AmateurMovieReviews.com

By Brandi M. Seals

A Cinderella Story is just one movie in the line of many that has taken the story of Cinderella and adapted it for a modern audience. Sometimes it can be tiring when another one comes out. After Ever After, I have pretty much blown off all the Cinderella movies. It is not that they are bad per se; it is just that the story has been told. There is no mystery as to what is going to happen. We all know things start off bad and regardless of how dreary things look; everything works out in the end. It is for that reason that I never went to see A Cinderella Story. I figured I would save my movie money for a movie that had not already been done twenty times over.

The other night, I happened to catch A Cinderella Story on the Family Channel. If you have not seen it yet, check the Family Channel's listings. They tend to replay things over and over again. Anyway, it was Tuesday night, nothing was on and my husband was working late. Basically I had nothing to do, so I decided I might as well watch the movie. It was sure better than working on the laundry.

So there I sat, watching the movie I vowed I would never watch. I have to admit, it is not as bad as I thought it would be. It is quite juvenile (think The Princess Diaries) but it is a fun movie.

The movie tells the tale of Samantha Montgomery (Hilary Duff). She is a senior in high school working her butt off for her step mom, Fiona (Jennifer Coolidge). Fiona is a ditz with an addiction to plastic surgery and botox. She is always having something done. She was married to Sam's dad before he died and since his death, she has become somewhat of a dictator.

She now runs his diner, which she renamed Fiona, but she is never there. She only shows up to boss Sam around, and to pocket money from the cash register. All the employees hate her and her two stupid, whiny daughters. They only stick around to protect Sam and because they loved her father, Hal.

Sam is not connected to her family at all. Her true family is made up of those that work at the diner. They look out for her and protect her when they can.

At school, Sam is not very popular. The cool kids call her diner girl and treat her like she has the plague. She feels out of place in school, except when she is around her best friend, Carter. Sam's goal is to graduate early and go to Princeton.

One day she met a boy from her school in a Princeton chat room. They bond over feeling that they are not what people think they are. They talk to each other constantly but do not trade names. They ponder whether they know each other or not and finally decide to meet at the Halloween dance.

They meet and have a great time. Sam is able to see the guy's face and knows he is Austin Ames, the football quarterback and class president. He is a guy Sam never thought she could get. He is one of the popular kids. She is leery of revealing who she is. She goes to the dance as Cinderella, but has a small mask on the disguises her face. Despite being able to see most of her, Austin is unable to figure out who she is.

They have a great time together but before Sam can reveal who she is, she makes a mad dash for the door. She is late. She needs to get back to work before Fiona finds out that she left.

Time goes by and Sam never reveals who she is, but her evil stepsisters figure everything out and make fun of her at a pep rally where they reenact the whole romance and Austin finds out the truth. He does not go up to her and she is devastated. Luckily at the game, Austin has a change of heart and leaves the game to be with Sam.

The movie is cute and aimed at the teenage or younger crowd. It is not the best Cinderella movie out there, but if you are bored it is not a bad way to fill your time.