Ella is under a spell to be constantly obedient, a fact she must hide from her new step-family in order to protect the prince of the land, her friend for whom she's falling.
Based on Gail Carson Levine's award winning novel, this is the story of Ella, a young woman who was given a "gift" of obedience by a fairy named Lucinda. Anything anyone tells her to do, she must obey. When her mother passes away, Ella is cared for by her thoughtless and greedy father who remarries a loathsome woman with two treacherous daughters. This modern-day, fantasy Cinderella features fairies, ogres and elves...as well as a hero in the guise of Prince Charmont, whom Ella falls in love with. Unlike Cinderella though, Ella must depend on herself and her intelligence to get her through her troubles and find Lucinda in order for her "curse" to be broken!
Written by M. C. Gomez
The first song Ella sings, "Somebody to Love" was not the original song choice. Tommy O'Haver had discovered that Anne Hathaway didn't have very good chemistry with their first choice, a more classical "fairy-tale" song. O'Haver and Hathaway were relaxing when she starting singing along and dancing to the song that was currently playing: Queen's "Somebody to Love". They both decided that "this was it".
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Goofs
Continuity:
When Slannen the elf frees Ella from prison, Ella opens Benny to find out where Edgar is. When she opens the book she opens to the first page. In the next shot the book's pages have been opened to the middle.
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Quotes
[first lines]
Narrator:
Fairy tales tell, as their labels imply / Stories of magic, of creatures that fly / With giants and dragons and ogres and elves / And inanimate objects that speak for themselves / There's romance and danger and plotting of schemes / There's good guys... See more »
Crazy Credits
The cityscape of the Miramax logo dissolves into the cityscape of the
medieval city in the movie.
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"You Make Me Feel Like Dancing (Remix)"
(uncredited) Written by Leo Sayer and Vini Poncia (as Vincent Poncia, Jr.) Performed by 'Anne Hathaway (I)'
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