Ever After

Ever After

Take away the Fairy Godmother, and what have you got left from the Cinderella fable? The story of a girl for whom a bad stroke of luck is no match for her internal strength and purity of heart. Drew Barrymore plays Cinderella's alleged inspiration, Danielle, in this romantic drama that purports to tell the "facts" behind the Grimm brothers' story. One of three daughters of a man (Jeroen Krabbé) who dies and leaves her fate in the hands of a conniving stepmother (Anjelica Huston), Danielle is cast into the lowly role of a servant. Meanwhile, her sisters are evaluated as possible mates for a French prince (Dougray Scott), but he's far more intrigued with Danielle's intelligence and beauty--not to mention her way with a sword and fist. Directed by Andy Tennant (who directed Barrymore in TV's The Amy Fisher Story), Ever After has that rare ability to win the heart and mind of a viewer simply by being committed to its own innocence, particularly where Barrymore's luminous performance is concerned. A contemporary take on an old, virtually forgotten Hollywood convention--the costume adventure with middling artistic ambition but real audience appeal--Ever After is a surprisingly delightful film. --Tom Keogh

PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Year:
1998
121
15,785 Views

Henry:
[as Danielle hurries away] Have we met before?

Danielle:
I-I do not believe so, Your Highness.

Henry:
I could have sworn I knew every courtier in the province.

Danielle:
Well... I am visiting a cousin.

Henry:
Who?

Danielle:
My cousin.

Henry:
Yes, you said that. Which one?

Danielle:
Th-the only one I have, sire.

Henry:
Are you coy on purpose or do you honestly refuse to tell me your name?

Danielle:
[stops quickly] No. [quickly heads towards the gate] And yes.

Henry:
Well, then, pray tell me your cousin's name so that I might call upon her to learn who you are. For anyone can quote Thomas More is well worth the effort.

Danielle:
[stops, surprised] The Prince has read Utopia?

Henry:
I found it sentimental and dull. Honestly, the plight of the everyday rustic bores me.

Danielle:
I take it you do not converse with many peasants.

Henry:
He, certainly not, no. Naturally.

Danielle:
[starts walking again] Forgive me, Your Highness, but there is nothing "natural" about it. A country's character is defined by its "everyday rustics", as you call them. They are the legs you stand on and that position demands respect, not...

Henry:
Am I to understand that you find me arrogant?

Danielle:
Well, you gave one man back his life, but did you ever glance at the others?

[Danielle tries to get away while Henry is distracted by the criminals' wagon.]

Henry:
Please, I beg you, a name. Any name.

Danielle:
I... I fear the only name to leave you with... is Comtesse Nicole de Lancret.

Henry:
[smiling] There now. That wasn't so hard.

Rodmilla:
Are you ill?

Danielle:
[half-asleep] No, yes.

Rodmilla:
Where were you?

Danielle:
I got lost.

Rodmilla:
I don't believe you. You're hiding something from me, I can feel it. I demand to know what it is.

Danielle:
Why don't you tell me so I can go back to sleep?

Marguerite:
What about our breakfast?

Danielle:
[sighs] You have two hands, make it yourself.

Marguerite:
Why you lazy little leech!

Rodmilla:
Jacqueline, go and boil some water.

Jacqueline:
Me? Boil water? [to herself] Oh, I knew it, I just knew it! [walks away]

[The scene changes to show Danielle collecting water from the well]

Paulette:
[quietly, from the second-floor manor window] Mistress, you better get in here, quick!

[Danielle comes inside to find Rodmilla and Marguerite stealing her mother's dress]

Rodmilla:
[in a sarcastic tone of voice] Oh, look who finally decided to grace us with her presence.

Danielle:
What do you think you're doing?

Marguerite:
Trying on my dress.

Rodmilla:
Did you honestly think that after that performance this morning I'd let you go anywhere?

Danielle:
[appalled] Do you honestly think these games, these intrigues are going to win you a crown? To hunt royalty like some sport, it's disgusting!

Marguerite:
You're just jealous.

Danielle:
[picks her mother's shoes up off the table] These are my mother's.

Marguerite:
[smirks callously] Yes. And she's dead.

[Angered, Danielle marches right up to Marguerite and punches her in the eye, toppling her over the bed. Marguerite immediately charges out the door]

Danielle:
[enraged] I'M GOING TO RIP YOUR HAIR OUT!!! [charges after Marguerite]

Jacqueline:
[horrified] Mother, do something!

