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
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