Ever After (also called Ever After: A Cinderella Story in promotional materials) is a 1998 American romantic movie set in the past. Andy Tennant directed the film. He wrote the screenplay with Susannah Grant and Rick Parks. The movie was made by Fox Family Films and Mireille Soria Production. It is based on Charles Perrault’s 1697 fairy tale Cinderella. The film stars Drew Barrymore and Anjelica Huston, with Dougray Scott and Jeanne Moreau in smaller roles.

Unlike other versions of Cinderella, this movie does not include magical or fantasy elements. Instead, it is presented as a story about real events, set in France during the Renaissance period.

The film was released in theaters on July 31, 1998. Critics gave it good reviews. It was successful at the box office, earning $98 million.

Plot

The Brothers Grimm meet with the Grande Dame, who is unhappy with their version of Cinderella. She shows them a glass slipper and a portrait of its former owner before telling the true story that partly inspired the tale.

During the French Renaissance, ten years after Auguste de Barbarac dies, his daughter, Danielle, becomes a servant to her stepmother, the Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent, and her stepsisters, Marguerite and Jacqueline. Danielle first mistakes Prince Henry for a thief, but they have a surprising meeting when Henry tries to escape an arranged marriage to Princess Gabriella of Spain. Henry gives Danielle 20 francs to keep their meeting secret. Later, Henry is caught by the Royal Guard after stopping bandits from robbing Leonardo da Vinci, whom King Francis has invited to the royal court.

Danielle disguises herself as a noblewoman and uses Henry’s money to go to the palace to rescue her friend Maurice, whom Rodmilla plans to send to the Americas. Henry sees Danielle arguing with the jailer and is impressed by her courage and intelligence. He orders Maurice’s release. When Henry asks for Danielle’s name, she says her late mother’s name, Countess Nicole de Lancret. King Francis agrees to hold a masquerade ball where Henry will announce his engagement to the woman he chooses by midnight, or else King Francis will marry Gabriella. Rodmilla tries harder to make Henry notice Marguerite while ignoring Jacqueline. Meanwhile, Danielle secretly spends time with Henry. After a visit to the library of the Franciscan monks, a group of gypsies ambushes them but helps them when Danielle speaks to their leader and tries to carry Henry away. At the gypsy camp, they share their first kiss.

Rodmilla and Marguerite plan to steal Nicole’s wedding gown and glass slippers so Marguerite can wear them at the ball. When Marguerite insults Nicole, Danielle attacks and chases her. Marguerite then burns a copy of Utopia that Auguste gave to Danielle. Jacqueline supports Danielle and criticizes Marguerite for being cruel.

Queen Marie holds a luncheon with Marguerite and Rodmilla, during which they figure out Danielle is Countess de Lancret. Danielle meets Henry, who tells her she inspired him to build a university. Danielle cannot reveal her true identity and runs away. Rodmilla confronts Danielle about lying and locks her in the pantry when Danielle refuses to say where the slippers and dress are. Gustave helps Maurice by going to the ball to ask Leonardo to help Danielle escape. Leonardo, Gustave, Paulette, and Louise prepare Danielle to wear Nicole’s clothes, which they had hidden. Danielle arrives at the ball to tell Henry the truth, but Rodmilla exposes her. Henry rejects Danielle, making her cry and run away while Leonardo sees her lose a slipper. Leonardo scolds Henry for being unkind and leaves him the slipper.

Henry agrees to marry Gabriella. During the ceremony, he realizes Gabriella also loves someone else at the event and cancels the wedding. Maurice and Jacqueline tell him Danielle was sold to Pierre Le Pieu by Rodmilla after the ball. Henry and Laurent rescue Danielle, who has already escaped. Henry declares his love for her and proposes by fitting the slipper on her foot. Danielle accepts happily.

The royal court calls Rodmilla, Marguerite, and Jacqueline to account for lying about Danielle. Rodmilla is stripped of her title and threatened with exile to the Americas with Marguerite unless someone defends her. Danielle asks instead that Rodmilla be treated the same way she treated her. Rodmilla and Marguerite are forced to work as servants in the palace laundry.

