A Cinderella Story (2004) User Reviews

Modernized for a new fairy tale generation!

[Robert_duder · 7/10 · 19 October 2004]

I have said before and I will confess again, I am just a sucker for the Disney cutesy live action movies. Princess Diaries, Freaky Friday, Parent Trap. They are predictable but always fun and light hearted and humorous. It's a recipe for film that has worked for Disney far longer than any of us care to think about. In saying that I am not a Hillary Duff fan, although she seems multi talented, her characters never change and her scope as an actress will seemingly be limited to Lizzie McGuire for the rest of her career.

A Cinderella Story is exactly what one would expect. It's a retelling of the old classic fairy tale with the modern day twist but director Mark Rosman, who has really nothing to claim fame to does a terrific job at truly modernizing the story without coming across as stupid or blatantly obvious. Duff plays Sam, a girl who's father is tragically taken from her after marrying a wicked woman played perfectly hideously by Jennifer Coolidge, you can't help but despise her in this role. She is accompanied by her two daughters, Brianna and Gabriella who are spoiled little brats that like to make Sam's life a living hell. Sam's "wicked stepmother" takes over Sam's father's pride of joy, his diner and turns into her own little cash cow while keeping her late husband's staff on to torture them. She always makes Sam grind her fingers to the bone in between school classes working in the diner. Sam has an online boyfriend whom she's never met, there is a school dance in which he wants to meet her, he turns out to be Mr. Popular, she sneaks out having to be back at the diner for twelve before her stepmother finds out. The rest of the story unfolds as you might expect.

As with all live action cutesy Disney type films, the cast shines...yes even Duff. She's too goody for her own good which works in this case as you feel sorry for her. Her surrogate family, the diner staff are delightful and funny and they help us root for the underdog. Rhonda played by Regina King, who has been some great family movies ie: Mighty Joe Young, and Daddy Day Care is perfect as Sam's protector and Fairy Godmother you might say?? And Chad Michael Murray is great as her Saviour and Prince Charming. The best part of this film is the way the retelling is handled. It's not done in such a way that you are blatantly watching another rehashing of an old fairy tale but rather handled delicately and done in such a modern way that you think to yourself "Hey that's almost like Cinderella." You actually feel for each character the way you are supposed to feel, and you want to see each and every one get what they deserve and incidentally they all do which leaves you satisfied and happy with the film.

This movie won't rake in any critical acclaim but it's fun and you'll enjoy it if you like this style of movie. I suggest checking it out!! 7/10

It was actually better then I thought it would be.

[triple8 · 6/10 · 23 May 2005]

SPOILERS THROUGHOUT:

Man do people hate this movie!!!! I guess I could See why. Oscar winner it ain't. But there are so many movies that are worse then this. I gave this a 6 which normally means OK maybe but not really that great. In this case, though, I guess my review will Be a Mostly positive one-because this was actually many points better then I ever dreamed it would be.

First off I watched this when I was sick-now I have done that, in the past with other movies and they've put me to sleep. Cinderella Story kept my attention nicely. This movie, to me, didn't seem bad or dreadful-just unoriginal. There was not a lot of creativity that went into this, it's just basically the retelling of Cinderella high school style. But I moderately enjoyed it. I was aware, when I was watching it, that I wasn't watching anything particularly new or different, just a sweet little movie. And I can say I even liked this a bit.

People have complained this isn't original but I actually think that's a plus. My fear was that they'd turn the story of Cinderella into an action movie. I mean Hollywood lately especially, HAS been known to do things like that. But the story's basically the same and although I'd have not originally thought of Duff for this role she's actually pretty good in it. Chad Michael Murray, who played Austin was good as well, although he looked about 5 or 10 years older then Duff but he was good in the role.

The movie does contain a few laugh out loud funny lines and best of all, you know what's gonna happen before it happens so you can relax and enjoy yet another version of a timeless classic. This movie is nowhere near at the level of a movie like Ever After, and I honestly could not give it above a 6, but it's very much fun to watch at times and clearly not made with the makers expecting Oscars. I'd say if your in the right mood, give it a chance. My vote's 6 of 10.

