5 Burning Questions the New 'Cinderella' Still Doesn't Answer
You’ve got to give Kenneth Branagh’s new hit Cinderella credit for going out of its way to explain some of the more dubious aspects of the classic tale. For instance: At one point, young Ella (played by impressive breakout Lily James) is asked point blank why she doesn’t just leave when the wicked Lady Tremaine (Cate Blanchett) makes her a prisoner in her own home — something we’ve always wondered (the princess-to-be answers that her mother loved the house, and opts to stay in her memory). And as Blanchett told us, Ella is no longer the “doormat” she was in the 1950 animated version. Still, though, there’s a few questions that linger on:
1. Why does Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother set a midnight deadline for all of her enchantments to expire?
We never see the invite, so we’re not sure what the start and end times are supposed to be at the royal ball (maybe it was one of those annoyingly open-ended invites, like “9 PM — ???”), but clearly the party is still jumping as the clock nears midnight. Given the Fairy Godmother’s ability to conjure up a chariot from a pumpkin, shouldn’t she also have the power to keep her transformations in place for the whole night?
2. Why don’t Cinderella’s glass slippers turn back to their natural state with the rest of her enchantments?
They were transformed by the same magic-wielding Fairy Godmother, with the same magical wand, so why don’t Ella’s stylish new heels revert to their original form, as is the case with her chariot and man-servants?
3. Does Cinderella have an abnormal foot size?
Or, like, a strange curve to them? Not that we’re judging. But doesn’t it seem odd that out of all the women in this wide kingdom, the glass slipper only fits onto the foot of a single lady? We know they were custom-made, but those are crazy odds.
Cinderella’s uniquely sized feet
4. What did Cinderella’s dad see in Lady Tremaine in the first place?
Though he’s little-seen in the animated classic, Cinderella’s dad gets more fleshed out the new version (played by Ben Chaplin). And he seems like a real righteous dude. So what on Earth does he see in the caustic and nasty social climber Lady Tremaine, who arrives at the front door with two unbearable daughters? At least in the new movie she’s upgraded to look like the beautiful Cate Blanchett.
5. Where’s her Fairy Godmother the rest of the time?
It’s not just Ella’s dress that needs saving: Her parents both tragically perish, her cat almost eats her mice, she’s emotionally tormented by her stepmom and stepsisters, and she gets locked away in the attic. You’d think having a Fairy Godmother would come in handy in any of these situations, not just when you need a fashion upgrade and lift to the ball.