Danielle and Henry built a university, which was likely destroyed during the French Revolution, except for a portrait of Danielle painted by Leonardo. The Grande Dame explains that while her great-great-grandparents lived happily, the important thing is that they lived.

Cast

• Drew Barrymore as Danielle de Barbarac, the only child of Nicole de Lancret and Auguste de Barbarac. Barrymore said her character is a "tough Cinderella." She goes into beehives for wax, takes pigs to find truffles, swims in the river, quotes Sir Thomas More's Utopia, and hits the prince with an apple after he steals her horse. She does tasks usually done by men, like those needing strength or reading. She challenges the idea that women and men have different roles in society. Anna Maguire as Young Danielle

• Anjelica Huston as Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent, Danielle's cruel stepmother
• Dougray Scott as Henry, Prince of France, Danielle's love interest and son of Marie and Francis
• Patrick Godfrey as Leonardo da Vinci, an artist, inventor, and a member of the royal court
• Timothy West as Francis, King of France and Henry's father
• Judy Parfitt as Marie, Queen of France and Henry's mother
• Jeroen Krabbé as Auguste de Barbarac, Danielle's father
• Melanie Lynskey as Jacqueline de Ghent, Danielle's "nice" stepsister
• Alex Pooley as Young Jacqueline
• Megan Dodds as Marguerite de Ghent, Danielle's "evil" stepsister
• Elizabeth Earl as Young Marguerite
• Richard O'Brien as Monsieur Pierre Le Pieu, a lecherous merchant
• Jeanne Moreau as Grande Dame, Danielle and Henry's great-great-granddaughter
• Lee Ingleby as Gustave, Danielle's best friend and an apprentice painter
• Ricki Cuttell as Young Gustave
• Kate Lansbury as Paulette, a servant to the de Barbaracs
• Matyelok Gibbs as Louise, Maurice's wife and a servant to the de Barbaracs
• Walter Sparrow as Maurice, Louise's husband and a servant to the de Barbaracs
• Peter Gunn as Laurent, Royal Guard captain
• Joerg Stadler as Wilhelm Grimm, author and Jacob's brother
• Andrew Henderson as Jacob Grimm, author and Wilhelm's brother
• Toby Jones as a Royal Page
• Amanda Walker as an Old Noblewoman

Production

The movie Ever After was filmed using the Super 35 format.

Although the story is not based on real events, it includes several historical people, places, and events. The film is set in the 16th and 19th centuries and features characters such as Francis I, Prince Henry (who later became Henry II of France), Leonardo da Vinci, The Brothers Grimm, and references to Jacques Cartier, Charles Perrault, French colonies in the New World, and the French Revolution.

The main events of the film take place in early 1500s France. However, the royal characters shown are probably not the real historical figures they are named after. King Francis I called Leonardo da Vinci to his court in 1516, three years before Henry II was born. Neither of King Francis I’s wives was named Marie; their names were Claude and Eleanor. King Henry II married Catherine de' Medici when he was 14 years old.

The castle shown in the film is the Château de Hautefort in the Dordogne region of France. Other castles featured in the film include de Fénelon, de Losse, de Lanquais, de Beynac, and the Château de la Roussie, which was the home of the de Barbaracs. The city of Sarlat-la-Canéda also appears in the film. The painting of Danielle is based on Leonardo da Vinci’s Head of a Woman (La Scapigliata).

Release

On March 2, 1999, the film was released on VHS and DVD.

On April 11, 2003, the film was released on DVD with the movie Never Been Kissed—another film starring Drew Barrymore—in a combo pack. On May 26, 2006, the film was released in The Drew Barrymore Collection Celebrity Pack, which also included DVDs of Never Been Kissed and Fever Pitch. On March 2, 2010, the film was released in a DVD combo pack with the movie An Affair to Remember—a double feature celebrating 20th Century Fox’s 75th anniversary. Two months later, on May 4, 2010, the film was released in a DVD combo pack with the movies Anna and the King and Australia—a triple feature celebrating the same anniversary.

