Ever After

Ever After (known in promotional material as Ever After: A Cinderella Story) is a 1998 American romantic drama film inspired by the fairy tale Cinderella. It was directed by Andy Tennant and stars Drew Barrymore, Anjelica Huston, Dougray Scott, and Jeanne Moreau. The screenplay is written by Tennant, Susannah Grant, and Rick Parks. The original music score is composed by George Fenton. The film's closing theme song, "Put Your Arms Around Me", is performed by the rock band Texas.

This article is about the 1998 film. For other uses, see Ever After (disambiguation).

Ever After
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAndy Tennant
Produced by
Screenplay by
Based onCinderella
by Charles Perrault
Starring
Music byGeorge Fenton
CinematographyAndrew Dunn
Edited byRoger Bondelli
Production
company
Fox Family Films[1]
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release date
  • July 31, 1998 (1998-07-31)
Running time
121 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$26 million[3]
Box office$98 million[3]

The usual pantomime and comic/supernatural elements of the Cinderella tale are removed and the story is instead treated as historical fiction, set in Renaissance-era France. It is often seen as a modern, post-feminist interpretation of the Cinderella story.[4]

Plot
The Leonardo da Vinci portrait Head of a Woman (c. 1508) is portrayed in the film as a depiction of Danielle

In 19th century France, the Grande Dame summons the Brothers Grimm to discuss their interpretation of “Cinderella”, showing them a glass slipper and telling the story of Danielle de Barbarac: In 1502 Renaissance-era France, eight-year-old Danielle is the daughter of Auguste de Barbarac, a wealthy widower. He brings home his new wife, the Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent, and her daughters Marguerite and Jacqueline, and gives Danielle a copy of Sir Thomas More's Utopia. As he departs for business the next day, Auguste suffers a fatal heart attack just as he is approaching the gate, and delivers his dying declaration of love to Danielle, sparking Rodmilla's jealousy.

Ten years later, the de Barbarac manor is in debt under Rodmilla's negligence and expensive lifestyle. Danielle is forced to work as her stepfamily’s servant, mistreated by Rodmilla and Marguerite. She stops a man stealing her father's horse, only to realize he is Prince Henry of France, who gives her 20 gold francs. Fleeing a marriage arranged by his parents, King Francis and Queen Marie, to Princess Gabriella of Spain, Henry is caught after stopping to help Leonardo da Vinci recover the Mona Lisa from gypsy bandits. Dressing as a noblewoman, Danielle takes the gold to buy back her family servant Maurice, whom Rodmilla sold into slavery. Intrigued by Danielle, Henry orders Maurice's release and begs for her name; Danielle lies that she is the Comtesse Nicole de Lancret, her late mother’s name. King Francis announces a masquerade ball, where Henry must choose a bride by midnight or wed Gabriella, leading Rodmilla to scheme to marry Marguerite to Henry.

Danielle’s friend Gustave tells Henry where the "Comtesse de Lancret" lives, forcing her to run home and change clothes in time to accompany Henry to a Franciscan monastery’s library. They are accosted by the gypsies, whom Danielle impresses into inviting her and Henry to their camp, where she and the prince share their first kiss. The next day, Danielle defies Rodmilla and Marguerite, who steal her late mother's dress and shoes for the ball, leading Danielle to attack her stepsister. Marguerite threatens to throw Auguste's book into the fire, forcing Danielle to surrender her mother’s glass slippers, but burns the book anyway and Rodmilla has Danielle whipped. Tending to her wounds, Jacqueline bonds with Danielle. Discovering that Danielle is the mysterious courtier Henry is pursuing, Rodmilla lies to Queen Marie that the “Comtesse” is engaged.

Danielle meets with Henry to confess her identity, but he interrupts that she has given his life new purpose, and returns her father’s book; Marguerite burned a copy from the library. Unable to tell him the truth, Danielle runs away. Refusing to tell Rodmilla and Marguerite where she has hidden the gown and shoes, she is locked in the pantry. Gustave finds Leonardo, who frees Danielle and makes her a pair of wings to wear with her mother's dress and slippers to the ball. There, Danielle tries again to tell Henry the truth, but Rodmilla exposes her fraud and Henry rejects her. Humiliated, Danielle runs away, leaving a slipper behind. Henry resigns himself to marrying Gabriella, but realizes she also loves someone else, and calls off the wedding.

