A Cinderella Story: Difference between revisions

A Cinderella Story
A Cinderella Story
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Mark Rosman
Written by	Leigh Dunlap
Based on	Cinderella; by Charles Perrault
Produced by	Clifford Werber; Ilyssa Goodman; Hunt Lowry; Dylan Sellers;
Starring	Hilary Duff; Jennifer Coolidge; Chad Michael Murray; Regina King;
Cinematography	Anthony B. Richmond
Edited by	Cara Silverman
Music by	Christophe Beck
Production; companies	Dylan Sellers Productions; Clifford Werber Productions;
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date	July 16, 2004;
Running time	95 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$19 million
Box office	$70.1 million

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Latest revision as of 03:21, 7 November 2024

A Cinderella Story is a 2004 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Mark Rosman, written by Leigh Dunlap and starring Hilary Duff, Chad Michael Murray, Jennifer Coolidge, and Regina King. A modernization of the classic Cinderella folklore, the film's plot revolves around two internet pen pals who plan to meet in person at their high school's Halloween dance.

The film was released on July 16, 2004. While it was panned by critics, the film was a box office success, grossing $70.1 million against its $19 million budget, and inspired multiple straight-to-video films. Over the years, it has developed into a cult classic.^[2]

Plot

Samantha "Sam" Montgomery is raised by her widowed father Hal, who runs a diner in the San Fernando Valley. Hal marries a vain and greedy woman named Fiona, who has twin daughters, Brianna and Gabriella. Hal later dies in the 1994 Northridge earthquake apparently without leaving a will, leading Fiona to inherit everything.

Eight years later, 17-year-old Sam is tormented by her stepfamily, while the community faces a drought. She and her best friend Carter Farrell, an aspiring actor, are bullied by the popular clique at school, led by head cheerleader and mean girl Shelby Cummings.

Forced to work at the diner to save money to attend Princeton, Sam is looked after by longtime manager Rhonda and confides in her online pen pal "Nomad", who shares her dream to attend Princeton to become a writer. Unbeknownst to Sam, "Nomad" is Austin Ames, the popular but unhappy school quarterback and Shelby's boyfriend, whose father Andy expects him to attend the USC.

Sam agrees to meet "Nomad" at the school Halloween dance and Austin breaks up with Shelby, although Shelby refuses to believe him. Fiona refuses to give Sam the night off to attend the dance, but Rhonda and Carter intervene. Rhonda gives her a mask and her old wedding dress to wear as "Cinderella". Dressed as "Prince Charming", Austin reveals to Sam that he is "Nomad" but does not recognize her under her mask, and they share a romantic dance.

A masked Carter makes out with Shelby after defending her from the unwanted advances of Austin's friend, but is forced to drive Sam back to the diner before Fiona discovers she is gone. As they leave, Sam drops her cell phone, which is found by Austin, as he and the missing Cinderella are named homecoming prince and princess. The diner staff stalls Fiona and her daughters, and Sam arrives just in time.

The next day, Austin covers the school in flyers, hoping to identify the mysterious Cinderella and Carter is cruelly rejected by Shelby. Austin's friends present him with a crowd of girls claiming to be Cinderella, without success. He is accepted to Princeton but unable to tell his father and visits the diner, where Sam tries to tell him the truth.

Brianna and Gabriella discover Sam's emails with Austin, realizing she's the mystery Cinderella. After failing to convince Austin that they are each Cinderella, the twins present the emails to Shelby, convincing her that Sam schemed to steal Austin away from her. At the school pep rally, Shelby and the twins perform a humiliating skit exposing Sam as Cinderella and she runs home in tears.

Having intercepted Sam's acceptance letter from Princeton, Fiona forges a rejection letter, further disheartening Sam. Rhonda encourages her not to lose hope and her stepsisters inadvertently uncover a wallpapered-over mural of Hal's motto. Inspired, Sam finally stands up to Fiona and quits the diner, leading Rhonda, the rest of the employees and even the customers to leave as well.