On January 4, 2011, the film was released on Blu-ray. On September 4, 2012, it was released with the movie Never Been Kissed in a combo pack on Blu-ray. On October 7, 2014, the film was released in a 4 Drew Barrymore Favorites DVD set with Never Been Kissed, Fever Pitch, and Whip It.

On January 6, 2015, the film was released in a Blu-ray/Digital HD combo pack, region-free. The film was also released on Blu-ray in the UK on August 6, 2018. Then, on January 1, 2019, the film was released again in a Blu-ray/Digital HD combo pack for Region A.

Reception

The movie Ever After received positive reviews from critics. The website Rotten Tomatoes reported that the film had a 91% approval rating based on 65 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6 out of 10. Its consensus stated, "Ever After is a sweet, frothy twist on the ancient fable, led by a solid performance from star Drew Barrymore." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an "A" grade on a scale from A+ to F.

Roger Ebert from Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film three out of four stars and wrote, "I expected a sentimental children's picture but found a costume romance with energy and zest similar to The Mask of Zorro." He praised the cinematography, costume design, and Drew Barrymore's acting. In his review for San Francisco Chronicle, Mick LaSalle called Ever After "the best Cinderella movie ever," complimenting the character writing and the performances of Barrymore, Anjelica Huston, and Dougray Scott. Leonard Klady of Variety gave a positive review, stating the film "successfully keeps the story's old-fashioned style while introducing a heroine with modern relevance." He noted minor issues with the film's slow pace and exaggerated portrayal of the villains but called it an otherwise strong effort. Robin Grant of The Lantern wrote that although Ever After "is worth seeing for the scenery," its updated storyline and good acting make it an excellent movie for young and old.

In her review for The Austin Chronicle, Marjorie Baumgarten gave the film three out of five stars, stating that Ever After "is a powerful and imaginative retelling that shows Cinderella's story remains timeless." Lisa Schwarzbaum from Entertainment Weekly awarded the film a "B−" and described it as "unwieldy and uneven but unexpectedly witty and girl-positive," praising the character writing, costume design, and performances by Barrymore, Huston, and Judy Parfitt. Ian Nathan of Empire gave the film three out of five stars, complimenting the cinematography and acting by Huston and Scott, but criticized the script and Barrymore's performance, which he found unconvincing.

A Time Out reviewer wrote that Barrymore "does well in carrying this Cinderella update," but noted the film's "progressive" feel is mainly due to Barrymore's performance, which is limited in big love scenes. Kenneth Turan of Los Angeles Times highlighted Barrymore and Huston's performances but was disappointed with the script and the film's "inconsistent" tone, concluding that "Ever After never fully finds its footing." In his review for The New York Times, Stephen Holden called the film a "bland, sappy costume comedy," criticizing its script and George Fenton's musical score but praising Barrymore's "buoyant, unaffected" acting as the film's strongest feature.

Musical adaptation

A report from 2012 said that a musical theatre production was being planned. The book and lyrics were written by Marcy Heisler, and the music was written by Zina Goldrich. The musical was first planned to have its world premiere in April 2009 at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco, but the pre-Broadway show was delayed. In May 2012, the project started again, with Kathleen Marshall agreeing to direct a Broadway run.

A workshop of the musical took place from April 25, 2013, to May 15, 2013. Sierra Boggess played the role of Danielle, Jeremy Jordan played Prince Henry, and Ashley Spencer played Marguerite. The musical had its world premiere at the Paper Mill Playhouse from May 21, 2015, to June 21, 2015. Christine Ebersole performed as Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent. Alongside Ebersole, Margo Seibert played Danielle, James Snyder played Henry, Charles Shaughnessy played King Francis, and Tony Sheldon played Leonardo da Vinci.

Another production of the musical was held at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre from January 15, 2019, to February 19. Susan V. Booth directed this production. Sierra Boggess played Danielle de Barbarac, Terry Burrell played Queen Marie, Todd Buonopane played Captain Laurent, David Garrison played Leonardo da Vinci, Chris Kayser played King Francis, Jeff McCarthy played Pierre Malette, Tim Rogan played Prince Henry, and Rachel York played Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent.