Ever After (1998)
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A historical retelling of Cinderella explores a woman's journey from servitude to self-determination in Renaissance-era France.
The story
During the French Renaissance, Danielle de Barbarac is forced into servitude by her cruel stepmother, Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent, following her father's death. While working as a servant, Danielle has an unexpected encounter with Henry, the Crown Prince of France, who is attempting to flee an arranged marriage. After Henry gives her a bribe to keep their meeting secret, Danielle uses the money to attempt to rescue her father's friend, Maurice. Impressed by her intelligence and passion, Henry begins to take an interest in her, leading to a secret romance as Danielle navigates the dangers of her social standing.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film begins with the Brothers Grimm meeting a Grande Dame who recounts the true story of her ancestors, which inspired the Cinderella tale. In Renaissance France, Danielle de Barbarac lives as a servant to her stepmother, Rodmilla, and her step-sisters. She meets Crown Prince Henry, who is fleeing an arranged marriage to Princess Gabriella of Spain. After a secret encounter, Henry gives Danielle money, which she uses to try and rescue Maurice from prison. Henry, impressed by her, helps her. They begin a secret romance, even sharing a kiss at a gypsy camp. Rodmilla plans to use Nicole's wedding gown and glass slippers for her own daughter, Marguerite, to win Henry's favor. Danielle eventually attends a masquerade ball in Nicole's attire but is exposed by Rodmilla. Furious, Henry rejects her, and she flees. Henry agrees to marry Gabriella, but during the ceremony, he calls it off to find Danielle. He learns she was sold to a merchant but finds her free. He proposes marriage by fitting a slipper onto her foot, and she accepts. Rodmilla and Marguerite are punished by being reduced to servants in the palace laundry. The film ends with Danielle and Henry building a university, which is destroyed during the French Revolution.
- Original title
- Ever After: A Cinderella Story
- First release year
- 1998
- Runtime (minutes)
- 120
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Andy Tennant
- Writers
- Susannah Grant · screenplay; Andy Tennant · screenplay; Rick Parks · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Drew Barrymore · Danielle de Barbarac; Anjelica Huston · Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent; Dougray Scott · Henry; Jeanne Moreau · Grande Dame; Patrick Godfrey · Leonardo da Vinci; Timothy West · Francis; Judy Parfitt · Marie; Jeroen Krabbé · Auguste de Barbarac
- Genres
- romantic period drama; historical fiction
- Themes
- self-reliance; intelligence; modern resonance; feminism
- Tone and mood
- sweet; frothy; costume romance
- Premise and plot tags
- historical fiction; fairy tale retelling; romance
- Source material / true-story basis
- Charles Perrault's 1697 fairy tale Cinderella
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics and was a box-office success, grossing $98 million.
- Reported review scores
- CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Best Romance Trailer · Golden Trailer Awards · first annual · nominated; Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Horror Ensemble · Online Film & Television Association · nominated; Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Horror Picture · Online Film & Television Association · nominated; Best Actress · Chlotrudis Awards · nominated; Chloe Award · career achievements · won; Best Costume Design · 3rd Golden Satellite Awards · nominated
- Production trivia
- Bill Mechanic recommended Dougray Scott for the role of Henry, who won the part over Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio.; The castle shown in the film is the Château de Hautefort in the Dordogne region of France.; Leonardo da Vinci's painting La Scapigliata is depicted in the film as a portrait of Danielle.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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