Beginning of an Era? Disney's Cinderella (2015)

“Isn’t it strange that kids today are only going to know the live action Cinderella and might be completely unaware of the cartoon?”

My sister and I were headed home after seeing Cinderella when she made this comment, and it’s been on my mind since. I was somewhat flippant at the time, pointing out that the animated version is from 1950 and far removed from children today anyway, but maybe my baby sister was onto something.

Let’s face it, the Age of Saturday Morning Cartoons, with kids eating sugary cereal in front of the television set, is over. Even when I was a kid watching my favorite cartoons—Looney Tunes, Animaniacs, Power Rangers—the phenomenon was already on a steep decline, and that was during the Disney Renaissance with films like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King, to name a few. This type of animation was on the way out again by the mid-90s though, thanks to computer-animation and then the blending for 3D CGI and traditional techniques that we see in Brave, Tangled, and Frozen. Animated films as I knew them as a child aren’t in vogue anymore, and Disney has now branched, with smashing success, into the realm of live-action films with Maleficent, Cinderella, and soon Beauty and the Beast.

So was my sister right about little kids today missing out on the classic 1950s version of Cinderella with songs like “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” and “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo”? The movie has been put in the Disney Vault on several occasions but it’s always been re-released with fanfare, so I don’t think there’s a real threat of Cinderella vanishing from memory, at least not yet. It’s still the one that most parents were raised on (including most millennials), so I think children will still have exposure to it. But maybe one day my sister’s premonition will come true.

As for the live-action Cinderella that’s currently in theatres? I absolutely loved it! The cinematography and renderings were breath-taking, and I don’t think that there could have been a better cast. Lily James was perfection as Cinderella, innocent and bright; Cate Blanchett, to my surprise, was the embodiment of Lady Tremaine, and I spent a large part of the movie experiencing wardrobe envy. It was also interesting to see the mistress of macabre, Helena Bonham Carter, playing the frothy, Fairy Godmother, although I wish she’d been a bit more present in the film. As for Prince Charming? I challenge anyone to find fault with Richard Madden. But the story was sadder than I remembered, and perhaps there is something to be said about having actors instead of cartoons on the big screen. I cried on more than one occasion. #sorrynotsorry

While I did miss the musical aspect just a little (I may have “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” on my iPhone in a Disney Playlist…), if this is the direction that Disney is going in, I’m not complaining. It certainly breathed fresh life into the timeless story and is making it available to new generations. So maybe I should stop being a pessimist and, instead of seeing it as an end of an era, see live action films as the beginning of a new and exciting one.

So what were your thoughts on Cinderella?

2015 Academy Award Predictions

There is one award show that I can never miss, and that is the Academy Awards. I sit through the whole show every year on pins and needles as I wait to hear if my favorite movies and actors have won that coveted gold statue. I’m probably just as anxious as the nominees!

I really failed when it came to going to the movies this year, so a lot of my predictions are complete guesses (especially for the short films and categories like sound mixing), so I wouldn’t consider myself an expert by any means. Without further ado…

BEST PICTURE – Birdman (Although I would love to see The Imitation Game or Selma win)
DIRECTOR – Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE – Michael Keaton, Birdman (Although I could see Eddie Redmayne winning for The Theory of Everything)
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE – Julianne Moore, Still Alice
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – Patricia Arquette, Boyhood (I usually root for Meryl, but I’m switching things up this year)
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – Birdman
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY – The Theory of Everything
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM – Ida (Great film!)
ANIMATED FEATURE – How to Train Your Dragon 2 (It’s not often that I’m a fan of sequels, but this one was great)
SOUND EDITING – American Sniper
VISUAL EFFECTS – Interstellar
FILM EDITING – Boyhood
SHORT FILM, ANIMATED – A Single Life (A total guess…)
SHORT FILM, LIVE ACTION – Aya (Another total guess…)
DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT – Joanna (And yet another guess…)
ORIGINAL SCORE – The Theory of Everything
ORIGINAL SONG – "Glory" from "Selma"; Music and Lyric by John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn
PRODUCTION DESIGN – The Grand Budapest Hotel
MAKEUP – Guardians of the Galaxy
CINEMATOGRAPHY – Birdman
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE – Citizenfour
COSTUME DESIGN – Into the Woods (though it could easily be The Grand Budapest Hotel)
SOUND MIXING – American Sniper

I think that Birdman is going to be a major winner this year (if you couldn’t already tell based on the 5 categories I predicted it could win).  No matter who goes home with the statuettes, it's bound to be a great show.  With Neil Patrick Harris (aka Barney Stinson) hosting how could it not?  And there's obviously going to be some gorgeous gowns on that red carpet to daydream about one day wearing while I snuggle up in bed in my Cornell sweats and a bucket of popcorn.  A girl can dream!

What does your ballot look like this year?

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