We Survive

I have been to see three great movies recently: Cinderella, Insurgent and Furious 7... I've seen Furious 7 twice and yesterday I took my sister to see Cinderella for my second viewing cause it was just so good and needed to be shared. Now if only I could see Insurgent again!

Here's a text I sent a few friends when I saw it originally:

So I went to see Cinderella today… The story was slightly different- I was fully enthralled until I was like- wait- why isn’t Jason Alexander singing about the ball & then I hate Helena Bonham Carter and I was like nah- give me Whitney- but then she left, like usual and the story was really good. Good acting. Great costumes. It was stellar. Obviously Rogers & Hammerstein is my favorite- like Whitney and Brandy singing… A white man and a black woman having an Asian son— it can’t be topped. But this was an excellent movie and I want to own it.

And so I'll leave you with a quote from the prince:
"Cinderella does not need Prince Charming. She’s be fine without him. […] My job was to create a prince that was worthy of her affection. She would be fine without him. That’s the character. She’s strong and brave and doesn’t need him. Actually they bring out the best in each other and that’s why I wanted to do this because it wasn’t that slightly old-fashioned message and probably not the best message to tell children, that you need a man with a big house and lots of money to rescue you from your terrible life. Actually you need somebody that brings out the best in you and encourages you." - Richard Madden

The second viewing was still enjoyable, though while I cried multiple times in the initial viewing, I wasn't able to get as into it as previously because the audience situation was less than ideal... There was a child who was probably too young to be there, and a woman actually took a phone call as it was beginning, I can't even get into that at the moment. It was a serious, "not today, Satan" moment. 

With that being said, I can't help but still love the fact that this adaptation has come out. In a time where Lily James, Cinderella, will call out interviewers for their shallow questions. Along with Richard Madden, Prince Charming aka Kit, saying that the goal was to find someone that together you're better people, not for someone to save you or make you whole. Because Ella is already whole on her own. 

I was an avid protestor of a new adaptation of Cinderella, when you think about it-- she's quite obviously Disney's favorite princess and there are quite clearly so many adaptations already. And while Whitney & Brandy will always be the Fairy Godmother and Cinderella in my book, Rogers & Hammerstein is quite clearly the most magical movie from my childhood-- I am a huge fan of this movie. It may be age, it may be the way they chose to tell the story, but I took something away from Cinderella that I've never noticed before. Her name is really Ella...jk, well kinda- I'm not sure why at 23, it took me this long to realize she did in fact have a real name but I digress. Cinderella has the saddest story of all the princesses... Her beloved mother died and then her beloved father and the person who had been entrusted to guard her and keep her safe turned against her and yet she never allowed it to define her and/or change her. 

Kimmy Schmidt, from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (if you haven't seen the Netflix original series, please do), said it best when she said, "We (women) survive." 

And that's a powerful message for young girls and even women to take away. "To see the world not as it is but as it could be."

have courage and be kind

xxoo

KJB