Great as a Cinderella story; just so-so as a high school rom-com

[BrandtSponseller · 7/10 · 13 August 2006]

I haven't looked at other reviews of A Cinderella Story yet, but especially because it's a Hilary Duff film, I'd expect there to be a lot of scathing comments. That's because Hilary Duff is, or was, at least, popular with tweens and teens, and lots of slightly older folks have a tendency to hate commercial or popular stuff just because it's commercial or popular. Of course, they find other ways to justify their effectively institutional hatred of this stuff, and I'd guess that the main complaint would be the clichéd and predictable nature of the material here.

And that's true. A Cinderella Story is clichéd and predictable, but that's not a great reason to dislike it. It is a Cinderella story, after all--it tells you right there in the title--retooled as a contemporary Los Angeles-area high school romance-comedy. We all know the Cinderella story fairly well. And any film fan at least old enough to almost be through with high school is surely familiar with the clichés of rom-coms and high school films. Most of us could write the basics of A Cinderella Story's plot without even seeing the film's trailer. So for adults, at least, A Cinderella Story is going to be successful or not dependent on how well it hikes its well-trodden path.

For me, the best material was the more traditional Cinderella-based stuff. Jennifer Coolidge (voluptuously) fills the role of the wicked stepmother. I like Coolidge a lot. She has tremendous charisma and performs her infamous, quirky sarcastic act here with verve. I also like Duff. The two actresses playing Duff's stepsisters were new to me, but just as charismatic as Coolidge. Director Mark Rosman quotes some of the cartoonish visual gags of Disney's Cinderella (1950) more than I expected, and it works amazingly well. It's one element that pushes the film into a welcomed, absurd-surreal territory.

What didn't work as well for me was the material when Rosman and credited writer Leigh Dunlap forgot about doing a pumped up remake of Cinderella. Too much of A Cinderella Story deals with Sam's (Duff) budding cyber-romance, her typical high school problems and the caricatured, stereotypical high school cliques. It's not that these other segments are bad, exactly, but they just don't have the spark or humor that the Cinderella material has, and especially for something like the cliques, we've seen this tens of times before. These scenes would be right at home if we edited them into any of those other films or television shows--sometimes I had to remind myself that I wasn't watching, say, a Cordelia scene from the first season of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997).

So A Cinderella Story has a bit of a split personality--as a funny and wacky remake of Cinderella and as a far less humorous, pretty generic "getting through adolescence and finding yourself" message film. That After-School-Special-styled message may be a worthy one, but intercut with a great version of Cinderella, it doesn't quite fit, even though Rosman does finally start to find a unique and admirable groove while still alternating modes towards the end of the film.

A cute and innocuous way to spend some time. You're not missing anything, but you won't regret it either

[callanvass · 6/10 · 2 January 2014]

Sam Montgomery loses her father during an earthquake when she is eight years old, leaving her with the domineering stepmother Fiona, and her meddling step sisters. Sam becomes a slave to Fiona's needs, which includes working at a diner, and making sure Fiona gets whatever she wants. Sam doesn't have much of a social life because of Fiona. The only people who care about her is her best friend Carter, and a girl she works with, Rhonda. She's also interacting with a mysterious pal online named Nomad through texts and emails. They both deal with family issues, both want to get into Princeton, though Sam is a bit reluctant to show her true self to him because Sam doesn't realize Nomad is Austin Ames. Austin doesn't realize the girl of his dreams is Sam. Despite being ordered to work that night by Fiona, Sam heads to the dance, thanks to Rhoda lending her a beautiful white dress. Sam finds out that Nomad is actually Austin Ames. Sam leaves abruptly because she doesn't want Fiona to find out she is at the dance. Austin is left wondering who his "Cinderella" is. He becomes adamant about finding who she is. They both had a night they'll never forget, but will their respective family issues keep them apart?