Moving in with Rhonda, Sam confronts Austin for being afraid to show who he really is, in the locker room just before the homecoming game. Seeing her leaving before the final play of the game, Austin stands up to his father and runs after Sam. He apologizes and they share their first kiss in the rain as the drought suddenly ends, much to the twins and Shelby’s dismay.

Sam finds her father's will hidden in her childhood fairytale book, revealing that everything was left to her, including the house and diner. As the rightful owner, Sam is able to sell her stepfamily's cars to pay for college, while Fiona claims to have never seen the will before, despite having signed it as a witness.

Arrested by the LAPD and D.A., she makes a deal with the latter to work her debt off at the diner, now co-owned by Rhonda; her daughters, after retrieving Sam's acceptance letter from the trash, are also forced to work with her busing tables.

Andy accepts Austin's decision to attend Princeton. Carter lands a commercial and rejects Shelby for Astrid, the school's goth DJ and announcer. Austin returns Sam's cell phone and they begin a relationship, driving off to Princeton together.

Cast

Hilary Duff as Samantha "Sam" Montgomery
- Hannah Robinson as young Sam
Chad Michael Murray as Austin Ames
Jennifer Coolidge as Fiona
Regina King as Rhonda
Dan Byrd as Carter Farrell
Madeline Zima as Brianna
- Carlie Westerman as young Brianna
Andrea Avery as Gabriella
- Lilli Babb as young Gabriella
Julie Gonzalo as Shelby Cummings
Whip Hubley as Harold "Hal" Montgomery
Brad Bufanda as David
Simon Helberg as Terry
J. D. Pardo as Ryan Hanson
Erica Hubbard as Madison
Kady Cole as Caitlyn
Aimee Lynn Chadwick as Astrid
Lin Shaye as Mrs. Wells
Kevin Kilner as Andy Ames
Mary Pat Gleason as Eleanor
Paul Rodriguez as Bobby
James Eckhouse as Mr. Farrell
Jonathan Slavin as Vernon
John Billingsley as Mr. Rothman
Art LaFleur as Football Coach

Production

Clifford Werber conceived a modernized adaptation of the Cinderella story due to its long-lasting appeal of being "the ultimate wish-fulfillment fantasy" with "an underlying message of empowerment."^[3]

Release

A Cinderella Story premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on July 10, 2004.^[4] It premiered in theaters with competition from other products that starred princesses or were fantasy-themed, such as The Prince & Me (2004), Ella Enchanted (2004) and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004).^[5]

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 11% based on 102 reviews, with an average rating of 3.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "An uninspired, generic updating of the classic fairy tale."^[6] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score on 25 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".^[7] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.^[8]

Roger Ebert wrote that A Cinderella Story "is a lame, stupid movie, but Warner Bros. is spending a fortune to persuade [young audiences] to see it and recommend it".^[9] Other critics panned the plot as "simple, lazy storytelling"^[10] and "a dull rehash of the old girl-meets-boy chestnut".^[11] They noted that its attempts to modernize aspects of the source material were gimmicky and led to illogical plot elements, such as a cell phone being the film's glass slipper and Sam looking too pretty and cheerful for an outcast.^[12]^[11]^[13] Some particularly felt the use of a perfect teenager as a social reject delegitimized the moral of any average person believing in oneself.^[11]^[13]

The film was nominated for five Teen Choice Awards at the 2005 ceremony, winning the award for Choice Movie Blush Scene, the same year Duff won the Kids Choice Awards for Favorite Movie Actress.

Box office

In its opening weekend, the film grossed $13,623,350 in 2,625 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking #4 at the box office, behind I, Robot, Spider-Man 2 and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. By the end of its run, A Cinderella Story grossed $51,438,175 domestically and $18,629,734 internationally, totaling $70,067,909 worldwide.^[1]

Accolades

The film won and was nominated for a number of awards throughout 2004–2005.