He searches for Danielle, whom Rodmilla has sold to the lecherous Pierre le Pieu. Pierre attempts to force himself on Danielle, but frees her after she threatens him with his own swords. Henry finds her, apologizing for his behavior, and proposes to her by placing the slipper on her foot. Rodmilla and her daughters are summoned by King Francis, who accuses her of lying to Queen Marie about Danielle. The queen strips Rodmilla of her title and threatens to banish her and Marguerite to the Americas. Danielle enters, now a princess, and requests a more fitting punishment: Rodmilla and Marguerite are sentenced to work as servants in the palace laundry. Jacqueline begins a romance with Laurent, the captain of the guards whom she met at the ball, and Leonardo gives the royal newlyweds a portrait of Danielle.

The Grande Dame explains that Danielle was her great-great-grandmother, whose portrait hung in the university built by Henry until the outbreak of the French Revolution. She declares that while Henry and Danielle did live happily ever after, the point is that they lived.

Historical context

While the story is fictional, it involves several historical figures, places and events. The film is set in the 16th and 19th centuries and features the presences of Francis I, King Henry (later Henry II of France), Leonardo da Vinci, The Brothers Grimm, as well as allusions to the explorer Jacques Cartier, fairy tale collector Charles Perrault, the French colonies in the New World, and the French Revolution.[5]

Though the main portion of the film takes place in early 1500s France,[6] the royals shown are most likely not meant to be the historical figures for which they are named. King Francis I summoned Leonardo da Vinci to his court around 1516, 3 years before King Henry II was born; neither of King Francis I's wives were named Marie (the first was named Claude and the second Eleanor). King Henry II was married to Catherine de' Medici at the age of 14, and had no known children with Diane de Poitiers, a French noblewoman of great influence and the historical figure most likely represented by Danielle. The characters are not meant to be historically accurate figures themselves, but perhaps instead to inspire curiosity about their historical counterparts.

Main cast
ActorRole
Drew BarrymoreDanielle de Barbarac
Dougray ScottCrown Prince Henry
Anjelica HustonBaroness Rodmilla de Ghent
Megan DoddsMarguerite de Ghent
Melanie LynskeyJacqueline de Ghent
Patrick GodfreyLeonardo da Vinci
Lee InglebyGustave
Richard O'BrienMonsieur Pierre Le Pieu
Timothy WestKing Francis
Judy ParfittQueen Marie
Jeroen KrabbéAuguste de Barbarac
Jeanne MoreauGrande Dame

Production

Ever After was filmed in Super 35.

Locations and sets

The castle shown in the film is the Château de Hautefort in the Dordogne region of France. Other featured châteaux are de Fénelon, de Losse, de Lanquais, de Beynac as well as the city of Sarlat-la-Canéda. The painting of Danielle is based on Leonardo Da Vinci's Head of a Woman (La Scapigliata).

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes reports that 91% of critics gave the film a positive review based on 65 reviews, with an average score of 7.56/10.[7] The critical consensus states: "Ever After is a sweet, frothy twist on the ancient fable, led by a solid turn from star Barrymore."[7] Metacritic calculated a favorable score of 66 based on 22 reviews.[8]

Lisa Schwarzbaum from Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B-, saying: "Against many odds, Ever After comes up with a good one. This novel variation is still set in the once-upon-a-time 16th century, but it features an active, 1990s-style heroine—she argues about economic theory and civil rights with her royal suitor—rather than a passive, exploited hearth sweeper who warbles 'A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes'."[9] She also praised Anjelica Huston's performance as a cruel stepmother: "Huston does a lot of eye narrowing and eyebrow raising while toddling around in an extraordinary selection of extreme headgear, accompanied by her two less-than-self-actualized daughters—the snooty, social-climbing, nasty Marguerite, and the dim, lumpy, secretly nice Jacqueline. "Nothing is final until you're dead", Mama instructs her girls at the dinner table, "and even then I'm sure God negotiates."[9]

Chicago Sun-Times film critic, Roger Ebert, praises the film with three out of four stars and writes, "The movie [...] is one of surprises, not least that the old tale still has life and passion in it. I went to the screening expecting some sort of soppy children's picture and found myself in a costume romance with some of the same energy and zest as The Mask of Zorro. And I was reminded again that Drew Barrymore can hold the screen and involve us in her characters. [...] Here, as the little cinder girl, she is able to at last put aside her bedraggled losers and flower as a fresh young beauty, and she brings poignancy and fire to the role."[10]