I love Hilary Duff. She's gorgeous, genuine, and a great role model. She's also two years younger than me. My crush on her aside, I thought this was a fun movie for what it was. It's innocuous for kids and teens alike, and even adults will get a few smiles out of it. I thought the way they set the story up was very clever. It takes an old fashioned fantasy like Cinderella, and sets the story in a contemporary setting. It throws in some fantasy aspects, while keeping it real with everyday life. They didn't complicate it, and it worked out well. Maybe i'm just a sucker for some cute romance, but I found this movie to be quite romantic. It's a typical story with your usual clichés of good overcoming all evil. The heroine is considered an outsider by the popular people, the school hunk dumps the vixen he's dating for the less fortunate heroine. It's not entirely original, but it's worked many times before, and the formula works again in this movie. It helps that it is a bit more innovative than most with how they pull it off. Hilary Duff is as cute as a button as Sam. She is incredibly charming, very likable, and conveys the proper emotions when necessary. It's not much of a stretch for her, but I thought she was terrific. Anyone that doesn't rally behind her character has no soul. Chad Michael Murray is above average as the love interest. I wouldn't say he blew me away, but he is charming enough to make the role work. He had great chemistry with Duff as well. Jennifer Coolidge steals many scenes as the evil stepmother. She had some terrific lines. I couldn't help but love her. Dan Byrd is a hoot as Duff's best friend, Carter. His nerdy persona was fun to watch. Regina King is great as well as Rhonda. I did think the ending was a tad too convenient. It seemed a little too neat and conventional for me, but it was the right way to end things. You need a happy ending for movies like these. As predictable and clichéd as the ending is, I dare you not to smile.

Final Thoughts: It's nothing earth shattering, but it'll pass the time very nicely. If you want some smiles, chuckles, and a movie that will make you feel good after it's over, this is a decent pick.

6/10

So Bad, It Works

[RobTheWatcher · 5/10 · 29 April 2022]

Despite a wildly corny and simple story line and writing combined with poor acting, this movie still somehow works. It's entertaining and is a feel good movie overall. It's still very poorly done but oh well.

Not as bad as I thought it would be

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 10 November 2009]

I did fear that I would hate A Cinderella Story. I honestly it would be predictable and contrived, problems I have had with some of the Mary Kate and Ashley movies. Actually, while by no means perfect, but as an update of the fairytale this exceeded my expectations. I have heard and read complaints that the film is very unoriginal. I don't think it is. While I like films to be original, I don't like it being too original. The film does follow the skeletal premise of the timeless fairytale, that I grew up reading, as well as loving the Disney film and Ever After with Drew Barrymore and Anjelica Huston.

A Cinderella Story does have its flaws. There are a lot of over-familiar elements in the script, and the plot falls into the oft-danger of being predictable. There are one or two pacing problems and the odd clichéd character, and while there are some mildly funny moments with the stepsisters especially(ie. the scene in the swimming pool) there is nothing uproariously funny. I liked the idea of the two lead characters being internet pals, somewhat reminded me of You've Got Mail.

On the plus side, there are some things I really did like about this film. While they had some in general superficial material to work with, the entire acting ensemble did more than adequately. Hilary Duff does a good job in the lead as Sam, she is definitely not the best actress ever, far from it, but she is better than Miley Cyrus. Plus I thought she looks lovely here. While he looks like 5 years older, Chad Michael Murray is an appealing love interest. And Jennifer Coolidge makes the most out of the role of the wicked stepmother here. The camera work is decent, and the sets are colourful. And I have to mention Sam's dress, it was gorgeous! The film's finish is satisfying too, and the soundtrack is cool.

Overall, one may dismiss this film as a silly piece of predictable fluff. While it is definitely not perfect, it is watchable, and good undemanding fun for teenagers. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Re-make proves to be watch-worthy...

[roswellian-1 · 16 January 2005]

I will admit I like Hilary Duff. She's perky and giggly, and certainly sweet. So when I bought this movie, I was expecting a light and fluffy movie.

The movie was light and fluffy, but it was also endearing as well. Duff shined in this role; definitely her best one yet. She played Cinderella (aka Sam) perfectly and with such innocence and poise. Chad Michael Murray was the surprise of the movie, however, playing Prince Charming (aka Austin) with all the charm and charisma you'd expect from one.

The music was an added touch to this cutesy film, every scene memorable in it's own way (particularily at the end during the football game).

