This past weekend, my roommates and I saw the new Cinderella movie in theatres. One of them has loved Cinderella since she was a child, one of them just loves movies, and I am pretty sure that I was a Disney princess in a past life so I had to support a fellow royal. While we weren’t sure what to expect from the movie, we all agreed that it was well worth the watch. They told the story beautifully, with class, and didn’t try to put a twist on a classic fairytale.
While yes, it is a children’s movie and was rated PG, there are lessons I took away from the movie, and values the movie instills in its audience that are worth sharing. Here is what I learned.
1. “Have courage, and be kind.”
This is the main quote of the movie. Cinderella’s mother gave her this advice while on her deathbed, and it is one piece of knowledge Cinderella carried with her through life. I truly believe that this piece of advice is something that we can all carry with us. Being kind to others doesn’t come with a price, and it never hurts to have a little courage when in a new situation.
2. Karma is a b*tch.
We’ve all heard it before: what goes around comes around. In this movie, it is quite clear that if you put positive energy in to the world, it will eventually find you once again. However, treating others poorly will only result in being banished from the kingdom and finding yourself forever alone.
3. There is a difference between Mr. Perfect and Mr. Perfect for YOU.
So I’m sure many of us have a checklist for Mr. Right. You know exactly what I am talking about. Tall, smart, successful, blue eyes, can make you laugh when all you want to do is cry, etc. Well ladies, if this movie taught me one thing, it is that there is this idea of Mr. Perfect that we all have. And in Cinderella, Prince Charming was everyone’s Mr. Perfect. Every girl in town wanted to marry royalty and become a princess. However, what these women should have been looking for was Mr. Perfect for them. Someone who loves their flaws as well as their beauty. There is no such thing as Mr. Perfect. But there is going to be someone who is perfect for you, and that’s the man worth waiting for.
4. If you believe in something, you can make it happen.
Before Cinderella’s mother died, she told her that fairy godmothers exist. And Cinderella believed her. So when Cinderella’s fairy godmother showed up halfway through the movie to send her to the ball, she was surprised at first, but still believed. If there is something you believe in, a dream you have, something you want to happen, believe in that dream and believe in yourself. Anything is possible.
5. Call your parents.
Cinderella’s mother and father were very influential characters in this movie, and their family loved each other very much. Call your mom to say hello; call your dad to say thank you. They miss you.
6. A person is a person no matter how small.
Cinderella’s best friends in this movie were mice. Although mice technically aren’t people, Cinderella treated them as if they are. If Cinderella was able to share her dinner scraps with animals that resided in an attic, then we have the capability of treating every human with respect.
7. Everyone has a story.
The evil character in this movie is obviously supposed to be Cinderella’s stepmother. However, we learn a little bit of her back-story. Her past involved marrying for love, then for money, just trying to give her daughters a life worth living. Now, while it is hard to feel sympathy for her, her character helps us realize that every person has his or her own back-story. Every person lives on their own personal roller coaster where some days are better than others and some years hold more promise than the rest. Passing judgment on others without knowing where they come from only puts us in a place of ignorance.
8. It’s a fairytale.
If you lose your glass slipper at a frat party, don’t expect your prince charming to knock on every door until he finds you. And if you can’t get your outfit just right, don’t expect your fairy godmother to magically dress you in the best. But what you can do is remember that even though Ann Arbor isn’t a beautiful kingdom and the Michigan Union isn’t a gorgeous castle and sparkly things may not magically appear out of the blue, if you treat people kindly and live your life bravely, magic may just find you. And that, friends, is the real fairytale.