Ella Enchanted is a fantasy romantic comedy movie starring Oscar-winning actress Anne Hathaway and Hugh Dancy. The film fits in the well-known fairy tale genre. The movie is based on Gail Carson Levines’ novel “Ella Enchanted.”
The movie is a recapitulated version of Cinderella. But no, it is not a Disney film. The film is distributed by Buena Vista International (UK/Ireland) and Miramax Films (The United States). Walt Disney owned Miramax from 1993 to 2010.
Plot/Summary
When baby Ella is born in the kingdom of Lamia, she is given the gift of being obedient to everyone by her misguided fairy godmother Lucinda Perriweather. On her deathbed, Ella’s mother tells her not to say anything to anyone about her gift as others might use it to exploit Ella. After some years, Ella’s father, Sir Peter, remarries Dame Ogla. She and her two daughters Olive and Hattie, treat Ella very poorly. Soon the daughters discover Ella’s gift and start using it to humiliate her in public. One day Ella stumbles upon Prince Charmont. Watching that, her jealous step-sisters force her to break her friendship with Arieda, Ella’s childhood best friend.
Being desperate, Ella decides to find her godmother and put an end to all this. The household fairy Mandy loans Ella, her boyfriend Benny, whom she accidentally transformed in a book. Ella starts her journey towards Giantville to find Lucinda. On the way, she rescues an elf named Slannen. But when the ogres captured them, Prince Char comes to their rescue. He joins her for the rest of the journey. She helps him see the cruelty of royal laws on elves and giants enacted by Char’s uncle Edgar. When they reach the wedding at Giantsville, they discover Lucinda already left. However, they still attend the wedding, and eventually, Char and Ella fall in love.
Ella and Char return to the Castle for the coronation ball. Edgar finds out about Ella’s gift from her step-sisters. Knowing that his nephew is in love with her and going to propose at midnight, he orders Ella to put a dagger in his heart when he proposes to her. He also confesses that he killed his brother, and when Char dies, he would be the King. Ella writes a letter to Char saying they can’t be together and asks Slannen to chain her with a tree. She also asks him to recruit more giants and elves to protect Char.
When the night falls, suddenly Ella sees Lucinda and begs her to undo her gift. But Lucinda insists her talent is the best, and if she doesn’t want it, she has to remove it by herself. Moreover, she unchains her, dresses her up pretty, and forced her to go back to the Castle. Char takes her to the hall of mirrors and proposes to her. By order, when she was just about to stab him, she sees her mother in the reflection, and she commands herself not to be obedient from now on. But Edgar arrests her for attempting to murder the prince. He also tells Char that she is with the ogres, and this was her plan all along.
Slannen and his recruits enter the Castle and recover Benny from the library and Ella from the dungeon. Benny shows them that Edgar has poisoned the crown to kill Char. Ella crashes the coronation ceremony with others just in time and stops the crowning. The royal guards attack them, and Char helps Ella. When they are fighting together, Ella confesses her love for him and tells him about Edgar’s plans. Angrily Edgar tries to proclaim himself as the King and puts on the poisoned crown, and dies. Char and Ella get married and perform their first dance together as husband and wife.
Cast
Here’s the main cast of Ella Enchanted:
- Anne Hathaway plays Ella of Frell
- Hugh Dancy plays Prince Char
- Cary Elwes plays Uncle Edgar
- Lucy Punch plays Hattie
- Jennifer Higram plays Olive
- Vivica A. Fox plays Lucinda
- Minnie Driver plays Mandy
- Aiden McArdle plays Slannen
- Joanna Lumley plays Dame Olga
- Jimi Mistry plays Benny
- Donna Dent plays Ella’s mother
- Steve Coogan plays Heston
- Heidi Klum plays Brumhilda
Soundtracks
The movie uses 18 pretty sweet soundtracks. Suppose you watched the movie but couldn’t figure out the songs yet. Here’s the list for you.
- Strange Magic by Darren Hayes
- Walking on sunshine by Jump5
- Respect cover by Kelly Clarkson
- Let me entertain you
- Joy to the world
- Crazy by Willie Nelson
- Hit the road, Jack
- Somebody to Love by Anne Hathaway
- Don’t go breaking my heart by Anne Hathaway and Jesse McCartney
- It’s not just make-believe by Kari Kimmel
- Once Upon a Broken Heart by The Beu Sisters
- If you believe Bryan Adams
- You make me feel like dancing by Anne Hathaway
- True to your heart
- Magic by Stimulator
- Sona sona by Sonu Nigam
- Into each life, some rain must fall
- Your face
Is Ella Enchanted worth watching?
Ella Enchanted has received a 50% rotten tomato and a 6.3/10 IMDb score. The movie has a beautiful cast, beautiful picturesque scenes, and an excellent storyline. It also has a little lesson for our young viewers. You can say that the storyline is predictable, but many movies are loosely based on Cinderella, and in my opinion, it is one of the best. I’ll say the film is worth a watch. It’s a delightful and fun movie to watch with your family. It will take you back to your childhood days. A little magic always makes life better.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where can I watch Ella Enchanted? Currently, the movie is available on Amazon Prime to watch.
- When was Ella Enchanted released? The movie was released on August 18, 2004.
- So where was Ella Enchanted filmed? The movie took place in and around Dublin, Ireland.
- Does Ella Enchanted have a sequel? No. Neither the book nor the film has a sequel. According to Gail Carson Levine, who wrote the novel “Ella enchanted,” it does not need a sequel.