Jennifer Coolidge's character was the only disappointment in the movie. Fiona could have had so much more depth to her character in this film and the way she was portrayed clashed with the overall feeling of the movie.

Who knew that if you substituted a glass slipper with a cell phone you'd get such a wonderfully sweet re-make? Definitely recommended to those that can watch a movie with girl-y fluff.

utterly lame teen comedy

[Buddy-51 · 3/10 · 15 November 2005]

"A Cinderella Story" is yet another instance of Hollywood taking a classic fairy tale from the Middle Ages and doing it up in modern dress. This one is set in the "Valley Girl" world of snooty bitches and pimply-faced teens, where love blooms in internet chat rooms, and romantic encounters are reduced to an endless exchange of poorly spelled and ungrammatical text messages.

The story begins in the 1994 San Fernando Valley when Sam's deliriously happy childhood is shattered by the sudden death of her father in the Northridge earthquake of all things (I wish I were kidding about this, but I'm not), leaving her to suffer under the iron fists of a wicked stepmother and two equally repulsive stepsisters. (One wonders what Sam's lights-out time must have been, since the quake in the film occurs while her father is reading her a bedtime story - a bit odd considering that the actual shaker took place at 4:35 in the morning). The film quickly moves to the present day, where we encounter a teenaged Sam living a life of sheer, unadulterated drudgery, while still yearning for that fairy tale prince to ride into the scene and take her away from it all.

To more comfortably accommodate the contemporary setting, all the magical elements of the story have been effectively eliminated and only the romantic clichés remain. Thus, the fairy godmother has been converted into a sassy waitress who watches over Sam and provides her with the gown she needs at that crucial Cinderella moment; the ball has become a high school Halloween dance; the glass slipper has morphed into a left-behind cell phone (though little is actually ever done with that); and Prince Charming is no longer the heir to an entire kingdom but rather a hunky quarterback with dreams of going to Princeton (ha ha) against his father's expressed wishes.

Hilary Duff doesn't exactly embarrass herself in the role of Cinderella, but she is forced to struggle with a screenplay overflowing with annoying, over-the-top stereotypes and teen romance banalities. And the movie boasts a penultimate scene at the big championship football game that will have the girls in the audience sighing with satisfaction - and the boys groaning in pain.

With one preposterous scene after another, this lame and insipid, by-the-numbers concoction is an insult to thinking teens everywhere.

A lovely movie

[cassandramusicred · 10/10 · 24 June 2005]

I personally loved this movie and cried like as many times as I saw this movie. I saw this movie about 10 times. Still seems like a surprise every time I see this Beautiful spirited movie. This Cinderella Story has a modern twist like no other. Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray were great actors in this love story. This Love is about a girl that loses her father but then meets the worst woman if her life and her two stepsisters. But then she takes control of her life. Samantha(Duff) showed girl power and her true colors in the end of the movie towards Austin (Murray) and Fiona (Jennifer Cooliedge). This movie inspires many people to go for their future and dreams and to find their true love of their life.

Adequate, inoffensive

[neil-476 · 7/10 · 18 December 2010]

This is a satisfactory retelling of the Cinderella story in a California high school setting, brought to life by Jennifer Coolidge's funny modern wicked stepmother.

You'll be left pleased at the end by a film which is suitable for family viewing, albeit you never get that involved that the satisfactory resolution brings a lump to the throat - it doesn't.

Hilary Duff as Sam, the Cinderella character, is one of a number of young American actresses who I find absolutely indistinguishable. They do the job, and they do it perfectly adequately, but they don't bring anything to it which means that six months later I can say "Ah, that was Hilary Duff!"

Subsequent addition: Eight months later, in August 2011, I can remember nothing about this film whatsoever. Utterly forgettable, obviously.

Good but Predictable

[christian123 · 5/10 · 28 December 2004]

Hilary Duff stars in a modern remake of the popular fairy tale, except her Cinderella is a high school senior dealing with a self-obsessed stepmother ( Jennifer Coolidge) and two wicked stepsisters. When she meets her "prince charming" online at a Halloween dance, she has to leave their date in a hurry, leaving him her cell phone as the only clue to her true identity.