[Danielle chases Marguerite down the stairs and into the manor's front room. Marguerite grabs Danielle's father's book off a nearby chair, threatening to throw it into the fire]

Marguerite:
Get away from me or so help me, God...

Danielle:
No, Marguerite, don't! Put it down!

Marguerite:
Gimme the shoes!

Danielle:
PUT IT DOWN!!

[Rodmilla and Jacqueline enter the room]

Rodmilla:
Consider carefully, Danielle. Your father's book, or your mother's shoes, though neither will save you from a sound lashing.

[Danielle looks in anguish at Marguerite, who is holding the book directly above the fire. Not wanting anything bad to happen to the book, Danielle reluctantly holds out the shoes. Rodmilla snatches them. However, instead of putting the book back where it was, Marguerite spitefully throws it straight into the fire before making her getaway]

Danielle:
NO!!!! [reaches for the book, only for Rodmilla to hold her back] NO! No! NO!!! NO!! No! [sobbingly turns and leaves. Jacqueline watches with pity as the book burns. The scene changes to show Jacqueline treating the huge, bloody lash-marks on Danielle's back]

Jacqueline:
Now, you've really brought this upon yourself, you know. First with breakfast, then that horrid display downstairs.

Danielle:
I don't know what's come over me.

Jacqueline:
Of course, I shall never forget the way Marguerite's feet went up over her head like that! [giggles] She should not have said that about your mother.

Danielle:
Thank you.

[Rodmilla, Marguerite and Jacqueline walk in the throne room curtsying all of the nobles and finally bow to King Francis, Queen Marie and Prince Henry]

King Francis:
Baroness, did you or did you not lie to Her Majesty, the Queen of France?

[Rodmilla and Marguerite stand up with shocked expressions on their faces]

Queen Marie:
Choose your words wisely, madame. For they may be your last.

Rodmilla:
A woman would practically do anything for the love of a daughter, Your Majesties. [pause] Perhaps I did get a little carried away.

Marguerite:
Mother, What have you done?! Your Majesty, like you, I am just a victim here. [Jacqueline rolls her eyes] She has lied to us both and I am ashamed to call her family.

Rodmilla:
[pushes her] How dare you turn on me, you little ingrate!

Marguerite:
You see? You see what I have to put up with?!

King Francis:
Silence, both of you! Good Lord! [to Jacqueline] Are they always like this?

Jacqueline:
Worse, Your Majesty.

Rodmilla:
Jacqueline, darling, I'd hate to think you that had anything to do with this.

Jacqueline:
[sarcastically] Of course not, Mother. I'm only here for the food.

Queen Marie:
Baroness de Ghent, you are forthwith stripped of your title and you and your horrible daughter are to be shipped to the Americas on the first available boat. Unless by some miracle, someone here will speak for you?

[Rodmilla begins looking desperately at the other nobles; they look back coldly]

Rodmilla:
[nervously] There seem to be quite a few people out of town.

Danielle:
I will speak for her. [All the courtiers kneel (including a stunned Marguerite). Rodmilla turns around and sees Danielle walk up to her dressed like a princess] She is after all, my stepmother.

Rodmilla:
[kneels] Your Highness.

Henry:
Marguerite, I don't believe you've met... my wife.

Danielle:
[to Rodmilla, smiling] I want you to know that I will forget you after this moment and never think of you again. But you, I am quite certain will think about me every single day for the rest of your life.

Rodmilla:
And how long might that be?

Danielle:
[looks up] All I ask, Your Majesties... is that you show her the same courtesy that she has bestowed upon me.

[Cut to the royal laundry room, where Marguerite and Rodmilla are now working as servants]

Laundry Room Supervisor:
[to Marguerite and Rodmilla] After you wash the table cloths, you can start on the napkins and move those over there.

Rodmilla:
Marguerite.

Marguerite:
What?

Rodmilla:
You heard the woman.

Marguerite:
So did you.

Rodmilla:
Yes, but I'm management.

Marguerite:
[frustrated] Like Hell you are! You're just the same as me, a big NOBODY!!!

Rodmilla:
[enraged] How dare you speak to me that way! I am of noble blood!

Laundry Room Supervisor:
[irritated] And you are getting on my nerves. [smacks Marguerite and Rodmilla with a huge bag of table cloths, knocking the two into a vat of purple lye water. The other servants laugh at them] Ha-ha! Now get to work. [walks away]

[Marguerite bursts out crying, while Rodmilla flaps her arms around in anger]


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