Sweet fairy-tale classic has bullying, tense chase scenes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Products & Purchases
a little
Cinderella is a Disney princess whose brand reaches far and wide. Expect to see princess branding on consumer merchandise, food products, etc., as well as in books, websites, and other media.
Sex, Romance & Nudity
a little
In a brief scene, Cinderella undresses behind a screen, and the backs of her naked shoulders are visible. She shares a chaste kiss with her prince. Plenty of focus on romance and marriage.
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Opening narration mentions the death of Cinderella's father. Tense scenes include a sharply clawed cat named Lucifer chasing Gus and other mice friends, Cinderella escaping from the ball pursued by shadowy steeds, and Cinderella's stepfamily cruelly tearing apart her ball gown. Characters bop each other on the head with a flute, the king chases the Grand Duke with a sword, and a cat falls from great heights (no one is visibly hurt). Scenes of bullying, with Cinderella's stepfamily mocking and yelling at her, ordering her around, and, at one point, locking her in her own bedroom.
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Though passive, Cinderella is a kind, generous, and forgiving person who demonstrates compassion, empathy, and gratitude. She loves animals and takes care of her undeserving extended family. She keeps faith that her unfortunate situation will get better. On the other hand, her stepmother and sisters are greedy and selfish, displaying great hatred due to jealousy.
Positive Messages
a little
Both positive and negative messages in this classic fairy tale. On the positive side: Though it may be difficult to find the good in terrible situations, a positive attitude will provide great strength. Happiness is a choice. You can achieve much more with teamwork than by acting alone. On the downside: The simplistic portrayal of romantic love could mislead young kids about how real love and relationships work. Also, the movie supports the idea that, for women, being passive and depending on men is normal and positive.
Educational Value
very little
Some good life lessons: Life is often what you make out of it; positivity can be found in even the worst of circumstances.
Diverse Representations
very little
The main characters are mostly women, including Cinderella and her stepfamily. But the cast is all White, and traditional gender norms are strongly enforced -- a song lyric says to "leave the sewing to the women," women wait to be rescued by a prince, and there's a major focus on external beauty and pretty dresses as a signal of a person's worth. Fat stereotypes, with chubby Gus greedily trying to stack a tower of food that makes him too slow, getting him nearly captured/eaten by a cat -- thin mouse Jaq has to save him.
Parents need to know that Cinderella is an animated Disney classic based on the 1697 fairy tale by Charles Perrault. Little kids might be upset by how Cinderella (voiced by Ilene Woods) is treated by her stepsisters and stepmom, who cruelly mock her, yell at her, order her around, tear her clothes apart, and lock her into her bedroom. Other tense scenes include potentially scary cat-and-mouse chases and an escape from a royal ball pursued by shadowy steeds. Positive messages include the fact that positivity can be found in even the worst of circumstances, the importance of treating others with kindness, and the value of teamwork. But Cinderella is also the quintessential passive heroine rescued by a male character (in this case, the prince), so discussions about her meekness might be in order. Many kids will be familiar with Cinderella and her Disney princess colleagues even before watching any of the movies due to the princesses' ubiquitous appearance on merchandise of every kind. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Cinderella's not a "passive" damsel as people say. Don't let them brainwash you. Cinderella is a positive woman who stays optimistic even when she's depressed. She can't escape because she has no money, she's an orphan. How do you expect her to just up and leave?
The prince did not "rescue" her from her not even dangerous situation, she went to the ball to be free and is actually independent.
Some distressing scenes of verbal and emotional abuse.
Even though people see her as too passive, Cinderella is not a meek victim. She's a good role model as a positive, hard-working young woman who doesn't lose hope when faced with adversity and is not a doormat for her abusers (she disobeys her stepmother to go to the ball, and manages to escape from the attic when locked in).
What's the Story?
Charles Perrault's classic fairy tale CINDERELLA is lovingly and imaginatively brought to life in this animated Disney version, also a classic. Cinderella (voiced by Ilene Woods), a sweet, docile, and beautiful girl who's forced to act as a servant for her mean stepmother and stepsisters, goes to the ball with the help of her fairy godmother. But her godmother warns her that the beautiful coach and gown will last only until midnight. Cinderella meets Prince Charming (Mike Douglas) at the ball, and they share a romantic dance. But when the clock strikes midnight, she runs away, leaving behind one of her glass slippers. The prince declares that he'll marry the girl whose foot fits the slipper.
Disney expanded this simple story with vivid and endearing characters, memorable songs, and gorgeously detailed and inventive animation. In one musical number, as the stepsisters squawk their way through their singing lesson in another room, Cinderella sings sweetly as she scrubs the floor, reflected in dozens of soap bubbles. In another delightful number, the fairy godmother sings "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" as she transforms a pumpkin into a coach, the mice into horses, the horse into a coachman, and, finally, Cinderella's rags into a magnificent ballgown. The scene when the Duke (Luis van Rooten) comes looking for the girl whose foot will fit the glass slipper is suspenseful and highly satisfying. But overall, the film's passive heroine, who waits for Prince Charming to save her from an abusive family, may feel less than charming to viewers who want their Disney princess to lead by example.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why many people are troubled by Cinderella meekly accepting her abusive situation and waiting to be rescued. It's worth discussing what some of her alternatives could have been ("If you were Cinderella, would you do what that mean lady told you?") and making sure that kids have some exposure to stories with women and girls who save themselves.
Talk about how women are depicted in the movie. What kinds of stereotypes about appearance and behavior did you notice? For younger kids: Why are the stepsisters ugly and Cinderella pretty? What would the story be like if Cinderella was ugly?
If you had a fairy godmother, what would you like her to do for you? Or would you like to be a fairy godmother? Whose wish would you grant?
MPAA explanation:
Nada que pueda ofender a los padres para ser visto por los niños.
Last updated:
August 15, 2024
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