Cinderella

Oh no they're not going to make fairy stories even more politically correct are they?

That would be funny if it weren't so sad.

wasn't

But it's true isn't it? I'd rather someone made a film of Princess Smartypants who is an independent kind of royal and refuses all the princes.

That's OK but let's not get rid of the other soppier stories. I can't help thinking how nice it would have been for Cinderalla to be swept off her feet and never have to worry about anything ever again.

I think there are far too many fairy stories about beautiful little princesses waiting to be rescued by strong handsome princes.

I think there's a place for the old fairy stories about beautiful princesses and handsome princes as long as they are balanced by the more modern ones like Princess Smartypants. I don't think the old ones deserve to still be made into Hollywood blockbusters that give out such an old fashioned message to little girls. There are quite enough Disney versions already.

My preference would be for the Rossini version of the story, in La Cenerentola... no 'magic', just a cruelly treated heroine who stays 'good' throughout, finally pleading on behalf of her father and step-sisters when her Prince wants to punish them. It's mostly a rather dark story... Oh and none of that 'glass slipper' nonsense (as if!) - but a pair of bracelets, one of which the Prince finds, and can match up to Angelinas's (her real name).

The message is there - virtue is rewarded (ha!) - but without Fairy Gawdmothers and pumpkin coaches.

I went to see "Shrek the Musical" at Newcastle Theatre Royal last night. Now there is a different take on the classic fairytale. The theatre was full of families. It was very good. The princess here, rescued by an Ogre, becomes one herself by sharing love's first kiss with her one true love and breaking the curse.
Sorry I seem to have gone off on a flight of fancy!
I like the old fairy tales, but I'd rather read them than go to the cinema to see them on the big screen.

Wasn't the slipper in Perrault's story velvet but became glass through mistranslation?

I like the old fairy stories. What's wrong with finding your Prince Charming and living happily ever after?

They should start 'once upon a time' and end with a marriage and 'they lived happily ever after' - I can't see anything wrong.

Nothing at all! I think children realise it is all fantasy. If a parent thinks it will cause some gender role stereotype they could always be really boring and burst the bubble and have a heart to heart talk with the child afterwards - yawn!

I saw a few clips from Cinderella on Sky TV and it looks wonderful. The commentator said that Cinderella deals with loss and bullying in a calm way and doesn't change her personality which is kind and loving even when she is desperately sad and lonely. What can be wrong with that.

Yes, absent. Vair, the grey fur of a Russian squirrel, got confused with Verre, glass.

I never knew that. I learned something else on gransnet yesterday that I didn't know before and it's doing my head in now because I've forgotten what it was already .

Well I took my granddaughter, aged 5 to see it this afternoon, and we both enjoyed it. Cinderella was as sweet as sweet can be and the stepmother played by the excellent Cate Blanchett had just the right dose of wickedness and malevolence which all step mothers should have, except me that is, I'm an exceptionally nice step-mother, step mother-in-law and step grandmother, or so I'm told I don't know who played the handsome prince but he had very tight britches, almost too tight, so much so, he could have jeopardised his chances of becoming a father in the "the happy ever afters", anyway lets not go there, he had loads of straight, white teeth and seemed a jolly nice chap! Helena Bonham Carter played a lovely batty fairy godmother and there was also a nice cameo from Derek Jacobi who had absconded from Halifax to step in as the handsome prince's father. It was all set in an enchanted sort of Ruritanian country where the costumes veered between late 18th century Poldark style, mid 19th century Isambard Brunel top hats and an impressive array 1950s gowns for Cate Blanchett, all very lavish. Great special effects pumpkin into carriage etc. Wonderful escapist tosh. Anyway it was either this or Sponge Bob Squarepants. Whoever he may be. However, he doesn't sound a very appealing character either in or out of britches!

The Britches reminds me of the little girl taken to the ballet for the first time who asked her mummy if the "step" in the Prince's tights was for the Princess to stand on when he lifted her up. Sorry if I have lowered the tone

I think it would be hard to persuade me that Cinderella was a feminist story: a sad but 'good' girl who escapes domestic drudgery because she is beautiful and marries money/royalty. However there is a place for nonsense and escapism I suppose and if it was part of a mixed diet that included more proactive, intelligent girls/women who use their wit and not just their looks to get on on the world then no harm done!