A Cinderella Story tells the oldest story in the book and it's actually not that bad. Sure, it's unoriginal and lame but there are some original lines and fun characters. Hilary Duff is the star and she gives a good performance. She isn't about to win an Oscar or anything but it was a convincing performance. Chad Michael Murray plays her love interest and he gives an okay performance. There is a problem between Chad and Hilary though, they don't really have chemistry together. If they had more chemistry then the film would have been better but they both play likable characters so it's not all bad. The supporting actors are the real reason why this film works so well. Jennifer Coolidge steals the movie as the botox evil stepmother and she gives a pretty funny performance. Regina King is also pretty good as Rhonda and she offers a decent amount of laughs.

Once you get by the good looking, mildly charming cast there isn't much else. Mark Rosman does a terrible job at directing the film, keeping it simple yet very dull. There may be a few original lines here or there but the film is pretty bland. The movie is only 95 minutes long so it's not too much of a pain to watch but it does drag during a few scenes. It is also unrealistic which is kind of surprising because this is a modern update of the story so you would expect it to be a lot more believable. Despite these flaws, the film was still mildly enjoyable and it was pretty harmless as well. It was also a lot better than Chasing Liberty and New York Minute. In the end, fans of the genre should enjoy the movie but it's more on the forgettable side. Rating 6/10

Perfect romantic comedy

[sportsman2031 · 8/10 · 2 March 2005]

I thought this movie was a funny and a romantic chick flick. Hilary Duff is one of my favorite actresses and she plays a perfect Sam in this movie. This movie is pretty predictable but still fun to watch. If your bored one day go to the video store and check this movie out. It is very interesting to watch from beginning to end. Chad Micheal Murray is a great Austin for this movie and has what it takes.I never get sick of watching this movie.Every character in this movie was the right pick.I'm so glad Hilary played Sam instead of somebody else.If you are not interested in this movie, at least give it a chance! From a scale 1-10 i give this movie a 8. Two thumbs up!

Jennifer Coolidge makes this fun

[MLDinTN · 6/10 · 17 May 2005]

I don't really think much of Hillary Duff and in this film, she does nothing to change that. As the title suggests, the movie follows the plot of Cinderella. A young girl, Sam, has two snotty step-sisters and stepmom who uses her as a slave. She goes to a dance and meets the boy who's fallen for her over email. But he doesn't recognize her behind the mask. She must leave before midnight and leaves her cell phone behind rather than a slipper. So her guy searches for her. And everything works out in the end.

What I didn't get was how could anyone believe Austin wouldn't recognize Sam. Her voice is very distinguished and he goes to the diner a lot. Plus I hate it when they have the supposed ugly duckings with the best hair and make-up one can have.

But Jennifer Coolidge was great as the evil stepmom. She was very funny. From her salmon diets to always talking about liposuction. Without her, I think the movie would have been a lot more boring.

FINAL VERDICT: If you're into teen movies, then you should catch this one. At least Freddie Prince Jr isn't in it. It's fairly entertaining and short.

fortunately for this film...I've seen worse

[aleusong · 5/10 · 8 June 2005]

A Cinderella Story turned out to be exactly how I envisioned it in my mind mentally. It would be a waste to pay $5 to see a movie that tells itself. You'd think that it should be getting really really low marks for being cheesy, stereotypical, and clichéd (some of which seem off the wall). But then there are other tween targeted films like this one and when I saw those films I pretty much flipped. I'm talking about films like "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" "Raise Your Voice" and "Sleepover".

Parents, please take my advice: if you are gonna show your daughters at least one badly written and overly clichéd teen film where the underdog girl gets her man...by all means make it this one. Yes I mean it. Despite how stupid this film may seem, it is the only one that stands out from the other teen films...mainly in the heroine. Sam is honest and brave and nothing like the other girls in those other films. You actually feel sorry for Sam when she is ridiculed by others (becuase YOU KNOW she didn't deserve it unlike the other teen flick heroines).

