Ever After

''Ever After'' (known in promotional material as ''Ever After: A Cinderella Story'') is a 1998 American romantic period drama film inspired by the Charles Perrault fairy tale, "Cinderella". It is directed by Andy Tennant and stars Drew Barrymore, Anjelica Huston, Dougray Scott, Jeanne Moreau, Megan Dodds, Melanie Lynskey, Patrick Godfrey, Lee Ingleby, Richard O'Brien, Timothy West, and Judy Parfitt. Tennant, Susannah Grant and Rick Parks wrote the screenplay. George Fenton composed the original music score. The film's closing theme song, " Put Your Arms Around Me", is performed by the rock band Texas.

The film removes the pantomime and supernatural elements that are commonly associated with the Cinderella tale and instead treats the story as historical fiction, setting it in Renaissance-era France. It is considered to be a modern, post-feminist interpretation of the fairy tale.

''Ever After'' was well received by critics and was a box office success.

Plot

In 19th century France, the Brothers Grimm answer a summons from the Grand Dame at which she expresses her disappointment in their fantastic story of Cinderella. She produces a glass slipper and recounts Cinderella’s actual story.

In Renaissance-era France, eight-year old Danielle is the daughter of widower Auguste De Barbarac, a wealthy merchant who owns a manor in the country. Auguste returns home with his new wife, Baroness Rodmilla De Ghent, and her two daughters from her previous marriage, Marguerite and Jacqueline. A fortnight later, Auguste dies of a heart attack. In his final moments, he turns away from Rodmilla to tell his daughter that he loves her.

Ten years later, the manor is in debt due to Rodmilla’s overspending on herself and her daughters. Danielle is now a servant in her late father's home and encounters the prince one morning as he is attempting to flee his royal responsibilities and see the world before his arranged wedding to Princess Gabriella of Spain. He gives Danielle some gold coins to keep their interlude secret and rides away, but is eventually caught by the Royal Guard after stopping a band of Romani, from robbing Leonardo da Vinci, who King Francis has invited to be the French Court's artist in residence.

Danielle, dressed as a noblewoman, takes the gold coins to the palace to buy back a family servant who Rodmilla sold. Henry witnesses Danielle arguing with a slave holder and, impressed by her passionate argument, in which she quotes Thomas More, orders the servant released. Henry, captivated by her intelligence, eagerly asks for her name. Danielle lies and gives her mother’s name: Comtesse Nicole De Lancret.

Later that night, King Francis strikes a deal with Henry: he will hold a masquerade ball at which Henry will announce his engagement to the woman of his choosing or else marry Princess Gabriella. Hearing this news, Rodmilla accelerates her efforts at getting Henry to notice Marguerite and is increasingly cruel to Jacqueline.

Henry takes Danielle to visit a Franciscan monastery, where she confides in Henry about gaining a love of books from her late father and he admits that he envies her passion and strong convictions. On their way home, the gypsies accost them, but, amused by Danielle's confidence and strength of character, take them to their camp, where Henry and Danielle share their first kiss.

The next day, Danielle is exhausted and stands up to her stepmother. Rodmilla retaliates by giving Marguerite an exquisite gown and shoes that had been left to Danielle by her mother. Danielle confronts them, then attacks Marguerite for insulting her mother's memory. Marguerite then destroys Danielle’s copy of ''Utopia'', the last book Auguste gave her before he died. After Rodmilla has Danielle whipped, Jacqueline treats her wounds, expressing sympathy for Danielle and criticizing Marguerite for her cruelty.

A despondent Danielle tries to tell Henry the truth, but her resolve melts when he tells her she has changed him as a man, inspiring him to build a university. They kiss passionately, but Danielle runs away.

Rodmilla deduces that Henry has been romancing Danielle and tells the Queen that she is engaged. She confronts Danielle about her deception and the whereabouts of her mother’s dress and shoes, which have vanished. When she angrily refuses to produce the gown and shoes, Rodmilla locks her in the house’s pantry. Da Vinci helps Danielle to escape and the manor's servants, who are loyal to Danielle, reveal that they had hidden the dress and shoes. Danielle arrives at the ball determined to tell Henry the truth, but Rodmilla exposes her before she can and, furious at her dishonesty, Henry rejects her. As Danielle tearfully runs out of the castle, she leaves a glass slipper behind. Da Vinci gives it to Henry and reprimands him.

Henry agrees to marry the Princess of Spain, but calls it off when he realizes she too loves someone else. Jacqueline tells Henry that Rodmilla sold Danielle to the lecherous Pierre Le Pieu and he and Captain Laurent set off to rescue her, only to find that she has freed herself. Henry apologizes, professes his love for her and proposes marriage by slipping the glass slipper on her foot. Danielle happily accepts.

Rodmilla is summoned by King Francis inquiring if she lied to Queen Marie about Danielle. Queen Marie has Rodmilla stripped of her title and will have her and Marguerite banished to the Americas unless someone speaks for her. Danielle, now a princess, appears and vows to never think of Rodmilla again before asking the King and Queen to bestow on her the same "kindness" Rodmilla showed her.