Year	Ceremony	Category	Recipients	Result
2004-2005	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Movie Actress: Comedy	Hilary Duff	Nominated
		Choice Summer Movie	A Cinderella Story	Nominated
		Choice Movie Blush Scene	Hilary Duff	Won
		Choice Movie Liplock	Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray	Nominated
		Choice Movie Sleazebag	Jennifer Coolidge	Won
		Choice Movie Love Scene	Chad Michael Murray and Hilary Duff	Nominated
		Choice Movie Chemistry	Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray	Nominated
		Choice Date Movie	A Cinderella Story	Nominated
2005	Kids Choice Awards	Favorite Movie Actress	Hilary Duff	Won

Soundtrack

Film series

A Cinderella Story was followed by five direct-to-video films, each presenting a separate modern-day version of the Cinderella story: The sequels use the themes and situations that also borrow from the Cinderella tale, but do not contain any characters from the first film. Unlike the first film, the sequels also include musical, dance and holiday event themes.

Film title	Year	Director	Starring
Another Cinderella Story	2008	Damon Santostefano	Selena Gomez
A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song	2011	Damon Santostefano	Lucy Hale
A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits	2016	Michelle Johnston	Sofia Carson
A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish	2019		Laura Marano
A Cinderella Story: Starstruck	2021		Bailee Madison

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "A Cinderella Story (2004)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on November 2, 2011. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
^ Russo, Gianluca (August 11, 2019). "It's Time For a More Inclusive "Cinderella Story". Teen Vogue. Condé Nast. Retrieved September 14, 2019. What began in 2004 as a modern retelling of the iconic fairy tale... quickly spiraled into a cult classic yielding a decade and a half of follow-up films with different actors and plots...
^ "A Cinderella Story Production Notes" (2004). Warner Bros. Pictures
^ Lyford, Kathy (July 12, 2004). "If the slipper fits..." Variety. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
^ McNamara, Mary (August 17, 2004). "A royal gain". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
^ "A Cinderella Story (2004)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on September 3, 2010.
^ "A Cinderella Story Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 1, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
^ "CinemaScore". cinemascore.com.
^ Valero, Gerardo (July 16, 2004). "A Cinderella Story Movie Review (2004)". Roger Ebert. Archived from the original on January 11, 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
^ Smith, Anna (January 2000). "A Cinderella Story Review". Empire. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c Vonder Haar, Pete (July 19, 2004). "A Cinderella Story". Film Threat. Archived from the original on September 4, 2004. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
^ Holden, Stephen (July 16, 2004). "FILM REVIEW; Shattered Pieces of a Glass Slipper: A San Fernando Valley 'Cinderella'". The New York Times. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
^ ^a ^b Anderson, Jason (July 16, 2004). "This Cinderella should have stayed home". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on August 4, 2004. Retrieved November 18, 2020.

[BoxOfficeMojo-1] "A Cinderella Story (2004)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on November 2, 2011. Retrieved July 27, 2011.

[2] Russo, Gianluca (August 11, 2019). "It's Time For a More Inclusive "Cinderella Story". Teen Vogue. Condé Nast. Retrieved September 14, 2019. What began in 2004 as a modern retelling of the iconic fairy tale... quickly spiraled into a cult classic yielding a decade and a half of follow-up films with different actors and plots...

[Prodnotes-3] "A Cinderella Story Production Notes" (2004). Warner Bros. Pictures

[4] Lyford, Kathy (July 12, 2004). "If the slipper fits..." Variety. Retrieved November 15, 2020.

[5] McNamara, Mary (August 17, 2004). "A royal gain". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 16, 2020.

[6] "A Cinderella Story (2004)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on September 3, 2010.

[7] "A Cinderella Story Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 1, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2018.

[CinemaScore-8] "CinemaScore". cinemascore.com.

[9] Valero, Gerardo (July 16, 2004). "A Cinderella Story Movie Review (2004)". Roger Ebert. Archived from the original on January 11, 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2018.

