Hey Hollywooders! As we enjoy our much-needed Labor Day weekend to say goodbye to summer, let’s give ourselves a little more time to daydream. Maybe we can dream up a pumpkin carriage and gorgeous gown to take us to the ball of our dreams?
Since the Camila Cabello Cinderella live-action dropped this weekend, I decided to live through my regal-princess fantasy and watch the movie. While our Head of Content Jaime streamed the movie on Amazon Prime, I decided to find a showtime at a movie theater near me. Because Cinderella was only playing in select theaters due to streaming on Amazon Prime, it was hard to find a place near me that showed the movie. Luckily, I was able to catch the 1 p.m. showtime at the Capitol Theatre in Arlington, Massachusetts.
I took my mom, who’s loved Cinderella since she was a little girl, to see whether this new adaptation would live up to her beautiful memories of the story.
The Capitol Theatre was the perfect place to see the Cinderella live-action
The minute I walked into the Capitol Theatre, I felt like I was zapped into the past of the golden Hollywood Days. Classic movie posters like Dirty Dancing and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind framed the walls of the independent cinema. After grabbing some popcorn and candy from the concessions stand, my mom and I headed to the screening room. To our pleasant surprise, we pretty much had the large theater to ourselves, with only 2 other people sitting in the back.
Intimate movie theatres like the Capitol are one of my true happy places. The minute you sit down in your seat, you can sense the exciting anticipation of seeing a movie for the first time. This time was no different. With a musical film filled with breakout dance numbers and out-of-this-world costumes, the surround sound and crystal clear projection at Capitol Theatre only heightened my enjoyment.
The Cinderella live-action is a reimagining of the old tale like we’ve never seen before
There have been countless adaptations of Cinderella including A Cinderella Story, Ever After, and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella with Brandy just to name a few. Although the story follows the same tale, this movie adds its own spin for a modern audience.
Our lovely Cinderella (Camila Cabello) is an aspiring dressmaker, who won’t let anything come in her way. She joins a cast of characters including her evil but misunderstood step-mother (Idina Menzel), an immature prince who’s finding his way (Nicholas Galitzine), a fabulous fairy godmother (Billy Porter), three clumsy mice (James Acaster, James Corden, and Romesh Ranganathan) and her quirky narcissistic step-sisters (Maddie Baillio and Charlotte Spencer). Through a collection of ear-catching pop songs like “Rhythm Nation,” “Shining Star,” “Perfect,” and “Let’s Get Loud,” Cinderella realizes that she can have true love while pursuing her dreams.
There were moments where my mom and I wanted to get up out of our seats and dance. With crazy choreography, powerful vocals from the cast, and the utter essence of Billy Porter, this film brought a new Cinderella into pop culture.
The Cinderella live-action from home loses its magic
While my mom and I were dancing in our seats mesmerized, Jaime was watching from miles away, on her TV at home. Without the quiet focused energy of a movie theater, you can get carried away with other things.
“It felt SO hard to focus solely on watching the movie with my laptop and phone within reach,” Jaime says. “I blocked out my calendar and tried so hard to stay focused on the movie, but it’s not easy when you’re at home.”
Amid her attempts of watching the movie, she had to pause to take a bathroom break, a snack break, while sending some slack messages in the process. “Over an hour in and I’ve succeeded in multitasking and failed at fully focusing on the movie,” she admits. “I’ve noticed some covers of popular songs and some funny mice but I can’t say I’ve given this movie the attention it deserves.”
Why the Cinderella live-action deserves to be seen in movie theaters
When you’re in a movie theater, it’s just you and the screen. There are no other distractions in your way. Whether you like it or not, you have to let yourself give in to the movie in front of you. For Cinderella, it made the experience magical. I was able to catch onto every little joke and let myself get attached to the characters and this idea of finding my own journey.
It’s not the same watching the film from home. Although Cinderella has been one of Jaime’s favorite Disney movies since childhood, she says, “knowing how it ends made it a bit harder to focus.”
“Cinderella with Camila Cabello is a very fun and modern take on the fairy tale we all know and love,” Jaime explains, “but it definitely would have been a better experience in a movie theater near me.”
What others thought about the Cinderella live action
Audiences everywhere took to social media to share their thoughts on the new adaptation.
I don’t care what anybody say @Camila_Cabello was the perfect person for the Cinderella role ? I feel that everybody in this cast was casted perfectly ? #CinderellaMovie
— Bee ? (@FYew_Mean) September 3, 2021
Excellent job casting team!
“Who cares what I think? Who cares what anyone thinks? What matters is how YOU feel when you look in the mirror.” That IS deep! Love this message! ?? #CinderellaMovie
— Jennifer Borget (@JenniferBorget) September 3, 2021
Important words to live by.
Cinderella was so good you guys. I’m absolutely obsessed. Everything from the acting to the singing to the song arrangement to the costumes was so on point. I never doubted Camila for a second but I’m so impressed. Her ability to emote is out of this world. #CinderellaMovie
— kemi (@used2wonder) September 3, 2021
It’s an 11/10 for sure.
Hello I too would love for ✨ @theebillyporter ✨ to be my fairy godparent and bless me with fabulous pantsuits #CinderellaMovie pic.twitter.com/sc1hQUCOuf
— Meena Harris (@meena) September 3, 2021
Billy Porter. We need you.
Make sure to catch Cinderella in movie theaters while you still can! Give yourself the much-needed Disney-fantasy escape.
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