"A Fish May Love a Bird..."

With the fanfare attached to the engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton, what little girl doesn't dream of someday marrying a prince?

In this clever retelling of the classic story of Cinderella, Danielle DeBarberaque is not one of those girls.

The film opens on the premise of an older woman inviting the Brother's Grimm (famous writer's of children's stories) to her chateau to tell them the "true" story of Cinderella.

Released in the late 90s, Ever After paints the story of a girl who must live under the tyranny of her wicked step-mother the Rodmilla De Ghent. As with the classic Disney tale, Danielle is left in the care of her step-mother when her caring and loving father dies suddenly. Along with her new mother, Danielle must also endure the tortures of living with her "evil" step-sisters who are in this case Marguerite and Jacqueline De Ghent.

Fast track ten years after her father's death and Danielle has been forced into the servant role in her own home. Meanwhile the king of France has his own problems in a wild son, Prince Henry, who refuses to marry a Spanish Princess. To escape the situation, Henry flees from the castle and into the night, away from his problems.

A series of events throw the wayward prince into the path of the determined Danielle and it isn't long before the two fall for each other. The prince must marry and it becomes clear to him that he would like to marry Danielle. It would seem simple save for the fact that Danielle is only a commoner... a fact that the prince himself is unaware of. The prince proceeds to plan a ball to announce his intended engagement to Danielle, whom he knows as the Countess de Lancret.

Quickly things begin to unravel around Danielle who had only used the guise of countess to purchase back a man who was both a friend and hired help before he was shipped off to "The Americas". Risking her own safety, Danielle appears to the prince at the ball and attempts to tell him the truth. Hurt, the prince turns her away and she flees, losing a glass slipper in the process.

Ultimately, the prince realizes that he loves Danielle and that he would rather marry for love than for status.

Ever After provides the ever familiar message that love is blind; love doesn't see money or status, wealth or impoverishment.