Cinderella Story

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!

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

....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.

Although, I agree that Yes, this movie is quite cheesy. It is a cute movie. For the girly-girl in all of us, it isn't a tear-jerker but it isn't laugh out loud. I rate it 7 out of 10. Hilary Duff is not my favourite actress...yet by far...however, she pulls this one off. Slightly. But I would rather her in this movie than Ms. Wannabe Teen Queen Lindsay Lohan. I mean, come on....you got a boob job honey, we all know. I applaud Hilary for being herself and not feeling pressures to go under the knife. I think that this movie shows girl power to the fullest, and when Hilary's character 'Sam' stands up and tells off her step-mom, it really shows how far confidence can go. Also, when she tells Chad Micheal-Murray's character where to go, I applauded her. I also think that this quote in the movie, is a great message: NEVER LET THE FEAR OF STRIKING OUT, KEEP YOU FROM PLAYING THE GAME.

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.