Rodmilla and Marguerite are made to work as laundry servants, while Jacqueline is spared from punishment as she has always been kind to Danielle. As a wedding gift, Leonardo gives the royal newlyweds a painting of Danielle that resembles '' Head of a Woman''.

The Grande Dame tells the Brothers Grimm that her great-great grandmother's portrait hung in Henry's university until the French Revolution. She concludes by telling them while Danielle and Henry, reals Cinderella and Prince Charming, did live happily ever after, the point is that they really lived (existed).

Historical context

While the story is fictional, it involves several historical figures, places and events. The film is set in the 16th and 19th centuries and features Francis I, King Henry (later Henry II of France), Leonardo da Vinci, The Brothers Grimm, as well as allusions to the explorer Jacques Cartier, the fairy tale collector Charles Perrault, the French colonies in the New World, and the French Revolution.

Though the main portion of the film takes place in early 1500s France, the royals shown are most likely not meant to be the historical figures for which they are named. King Francis I summoned Leonardo da Vinci to his court around 1516, three years before King Henry II was born; neither of King Francis I's wives was named Marie (the first was named Claude and the second Eleanor). King Henry II was married to Catherine de' Medici at the age of 14 and had no known children with Diane de Poitiers, a French noblewoman of great influence and the historical figure most likely represented by Danielle.

Cast

Production

''Ever After'' was filmed in Super 35.

Locations and sets

The castle shown in the film is the Château de Hautefort in the Dordogne region of France. Other featured châteaux are de Fénelon, de Losse, de Lanquais, de Beynac as well as the city of Sarlat-la-Canéda. The painting of Danielle is based on Leonardo da Vinci's '' Head of a Woman'' (La Scapigliata).

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of 65 reviews were positive, with an average score of 7.60/10. The critical consensus states: "''Ever After'' is a sweet, frothy twist on the ancient fable, led by a solid turn from star Barrymore". On Metacritic it has score of 66 out of 100 based on 22 reviews. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "A" on scale of A to F.

Lisa Schwarzbaum from ''Entertainment Weekly'' gave the film a B−, saying: "Against many odds, ''Ever After'' comes up with a good one. This novel variation is still set in the once-upon-a-time 16th century, but it features an active, 1990s-style heroine—she argues about economic theory and civil rights with her royal suitor—rather than a passive, exploited hearth sweeper who warbles "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes"". She also praised Anjelica Huston's performance as a cruel stepmother: "Huston does a lot of eye narrowing and eyebrow raising while toddling around in an extraordinary selection of extreme headgear, accompanied by her two less-than-self-actualized daughters—the snooty, social-climbing, nasty Marguerite, and the dim, lumpy, secretly nice Jacqueline. "Nothing is final until you're dead", Mama instructs her girls at the dinner table, "and even then I'm sure God negotiates"".

''Chicago Sun-Times'' film critic, Roger Ebert, praises the film with three out of four stars and writes, "The movie ..is one of surprises, not least that the old tale still has life and passion in it. I went to the screening expecting some sort of soppy children's picture and found myself in a costume romance with some of the same energy and zest as ''The Mask of Zorro''. And I was reminded again that Drew Barrymore can hold the screen and involve us in her characters. ..Here, as the little cinder girl, she is able to at last put aside her bedraggled losers and flower as a fresh young beauty, and she brings poignancy and fire to the role".

The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
* 2002: AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions – Nominated

Home media

On March 2, 1999, the film was released on DVD & VHS. On January 4, 2011, the film was released on Blu-ray.

Musical adaptation

A report in 2012 indicated that a musical theatre production was in the works, with the book and lyrics by Marcy Heisler and music by Zina Goldrich. The musical was originally scheduled for its world premiere in April 2009 at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco, but the pre-Broadway run was postponed. In May 2012, the project was back on track with Kathleen Marshall signing on to direct a Broadway run.

A workshop of the musical was held from April 25, 2013 – May 15, 2013 with Sierra Boggess as Danielle, Jeremy Jordan as Prince Henry, and Ashley Spencer as Marguerite. The musical made its world premiere at the Paper Mill Playhouse from May 21, 2015 – June 21, 2015. Christine Ebersole played the role of Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent. Alongside Ebersole, Margo Seibert starred as Danielle, James Snyder as Henry, Charles Shaughnessy as King Francis, and Tony Sheldon as Leonardo da Vinci. Another production of the musical played at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre from January 15, 2019 to February 19. The production was directed by Susan V. Booth and starred Sierra Boggess as Danielle de Barbarac, Terry Burrell as Queen Marie, Todd Buonopane as Captain Laurent, David Garrison as Leonardo da Vinci, Chris Kayser as King Francis, Jeff McCarthy as Pierre Malette, Tim Rogan as Prince Henry and Rachel York as Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ever After
1998 films
1998 romantic drama films
1990s American films
1990s English-language films
1990s historical drama films
1990s historical romance films
20th Century Fox films
American historical drama films
American historical romance films
American romantic drama films
Cultural depictions of Francis I of France
Cultural depictions of Leonardo da Vinci
Films about orphans
Films about royalty
Films based on Charles Perrault's Cinderella
Films directed by Andy Tennant
Films scored by George Fenton
Films set in the 16th century
Films set in France
Films shot in France
Films with screenplays by Susannah Grant