[10] Smith, Anna (January 2000). "A Cinderella Story Review". Empire. Retrieved November 17, 2020.

[FilmThreat-11] Vonder Haar, Pete (July 19, 2004). "A Cinderella Story". Film Threat. Archived from the original on September 4, 2004. Retrieved November 17, 2020.

[12] Holden, Stephen (July 16, 2004). "FILM REVIEW; Shattered Pieces of a Glass Slipper: A San Fernando Valley 'Cinderella'". The New York Times. Retrieved November 17, 2020.

[GlobeandMail-13] Anderson, Jason (July 16, 2004). "This Cinderella should have stayed home". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on August 4, 2004. Retrieved November 18, 2020.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 * Ilyssa Goodman
 * [[Hunt Lowry]]
-* Dylan Sellers
+* Dylan Sellers}}
-}}
 | writer         = Leigh Dunlap
-| based_on        = {{Based on|''[[Cinderella]]''|[[Charles Perrault]]}}
+| based_on       = {{Based on|''[[Cinderella]]''|[[Charles Perrault]]}}
 | starring       = {{plainlist|
 * [[Hilary Duff]]
+* [[Jennifer Coolidge]]
 * [[Chad Michael Murray]]
-* [[Jennifer Coolidge]]
 * [[Regina King]]
 }}
-| narrator       = Hilary Duff
 | music          = [[Christophe Beck]]
 | cinematography = [[Anthony B. Richmond]]
@@ Line 28: / Line 26: @@
 | distributor    = [[Warner Bros. Pictures]]
 | released       = {{Film date|2004|7|16}}
-| runtime        = 96 minutes
+| runtime        = 95 minutes
 | country        = United States
 | language       = English
@@ Line 34: / Line 32: @@
 | gross          = $70.1 million<ref name="BoxOfficeMojo"/>
 }}
-'''''A Cinderella Story''''' is a 2004 American [[Teen film|teen]] [[romantic comedy]] film directed by [[Mark Rosman]], written by Leigh Dunlap and starring [[Hilary Duff]], [[Chad Michael Murray]], [[Jennifer Coolidge]], and [[Regina King]]. A modernization of the classic [[Cinderella]] folklore, the film's plot revolves around two internet [[pen pal]]s who plan to meet in person at their high school's Halloween dance.
+'''''A Cinderella Story''''' is a 2004 American [[Teen film|teen]] [[romantic comedy]] film directed by [[Mark Rosman]], written by Leigh Dunlap and starring [[Hilary Duff]], [[Chad Michael Murray]], [[Jennifer Coolidge]], and [[Regina King]]. A modernization of the classic ''[[Cinderella]]'' [[folklore]], the film's plot revolves around two [[internet]] [[pen pal]]s who plan to meet in person at their high school's Halloween dance.
 The film was released on July 16, 2004. While it was panned by critics, the film was a box office success, grossing $70.1 million against its $19 million budget, and inspired [[A Cinderella Story (film series)|multiple straight-to-video films]]. Over the years, it has developed into a [[Cult film|cult classic]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/a-cinderella-story-representation-op-ed |title=It's Time For a More Inclusive "Cinderella Story |last=Russo |first=Gianluca |publisher=Condé Nast |date=August 11, 2019 |website=Teen Vogue |access-date=September 14, 2019 |quote="What began in 2004 as a modern retelling of the iconic fairy tale... quickly spiraled into a cult classic yielding a decade and a half of follow-up films with different actors and plots..."}}</ref>
 ==Plot==
+ <!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summary should be between 400 to 700 words. -->
-Samantha "Sam" Montgomery is raised by her widowed father Hal, who runs a [[diner]] in the [[San Fernando Valley]]. Hal later dies in the [[1994 Northridge earthquake]] apparently without leaving a will, leading Sam's vain and greedy stepmother Fiona to inherit everything. Eight years later, 17-year-old Sam is tormented by Fiona and her twin daughters/step-sisters Brianna and Gabriella, while the community faces a [[drought]]. Sam and her best friend Carter, an aspiring actor, are bullied by the popular clique at school, led by head cheerleader Shelby. Forced to work at the diner to save money to attend [[Princeton University|Princeton]], Sam is looked after by longtime manager Rhonda and confides in her online [[pen pal]] "Nomad", who shares her dream to attend Princeton to become a writer. Unbeknownst to Sam, "Nomad" is Austin Ames, the popular but unhappy school quarterback and Shelby's boyfriend, whose father expects him to attend the [[University of Southern California]].