And of course every character you expect to see in a teen flick makes an appearance here. There are actually more snobby rich-bitch characters in this film compared to the others, but other than that you can expect every character and even "cliche moments by characters in a teen flick" to be found. If you have seen other teen flicks you would spot these moments right away. I did enjoy that one really nerdy character (Terry?). Although, I wished he had more of an actual part in the actual story (but then again it's normal to see half of a cast in a teen movie to have no actual part in the story. They're just there to represent their stereotype.) Oh yeah RNMorton does make a good point: If a teen flick is set in California, this kind of cruelty towards others is bound to flourish.

And you know sometimes is good to see a badly clichéd film and make fun of it. A Cinderella Story is perfect for that too. Drinking game, anybody? ;)

Hillary Duff was perfect for this part!

[Kristinartist79 · 24 July 2004]

This was a great movie! Hillary Duff is great for this part! All of the other cast are great! This movie was funny and entertaining throughout the movie! I have not seen too many movies with Duff, but I would love to see more! I found the part where the step mother and the step sisters had to work cleaning the diner to be hysterical! I liked laughed through the film! That actress that played Fionna, I forgot her name but I have not seen her that much. She is funny. I loved the line where one of the mean girls in school said, "What can I get that has no carbs, no fat and no calories, (or something like that) and she says, "Water!" She looked very pretty in her costume at the party! Overall, I loved the film!

my childhood romance movie

[jessbir-23618 · 7/10 · 20 July 2019]

This was my movie as a child I remember running home from school just to see it I don't love it as much now but it still has a very special place in my heart. the acting is surprisingly great for a teen Disney movie. Chad Michael Murray is absolutely fantastic and Hilary duff is just as Delightful as the film itself. I love most of the characters and the romance is very cute. the fact that Austin dosnt realize Sam is Cinderella is just pathetic she looks the same but it honestly dosnt bother me to much. this is just a good movie and if your a sucker for teen romance movies give this one a watch.

For Duff fans maybe

[rbverhoef · 4/10 · 2 May 2005]

I can't help myself smiling near the end of romantic comedies, when the two people made for each other finally have their first real kiss. 'A Cinderella Story' brought that smile to my face, on the way it made me laugh a couple of times, but to be honest the film itself is not good. I should say terrible I guess, but since I always find amusing things in this genre I personally would not agree with myself even though I know I am right.

The film follows the Cinderella story. We have Hilary Duff as Cinderella, here named Sam, Jennifer Coolidge as the evil stepmother named Fiona, and two evil stepsisters named Brianna (Madeline Zima) and Gabriella (Andrea Avery). The boy Sam likes is Austin (Chad Michael Murray), although she doesn't know she likes him since she has felt in love with him through e-mail conversations. I guess part of the inspiration came from 'You've Got Mail' too. Of course we have the dance where she learns who he is. Since her eyes are covered with a mask he does not who she is. (When this rule is applied to Superman, it should be applied to Hilary Duff.) Instead of losing a glass slipper near the end she loses her phone. The search for Cinderella starts.

This is the main story. Sub-plots involve Sam's good friend Carter (Dan Byrd) and their friendship and a diner that used to belong to Sam's father including the people working there, most notably Rhonda (Regina King). These little stories are almost more interesting than the main story. Duff is able to make the film watchable. She really is sweet and it is too bad for her she has to do it with this material. Since the comparison is always made: Lindsay Lohan's 'Mean Girls' is a much better film. That film seems to know something about high schools and the people attending them. It's way more intelligent and contains a lot more real laughs. In 'A Cinderella Story' everything, and I mean every little thing, goes by the book. I understand the film is based on one of the most famous fairy tales out there, but even stories like that can be made original in one way or another.

Is there some joy in this film? Yes, for some. You have to love romantic comedies as much as I do for starters. Like I said, Duff is really sweet and Chad Michael Murray has his moments even though he is six years older. You might give it a try if you can a film for those qualities alone, but I would say you better spend your time on something better. 'Mean Girls' is a nice one to start, or how about the good old Disney-animated 'Cinderella'?

