I Watched the Live Action Cinderella!

Last week my family watched the live action Cinderella movie that came out in 2015. And, yes, we are a few years late to the game…

I simply cannot believe that it took me seven years to watch this movie! After watching it I decided immediately that it was my new favorite movie. There is an elegant charm and beauty to it that I haven’t found in any other movie. And Lily James was absolutely fantastic.

I’m super excited to talk about this new favorite movie of mine today! There are several things I have to say about it, including my thoughts on remaking old classics and ‘courage and kindness’ from a Biblical perspective. So let’s get right into it!

A Masterpiece

From every perspective this movie is a true masterpiece. Every moment was lovely to watch.

The costumes were wonderful, always fitting both the scene and the character. I think that the characters of the stepmother and her two daughters were particularly well done. They had strong, clear characters and their loud dresses suited them perfectly without being over done.

But it wasn’t just them. Every character was played and shown perfectly, making the story engaging and lovely. The dialogue is a joy to watch, and the conversations are full of quick and amusing jesting. Many lines are perfect to quote for either their hilarity or for simply the way they stand out in meaning.

I am so impressed with the turnout of this movie. It was truly well done and did a beautiful job of telling the story of Cinderella in a new and charming way.

Taking an Old Story…

Any remake that is made will have certain things to stand up to. But I think that in the case of Cinderella this is even more true.

In the remaking of Cinderella, not only is there the classic Disney movie that it must be based off, but there are also the many Cinderella tales told, in many different books. This was a chance to not only film the same movie with live people, but to bring in all the charm from the old tales into it and shape it into an even more compelling story.

It’s a careful balance. You would want to weave new themes and elements of beauty into a beloved tale, but at the same time be careful not to lose the magic from the original movie.

I think it was done splendidly. The classic story was taken and made complete. The original tale with its characters, mice, magic and charm was still there, that’s for sure. But on top of that there were new things. Details that rounded out the plot, conversations that changed motives, and scenes that enhanced the movie. Of course, it is also unique in ways from the original (a movie without talking mice is quite different from one with), but there is still the same underlying tale. There is no question that this is a princess movie as dazzling as any other.

This is a classic fairy tale enriched and retold while still staying true to everything loved in the original.

Courage and Kindness

At the beginning of the movie, Ella’s mother makes her promise to always have courage and be kind. This promise has a great influence on the movie, even mentioned in conversations between Ella and the prince.

This was not something I was prepared to love about the movie. It seems as though many movies and books speak about these two traits, courage and kindness, but somehow they always fall short of the beauty in them. Courage is doing something great that will earn you praise. Kindness is doing something simple… that would also earn praise. Have courage, be kind.

But when we focus on this perspective of these things we miss the greater goodness in them. Courage does not have to be big and heroic; it can be small and withstanding. Kindness does not have to be an outward show; it can be a way of your heart.

Ella has the true brilliance of these traits. It takes true courage to live the life of daily pain and toil, never breaking or falling into despair. It takes true kindness to treat even your enemies with respect and service. Ella is kind in her very character. She did not merely strive to obey her mother’s command, but let the words write themselves inside of her, shaping who she is.

This is so much like the love we are called to display as Christians. Kindness is a calling rooted in our souls to live our lives for the good of someone else. It is not something we are to show when we make a conscious effort, but at all times.

Who is someone you know that is truly kind? Their kindness does not usually come from one action they did that was labeled as ‘kind’. They live out kindness in the way they talk, work, and smile. When you talk to them you know they aren’t just being kind for the sake of the action, but for the sake of you.

As Christians we are to let the commands of the Lord become a part of our lives in all respects (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). By following it in every way possible and living it out in every way of our lives we will develop a character shaped by God. His words and His will will become who we are, just like how Ella let the request of her mother live so truly in her that it became who she was.

Final Thoughts

This movie is a gem that I wish I had found sooner. It is a creative masterpiece that blew me away with its beauty. I look forward to watching it many more times in the future. This is clearly something that can be seen and enjoyed time and time again, being just as wonderful with each time.

My love for fairy tales has been renewed after watching this movie. Anyone else agree?

Are you a fan of the live action Cinderella? What did you think of the way it turned out?