+Samantha "Sam" Montgomery is raised by her widowed father Hal, who runs a [[diner]] in the [[San Fernando Valley]]. Hal marries a vain and greedy woman named Fiona, who has twin daughters, Brianna and Gabriella. Hal later dies in the [[1994 Northridge earthquake]] apparently without leaving a will, leading Fiona to inherit everything.
+Eight years later, 17-year-old Sam is tormented by her stepfamily, while the community faces a [[drought]]. She and her best friend Carter Farrell, an aspiring actor, are bullied by the popular clique at school, led by head cheerleader and mean girl Shelby Cummings.
-Sam agrees to meet "Nomad" at the school [[Halloween]] dance and Austin breaks up with Shelby, although Shelby refuses to believe him. Fiona refuses to give Sam the night off to attend the dance, but Rhonda and Carter intervene, and Rhonda gives Sam a mask and her old wedding dress to wear as "Cinderella". Dressed as "Prince Charming", Austin reveals to Sam that he is "Nomad" but does not recognize her under her mask, and they share a romantic dance. A masked Carter [[making out|makes out]] with Shelby after defending her from the unwanted advances of Austin's friend, but is forced to drive Sam back to the diner before Fiona discovers she is gone. As they leave, Sam drops her cell phone, which is found by Austin, as he and the missing Cinderella are named homecoming prince and princess. The diner staff stall Fiona and her daughters, and Sam arrives just in time.
+Forced to work at the diner to save money to attend [[Princeton University|Princeton]], Sam is looked after by longtime manager Rhonda and confides in her online [[pen pal]] "Nomad", who shares her dream to attend Princeton to become a writer. Unbeknownst to Sam, "Nomad" is Austin Ames, the popular but unhappy school quarterback and Shelby's boyfriend, whose father Andy expects him to attend the [[University of Southern California|USC]].
-The next day, Austin covers the school in flyers, hoping to identify the mysterious Cinderella and Carter is cruelly rejected by Shelby. Austin's friends present him with a crowd of girls claiming to be Cinderella, without success. He is accepted to Princeton but unable to tell his father and visits the diner, where Sam tries to tell him the truth. Brianna and Gabriella discover Sam's emails with Austin, realizing she's the mystery homecoming princess. After failing to convince Austin that they are each Cinderella, the twins present the emails to Shelby, convincing her that Sam schemed to steal Austin away from her. At the school pep rally, Shelby and the twins perform a humiliating skit exposing Sam as Cinderella and she was beheaded by J.V. Gonzales with axe, much to everyone's horror.
+Sam agrees to meet "Nomad" at the school [[Halloween]] dance and Austin breaks up with Shelby, although Shelby refuses to believe him. Fiona refuses to give Sam the night off to attend the dance, but Rhonda and Carter intervene. Rhonda gives her a mask and her old wedding dress to wear as "Cinderella". Dressed as "Prince Charming", Austin reveals to Sam that he is "Nomad" but does not recognize her under her mask, and they share a romantic dance.
+A masked Carter [[making out|makes out]] with Shelby after defending her from the unwanted advances of Austin's friend, but is forced to drive Sam back to the diner before Fiona discovers she is gone. As they leave, Sam drops her cell phone, which is found by Austin, as he and the missing Cinderella are named homecoming prince and princess. The diner staff stalls Fiona and her daughters, and Sam arrives just in time.
+The next day, Austin covers the school in flyers, hoping to identify the mysterious Cinderella and Carter is cruelly rejected by Shelby. Austin's friends present him with a crowd of girls claiming to be Cinderella, without success. He is accepted to Princeton but unable to tell his father and visits the diner, where Sam tries to tell him the truth.
+Brianna and Gabriella discover Sam's emails with Austin, realizing she's the mystery Cinderella. After failing to convince Austin that they are each Cinderella, the twins present the emails to Shelby, convincing her that Sam schemed to steal Austin away from her. At the school pep rally, Shelby and the twins perform a humiliating skit exposing Sam as Cinderella and she runs home in tears.