Good Movie, Depends On Personality

[cinemaddiction · 6/10 · 25 July 2004]

-Spoilers-

From hearing it's title, you know this movie will be predictable, as far as the plot goes. You also expect it to be a dumb teen movie, just because it is a romance story featuring Hilary Duff. I went into the theater with both of those expectations, but I learned I was wrong.

A Cinderella Story follows the life of a young girl named Sam who lost her dad due to an earthquake and is forced to move in with her mean stepmother and two stepsisters. Her father supposedly did not leave a will, so the evil stepmother, Fiona, gets everything. Sam, in turn, acts like Fiona's slave so that she has the money to get into Princeton, her dream college.

Sam also has a secret admirer, per se, who she contacts using the internet and her cell phone's 'text messaging' feature. The admirer wants to meet at the Halloween dance, but Sam is not so sure she wants to come out of the fantasy relationship and meet her admirer.

She finds that her admirer is the lead quarterback and student body president Austin Ames. She talks with Austin for a short time until her cell phone's timer goes off and she must leave before she tells him who she really is.

The entire movie may have a pretty predictable plot, but it is infused with comedy and a modern flair that I think many people will enjoy.

It doesn't matter what your initial perceptions of this movie are; I invite you to take the chance, and see if you are enchanted by the magical spell this movie leaves.

I won't go before saying that this movie isn't for everyone. Obviously if you are someone who hates any kind of teen movie and loves gory action flicks this movie is not for you. But if you are someone who enjoys comedy, drama, and romance, give this movie a shot, no matter how old you are or what gender you are.

Final Rating: Four out of five stars. ****

Author's Note: Just to show you that anyone can enjoy this movie, I am a 14 year old perfectly straight guy.

Pretty bad.

[invisibleunicornninja · 3/10 · 8 April 2018]

This movie is dumb and cringy with some terrible performance. Sure, its mildly entertaining, but overall its boring and dumb. It could've been worse, I guess.

Sweet, and heart warming

[neenienoonie · 9/10 · 13 February 2005]

Your perfect family film. Has your normal crushes and such. Lots of self confidence, and showing how much you need your friends. That timeless, and useful quote, "never let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game"...after I saw that movie, and heard that line, i changed my lifestyle of leaving everything, calm , boring, and not the way i wanted it. I was afraid that I wouldn't be accepted if i didn't do a certain thing, or if I did a certain thing. I was wrong, and this movie, strange as it may sound, gave me the nerve to do some things I never would have done on my own. Definitely something to see if your feeling left out, or need something that will show you, that dreams can come true.

It was the best of films, it was the worst of films..

[lindas319 · 6/10 · 13 November 2004]

....okay, actually it's neither, but the jury seems to be out on which it is. Everyone under eighteen loves it, everyone over eighteen slams it. I'm forty-two and found it a tad silly, but a great soundtrack and charming stars (Duff and Murray) save this one from the "straight to video" file. Yet another rehashing and modernizing of the classic "Cinderella", our heroine must battle all odds (evil stepmother and wicked stepsisters, etc.) to win her "prince". The setting this time however, is modern day high school, complete with the nerds and the Barbie-doll cheerleaders who taunt them. Can the nerdy girl (Duff, completely miscasted) win the most popular boy in school? This movie isn't that bad, but for a better look, please give the John Hughes teenage angst films from the 1980's a look instead.

Ugh...this film is mind numbingly bad.

[TOMNEL · 1/10 · 29 December 2010]

Ugh. That's the only reaction that can be had to nearly every scene of this putrid, idiotic family film. Ugh!!! Sure, this thing is meant for kids, but there are a lot of films out there made to appeal to children, but also are intelligent enough to entertain the adults. This movie was not going for that. Children, mainly little girls, will eat up this unoriginal material, and laugh at the horribly acted slapstick, and enjoy Hillary Duff's nice character. But adults, the poor adults who happened to go to see this with their children, meanwhile will be cringing in their seats, wondering what life would be like if they didn't have kids, and contemplating suicide right then and there. This is just awful, sappy kiddie fluff, with no redeeming qualities.