The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

Home media

On March 3, 1999, the film was released on DVD & VHS.[7] On January 4, 2011, the film was released on Blu-ray.[12]

Musical adaptation
Main article: Ever After The Musical

A report in 2012 indicated that a musical theatre production was in the works, with the book and lyrics by Marcy Heisler and music by Zina Goldrich.[13] The musical was originally scheduled for its world premiere in April 2009 at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco, but the pre-Broadway run was postponed.[14] In May 2012, the project was back on track with Kathleen Marshall signing on to direct a Broadway run.[15][16]

A workshop of the musical was held from April 25, 2013 – May 15, 2013 with Sierra Boggess as Danielle, Jeremy Jordan as Prince Henry, and Ashley Spencer as Marguerite.[17] The musical made its world premiere at the Paper Mill Playhouse from May 21, 2015 – June 21, 2015.[18] Christine Ebersole played the role of Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent.[19] Alongside Ebersole, Margo Seibert starred as Danielle, James Snyder as Henry, Charles Shaughnessy as King Francis, and Tony Sheldon as Leonardo da Vinci.[20] Another production of the musical played at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre from January 15, 2019 to February 19.[21] The production was directed by Susan V. Booth and starred Sierra Boggess as Danielle de Barbarac, Terry Burrell as Queen Marie, Todd Buonopane as Captain Laurent, David Garrison as Leonardo da Vinci, Chris Kayser as King Francis, Jeff McCarthy as Pierre Malette, Tim Rogan as Prince Henry and Rachel York as Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent.[22][23] [24]

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References
  1. Petrikin, Chris (February 18, 1998). "Fox renamed that toon". Variety. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  2. "EVER AFTER - A CINDERELLA STORY (PG)". British Board of Film Classification. September 8, 1998. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  3. "Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  4. Haase (ed.), Donald (2004). Fairy Tales and Feminism: New Approaches. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3030-4.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  5. Ever After (1998) the movie
  6. Loggia, Wendy (1998). Ever After: A Cinderella Story. Dell. p. 18. ISBN 0440228158. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  7. "Ever After: A Cinderella Story Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  8. "Ever After: A Cinderella Story reviews at Metacritic.com". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  9. Schwarzbaum, Lisa (August 10, 1998). "Ever After (1998)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  10. Ebert, Roger (July 31, 1998). "Ever After BY ROGER EBERT". Chicago Sun-Times. Sun-Times Media Group. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  11. "AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  12. "Ever After: A Cinderella Story Blu-ray".
  13. Barrett, Annie (May 15, 2012). "'Ever After' to hit Broadway in 2013". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
  14. Hetrick, Adam (January 28, 2009). "South Pacific Revival to Play San Francisco; Pre-Broadway Ever After Run Postponed". Playbill.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2009.
  15. "Kathleen Marshall to Helm Broadway-Bound EVER AFTER Musical; Music by Heisler/Goldrich". Broadwayworld.com. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
  16. Hetrick, Adam (May 15, 2012). "Kathleen Marshall Will Direct Broadway Debut of Ever After, Based On 1998 Cinderella Film". Playbill. Archived from the original on May 18, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  17. "Exclusive: Jeremy Jordan, Sierra Boggess, Jan Maxwell and Ashley Spencer Star in Developmental Lab of EVER AFTER". Broadwayworld.com. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
  18. "Paper Mill Season Will Feature Can-Can, Hunchback, Ever After, Vanya and Sonia and More". playbill.com. February 26, 2014. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  19. "EXCLUSIVE: Tony Winner Christine Ebersole Will Star in New Musical Ever After". theatermania.com. February 13, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  20. "Full Casting Announced for Paper Mill Playhouse's Ever After". TheaterMania. March 20, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  21. "EVER AFTER, RIDE THE CYCLONE & More Will Appear in Atlanta's Alliance Theatre's 50th Anniversary Season". Broadway World. March 26, 2018. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  22. "Sierra Boggess, Rachel York, Among Stars of EVER AFTER in Atlanta". Broadway World. December 4, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  23. "Photo Flash: Sierra Boggess, Rachel York, And More In Rehearsal For EVER AFTER At Alliance Stage". Broadway World. December 20, 2018. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  24. Franklin, Marc J (January 25, 2019). "A First Look at Ever After at the Alliance Theatre". Playbill.
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