Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Ever After

The box office movie Ever After – also known as Ever After: A Cinderella Story – was released in theatres on July 31, 1998, starring Drew Barrymore and Anjelica Huston.

It only seemed right to take some time to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this film, especially given how popular the film has become over the past two decades. In fact, Rotten Tomatoes reported that 91% of critics gave the film a positive review, earning an average score of 7.5 out of 10.

At the time Entertainment Weekly’s Lisa Schwarzbaum gave the film a grade of B-, sharing “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.”

Even more so, the late great film critic Roger Ebert praised Ever After, saying “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.”

This version of the fairy tale story focused on Danielle de Barbarac (Barrymore), who was made a servant by her new stepmother Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent (Huston) after the sudden death of her loving father when she was a young girl. Much like the classic story, Danielle had two stepsisters: Jacqueline (Melanie Lynskey), who was nice and Marguerite (Megan Dodds) who was not kind at all.

Despite her treatment by her step family, she grew up to be a happy and strong willed young woman, whose path – one day – crossed with that of the handsome Prince of France, none other than Prince Henry himself (Dougray Scott).

Much like the storybook tale, they fall in love but have to get past some inadvertent deception, castle intrigue and the prince’s own legacy to find their happily ever after.

Not only has the movie charmed viewers all over the world since it first graced the big screen, but it has left a lasting memory of movie goers with the elaborate costumes – I know I still gasp when Danielle ascends the stairs at the royal ball in her late mother’s beautiful gown, those glass slippers and those amazing wings created for her by the one and only Leonardo da Vinci (Patrick Godfrey). [“Breathe, just breathe.” – Le, sigh!]

Among the familiar faces who played roles in the film were Judy Parfitt (Call the Midwife) as Queen Marie, Walter Sparrow (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) as Maurice, Toby Jones (The Hunger Games franchise, Finding Neverland and Captain America: The First Avenger) as the Royal Page and the late great French actress Jeanne Moreau as the Grande Dame [the great, great, great granddaughter of Danielle and Prince Henry].

Did you see Ever After in the theatres when it was released? How many times have you watched the film? Do you, like me, when you discover that the movie is airing on TV, you stop and watch it no matter how many times you’ve seen it and no matter how far along in the movie it is when you discover that it is on?

Happy 20th Anniversary to Ever After!