So basically, as the title would suggest, this is just a modern day, non-fantasy retelling of the classic Cinderella story. Hillary Duff plays Sam, a teenage girl who used to be happy when her father was alive, before he perished in an earthquake. Unfortunately, her father didn't have a will, and all of his belongings went to Sam's step-mother, and Sam was moved in the attic to make room for the step-mother and her two idiot step-sisters. Sam works at her father's old diner (now owned by her step-mother) and is a huge nerd at school. So, the most popular guy in school, Austin (Chad Michael Murray), and Sam are internet chat buddies, but neither of them no who their texting buddies are. They meet at a school dance, where Hillary Duff is disguised in her eye mask that certainly makes her unrecognizable. She has to leave at midnight to work, and Austin looks for his true love, while Sam tries to build up the courage to tell him. Predictability ensues.

So, what good things can be said of this film? Hmmm, well, Hilary Duff isn't a great actress, but she does fine in this role, and so does Chad Michael Murray. And really, Jennifer Coolidge is fine as the wicked step-mother too. The movie was competently filmed and looked fine on an aesthetic level. So what's so bad about the movie? Everything else.

The step-sister's were complete idiots, and their performances were so over the top it's actually hard to watch. Any jokes that are made by them is ridiculous and unfunny. Dan Byrd, who plays Carter, Sam's best friend, gives an alright performance, but when we are first introduced to him, he is like a wannabe rapper. Why? He's not like this for any more of the film, so was this character trait considered just too stupid and/or stereotypical to continue with, so they dropped it? Who knows, but it's odd and takes away continuity from the character. To add to stupid character traits, despite that this movie often tries to be a comedy, not one funny thing happens in this entire 90 minute film. Not one laugh, not one smile, not one smirk.

This movie also raises many questions. How does Chad Michael Murray not recognize Hillary Duff in her costume? Why does her try to find who she is by holding an audition, instead of first asking her? Why does it start raining on a cloudless night when Hillary Duff and Mr. Murray start kissing? Why is the only clique at school the popular kids (consisting of 6 people) and the nerds (consisting of Sam, Carter and this weirdo Matrix obsessed fellow)? The answer to all these questions...this movie runs on clichés and is like a quilt stitched together from all the worst qualities of teen and kid movies that preceded it. This thing even has one of those horrible 80's clichéd montages where the character tries on clothing, and the other characters shake their head in disapproval, until they find just the right thing. It's just so bad!!!

Little girls might enjoy this one, but everyone else will hate it. It's awful, even for a kid movie, and should not be viewed by anyone over 7. It's not cute, it's just really, really dumb.

My rating: BOMB out of ****. 95 mins. PG for crude humor and mild language.

Cracking, feel-good fabulousness!

[gorejuice · 10/10 · 5 May 2005]

A fantastic interpretation of an age old classic. This movie has it all, with a modern spark.

Every aspect of the original story has been taken into account and even added to.

But also, for the guys, hot chicks galore, and for the girls, fit AND soulful blokes.

A rockin' soundtrack and slick feel to the whole film, with the obligatory heart-wrenching sorrow of our heroine's father's death and the hatred (oh, such hatred!) of the wicked step- mom, what more do you need for today's Cinderella lovin' breed.

A great film to be enjoyed by the whole family.

Massive thumbs up from OUR whole family.

Cute, Amusing Kid's Flick

[johnstonjames · 6/10 · 28 June 2010]

hey. nobody is going to pretend this is a great work of cinema. at least i don't think so. i guess taste can really differ so i don't know. i pretty much liked this because i like movies based on fairy tales. like how some people like movies about sci-fi or horror, i like movies about fairy tales. i love classic characters from fanciful literature like Cinderella, Snow White, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, etc. and this was a cute movie about a famous fairy tale.

wasn't great like i said, but a lot more watchable than i thought it would be. still thought it was brain rot junk, but likable and entertaining enough. Hilary Duff was cute and Jennifer Coolidge was really funny as the step mother. the stepsisters were funny but, gross! did they really have to have a close up of the one sister's butt making a bubble fart in the pool?! eeeeeeew! maybe little kids find that funny but as an adult...i mean i was eating when that happened. yuk!

cute movie though. Disney should have made this. but i guess Hilary Duff was the one that got away.