It’s been 21 years since this Hilary Duff rom com got here out–and it’s STILL top-of-the-line romantic comedies of the previous couple of many years.
When you had been to trace the quantity of occasions I’ve watched each romantic comedy, there are specific movies that prime the frequency listing. Bangers and classics like The Vacation, You’ve Obtained Mail, and The DUFF are up there, however none of that will be a shock. Alas, maybe the tippy prime of my listing is a very underrated Hilary Duff rom com–and at the moment marks 20 years because it got here out. We’re in fact speaking concerning the textual content message-filled Cinderella retelling, A Cinderella Story starring Duff and Chad Michael Murray. Right here’s why it’s a basic and why it’s felony should you nonetheless haven’t seen it in spite of everything these years.
Who doesn’t wish to fall in love on-line?
A Cinderella Story is sort of a cross between a basic Cinderella retelling and the nameless on-line love of You’ve Obtained Mail. Reasonably than simply assembly the love of her life at a ball (though that does occur, too, due to the highschool costume dance), it as a substitute begins on the Web. Sam has linked with somebody on-line and all she is aware of about him is that he goes to her college and he loves poetry. They fall for one another on-line with out footage, however with phrases. It’s such as you’ve eliminated all of the gross swiping of 2024 and changed it with adorableness.
THIS is 2000s trend.
2000s trend is again based on my TikTok FYP. However whereas at the moment’s “kids” are carrying their low-rise boot reduce denims and low-slung trend belts, they aren’t precisely precisely repping the period. If you would like trend, simply look to Hilary Duff in A Cinderella Story. You may’t get rather more authentically y2k than her layered tees.
The plot is so apparent, and that’s okay.
You’d count on a well-worn plot from a basic fairytale retelling–particularly when it matches the vibe of a film smack dab in the midst of the golden period of romantic comedies. Sam and Austin have been texting anonymously on-line and quietly falling for one another. When they comply with meet on the college dance, she dons a masks on the final minute for worry that he’ll be disillusioned. Now he’s useless set on returning the bejeweled flip cellphone she by chance left behind.
Certainly, you get the loner lady falling for the star soccer participant. You get the man who doesn’t acknowledge her though he sees her actually day by day. You get the “I’m not like different women, I eat cheeseburgers” dialog. And but…for some purpose, though A Cinderella Story is cliché, that’s okay. These are beloved tropes for a purpose.
Jennifer Coolidge is the evil stepmother we didn’t know we wanted.
She’s foolish, she’s vivid, she’s colourful, and he or she’s an icon. Jennifer Coolidge is a grasp in terms of the evil stepmother. Does she need a great deal of salmon for her bizarre all-salmon weight loss plan? Positively. And does she need Sam to work at her dad’s former diner ceaselessly, at all times beneath her pink-nailed thumb? After all.
It has that sure one thing that has by no means been recaptured (though they undoubtedly tried).
Is the performing nice? Is it in any respect plausible? Not likely, however that’s not why we’re right here. We’re celebrating A Cinderella Story’s twentieth anniversary not as a result of it was an Oscar-worthy teen rom com masterpiece, however as a result of it hit all the proper beats at precisely the proper time. Although the tech is dated and the evil stepsisters are anachronistally cringe, the whole lot coalesced for this to turn out to be a basic that works many years later. After all, they couldn’t seize the lightning in a bottle for the 4–FOUR!–simply forgotten sequels, however we should always all be grateful that Hilary Duff nonetheless graced our screens with this cute little flick.
You may watch A Cinderella Story on Amazon Video.