of the tale.

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Ella Enchanted movie is October 15, 2012. Here are some details…

Ella Enchanted releases to home video (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) on October 16, 2012.

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Lovers of this familiar story will also appreciate Disney’s Cinderella or Ever After (an up-dated live-action version). Those looking for fairytale spoofs may enjoy Shrek.

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