Cinderella (1997 film)



The 1997 version of Cinderella, Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical adaptation of the fairytale, starring Brandy Norwood as the titular character and Whitney Houston as the fairy godmother, was directed by Robert Iscove, adapted by Robert L. Freedman with choreography by Rob Marshall, and produced by Walt Disney Television, BrownHouse Productions and Storyline Entertainment. It premiered on ABC November 2, 1997.

This version had a slightly more modern feel to it and featured a cast of mixed races, along with an added character named Lionel and three other Richard Rodgers songs added to the score. The stepsisters' names as well were changed from Joy and Porscha to Calliope and Minerva, and while the original is clearly an old-fashioned medieval atmosphere, the remake is more surreal and colorful and it's pretty debatable what country they're in (mostly due to the mixed races).

"King Maximillian: "Why, if I were a young man I'd-" Queen Constantina: "Yes, dear?" Beat. King Maximillian: "Well, I'd be younger, wouldn't I?" Queen Constantina: "Yes, dear.""
 * Adaptation Distillation / Adaptation Expansion
 * Adaptational Attractiveness: Beauty Equals Goodness is averted since the villain is played by Bernadette Peters.
 * All-Star Cast: This version stars Brandy, Jason Alexander, Whoopi Goldberg, Bernadette Peters, Victor Garber, and Whitney Houston.
 * Beauty Equals Goodness: Really, this trope is completely discarded. In addition to the afforementioned Adaptational Attractiveness of the stepmother, it isn't ugliness that the stepsisters use to contrast with Cinderella. In this version, instead, they're clumsy, improper, stupid (even the stepmother shows signs she can't stand this; see Surrounded by Idiots below), and have some strange bad habits.
 * Beta Couple: The king and queen.
 * Billing Displacement: Brandy's name is last in the credits (among the leads). Whitney Houston, Jason Alexander, and Bernadette Peters come first.
 * Although the opening credits start with Brandy's name and go through the rest in alphabetical order.
 * Bowdlerise: The Double Entendre mentioned above became reduced to, "Oh, your highness!"
 * Broken Aesop: The fairy godmother encourages Cinderella to stop sitting around and dreaming and just get out there and make it happen. After which she proceeds to magically give Cinderella everything she wishes for.
 * But only after Cinderella has resolved to fix her dress and hitchhike to the ball if that's what it takes to make her dream come true. If she hadn't waited for her to learn that lesson, then Cinderella may not have stood up to her stepmother in the end.
 * Butt Monkey: Lionel. In spades.
 * Dawson Casting: Averted when producers asked Whitney Houston if she wanted to play Cinderella, but she deemed herself too old for the part.
 * Dirty Old Man: When the king and queen are discussing Cinderella, the king is a little too impressed with how beautiful she is.

"Fairy Godmother: Turn around, don't let me do all the work!"
 * Does This Remind You of Anything?: The stepmother, who is rich and domineering, is white. Cinderella, who works for her as a mistreated household servant, is black.
 * Although it is relieving that one of the stepsisters and the queen are both black, so this was most likely unintentional.
 * Everything's Better with Spinning: Brandy spins during her dress transformation scene.

"Prince Christopher: "Ohh. Cinderella.""
 * Foot Focus: The stepmother's entrance. And of course, the montage of Foot Focuses when everyone is trying on the slipper. Actually, this movie does this a lot.
 * The members of Cinderella's stepfamily are the only characters who don't get a real Foot Focus when they're trying on the slipper. Except possibly Minerva.
 * Funny Background Event: There's a very short clip at the ball that involves the stepmother dancing with a woman.
 * The Girl Who Fits This Slipper: Played hilariously straight when Christopher allows a few white girls to try on the slipper, despite Cinderella having been African-American, and then subverted when it fits Cinderella's stepmother and Christopher refuses to believe she is the girl he danced with.
 * Go Mad from the Revelation: After the shoe fails to fit either of the stepsisters, Cinderella's stepmother becomes so desperate she'll do anything for the prince's money. She locks Cinderella in the kitchen, offers herself to the prince by trying on the shoe, helplessly begs him to marry one of her daughters, and then when all else fails, she gives a Big No and then passes out.
 * Grandma, What Massive Hotness You Have!: The only reason we know Bernadette Peters is in her middle ages in this movie is because the dialogue tells us so.
 * Hypocritical Humor: Not in-universe, and probably not intentional, but at one point the stepmother tells Cinderella not to "cling to the past" because "it's not very attractive." This is said by Bernadette Peters, who hasn't aged for thirty years.
 * I Just Want to Be Free: Cinderella.
 * Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain: The stepsisters. Then again, this is how they're usually played.
 * "I Want" Song: Cinderella's and Prince Christopher's "The Sweetest Sounds", originally written by Rodgers for No Strings.
 * Large Ham: Basically everyone except the two leads has moments in this area, notably Whoopi Goldberg, Bernadette Peters, and Jason Alexander. Although Whoopi's portion of it consists of mostly squeaking.
 * Love At First Sight: Played straight between Prince Christopher and Cinderella at the ball, but averted earlier when they just become friends.
 * Meaningful Echo: Christopher and Cinderella quote some lines from the scene where they first met before she tries on the slipper.
 * Meaningful Name: Cinderella explains that she got her name from sitting in the cinders.

"Lionel: You know, I honestly wish there were something between us. Stepmother: Really? Lionel: Yes, a continent. (leaves)"
 * Meet Cute: When Cinderella first meets Christopher, who's disguised as a commoner. They bring back a few lines from that scene at the end; see Meaningful Echo above.
 * Mythology Gag: "Who dances in glass shoes?"
 * No Indoor Voice: I want a chance at him!
 * As well as the stepmother in her last few minutes onscreen.
 * Of Corset Hurts: Beauty knows no pain, girls!
 * This may be a nod to the girl in the first film who also fell victim to this trope.
 * Oh Crap: During "A Lovely Night," Cinderella is already being stupid enough to describe what she "supposes" the ball was like, in a detailed and accurate fashion, but she tops it off with the exact same curtsey she used at the ball. Upon recognizing this, this trope is written all over the stepmother's face.
 * Pimped-Out Dress: Cinderella's stepfamily wears these 24/7. Then, of course, there's Cinderella herself after her transformation.
 * Plucky Comic Relief: Lionel seems to serve no real purpose other than to be this.
 * Rule of Three: In-universe, three members of Cinderella's family try the slipper on before she does, "The Prince Is Giving A Ball" goes through three Overly Long Names, and both "Impossible" and the added song "The Sweetest Sounds" are sung three times. Outside of that, three of the leads are African-American, and three different shoe sizes were used for the slipper (only one model was actually made of glass), and three songs were added to the score.
 * Sassy Black Woman: The fairy godmother and the queen. Especially since they're played respectively by Whitney Houston and Whoopi Goldberg.
 * Show Some Leg: The stepmother trying to get on Lionel's good side. It doesn't work.


 * Squee: After the stepmother tries on the shoe and it fits, she can't stop squealing. Until the shoe cuts her circulation off.
 * Surrounded by Idiots: The stepmother appears to feel this way with regards to her daughters.
 * Villain Song: Well, Bernadette Peters had to sing something. The song, "Falling in Love with Love," is more of a statement of her opinion, and it's not done in a villainous manner. That may just be because it was originally written for a different show, The Boys From Syracuse, by Rodgers and Hart.