Minnie Driver explains why she starred in Camila Cabello’s Cinderella movie. The modern twist on the fairy tale sees the classic princess as an enterprising and independent heroine, eager to start her own dressmaking business. Though Cinderella ultimately does fall in love with and end up with the Prince in this version, she sets the terms for the relationship and is able to pursue her dreams, allowing the Prince’s sister to claim the throne. Cinderella is an updated movie musical adaptation of a popular tale with plenty of talent behind and in front of the camera, but the film was received poorly by critics despite scoring slightly higher with audiences.
With an all-star cast including Idina Menzel, Pierce Brosnan, Minnie Driver, Billy Porter, and James Corden, Cinderella stars pop singer Camila Cabello as the titular princess. One of the many talented actors involved in the critically panned film, Driver has previously starred in a long list of impressive titles, including Good Will Hunting, Circle of Friends, Grosse Pointe Blank, Tarzan, Hope Springs, Ella Enchanted, The Phantom of the Opera, About a Boy, Modern Love, and Speechless. In Cinderella, she portrays Queen Beatrice, a kindly royal who convinced Prince Robert’s (Nicholas Galitzine) father the King (Brosnan) to accept his son’s proposal to marry a commoner and encouraged him to pursue life with Ella.
During an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Minnie Driver, who most recently starred in another modern twist on a classic story with Karen Maine’s Rosaline, spoke about her decision to take on a role in 2021’s Cinderella. The acclaimed actor cites a desire to take roles in projects that will bring joy to viewers, with a refreshingly down-to-earth take on her craft. Check out what she had to say below:
“I love these women who are apparently oppressed by their positions, but ultimately triumph because they’re such bloody good people. That’s fun. I like being part of things that I know people are going to enjoy. That’s the reason I did Cinderella, and it’s definitely the reason that I wanted to be part of Rosaline as well. I just know people are going to have a wonderful time and love it, and we need that right now. We need people to feel happy and better.”
Why Modern Twist On Classic Tales Like Cinderella Are So Enticing
Cinderella is one of many modern takes on old stories, proving Driver’s point about audiences enjoying that genre of work. The audience score for the film on Rotten Tomatoes, a 59 percent, is also slightly better than the 42 percent critics score, showing that casual viewers did appreciate the film more than their more critical counterparts. The reason sometimes has to do with the satisfaction that comes from reclaiming narratives that are often steeped in a problematic history or contain dated themes. By making Cinderella into an entrepreneur and keeping her from settling for a royal life with the Prince without considering her own desires and needs, Cinderella updated the traditional narrative and created a heroine to admire. Other, more successful, films that include modern takes on fairy tales include Into the Woods (also starring Corden) and Enchanted.
Films of this nature work because they reframe dated narratives to take on a new relevance, but also because combining classic and traditional storylines with modern-day characters and problems is often hilarious due to the inherent irony and contrast at play. Additionally, audience familiarity with the classic tales allows for inside jokes with viewers, dramatic irony, and the inclusion of new, overlooked perspectives that add nuance to the original stories. While Cinderella may have been a disappointment due to its heavy-handed writing and flat characterization, that film is one of many modern twists on well-known classics. Fans of that genre have plenty to look forward to, with Rosaline (a modern twist on Romeo and Juliet from a new perspective) set to stream on Hulu this week and Disenchanted arriving in November on Disney+.
Every Song In Cinderella 2021