+Having intercepted Sam's acceptance letter from Princeton, Fiona forges a rejection letter, further disheartening Sam. Rhonda encourages her not to lose hope and her stepsisters inadvertently uncover a wallpapered-over mural of Hal's motto. Inspired, Sam finally stands up to Fiona and quits the diner, leading Rhonda, the rest of the employees and even the customers to leave as well.
+Moving in with Rhonda, Sam confronts Austin for being afraid to show who he really is, in the locker room just before the homecoming game. Seeing her leaving before the final play of the game, Austin stands up to his father and runs after Sam. He apologizes and they share their first kiss in the rain as the drought suddenly ends, much to the twins and Shelby’s dismay.
+Sam finds her father's will hidden in her childhood fairytale book, revealing that everything was left to her, including the house and diner. As the rightful owner, Sam is able to sell her stepfamily's cars to pay for college, while Fiona claims to have never seen the will before, despite having signed it as a witness.
+Arrested by the [[Los Angeles Police Department|LAPD]] and [[Los Angeles County District Attorney|D.A.]], she makes a deal with the latter to work her debt off at the diner, now co-owned by Rhonda; her daughters, after retrieving Sam's acceptance letter from the trash, are also forced to work with her busing tables.
+Andy accepts Austin's decision to attend Princeton. Carter lands a commercial and rejects Shelby for Astrid, the school's goth DJ and announcer. Austin returns Sam's cell phone and they begin a relationship, driving off to Princeton together.
 ==Cast==
@@ Line 83: / Line 100: @@
 ==Reception==
 === Critical response ===
-On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of 12% based on 103 reviews, with an average rating of 3.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "An uninspired, generic updating of the classic fairy tale."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cinderella_story/|title=A Cinderella Story (2004) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100903012428/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cinderella_story/|archive-date=September 3, 2010|df=mdy-all}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score on 25 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/a-cinderella-story |title=A Cinderella Story Reviews |website=Metacritic |access-date=2018-01-09 |url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171101222101/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/a-cinderella-story |archive-date=November 1, 2017 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web |url=https://m.cinemascore.com |title=CinemaScore |work=cinemascore.com}}</ref>
+On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of 11% based on 102 reviews, with an average rating of 3.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "An uninspired, generic updating of the classic fairy tale."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cinderella_story/|title=A Cinderella Story (2004) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100903012428/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cinderella_story/|archive-date=September 3, 2010|df=mdy-all}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score on 25 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/a-cinderella-story |title=A Cinderella Story Reviews |website=Metacritic |access-date=2018-01-09 |url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171101222101/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/a-cinderella-story |archive-date=November 1, 2017 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web |url=https://m.cinemascore.com |title=CinemaScore |work=cinemascore.com}}</ref>
-[[Roger Ebert]] wrote that ''A Cinderella Story'' "is a lame, stupid movie, but Warner Bros. is spending a fortune to persuade [young audiences] to see it and recommend it".<ref>{{cite web |last=Valero |first=Gerardo |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-cinderella-story-2004 |title=A Cinderella Story Movie Review (2004) |website=Roger Ebert |date=2004-07-16 |access-date=2018-01-09 |url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180111134812/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-cinderella-story-2004 |archive-date=January 11, 2018 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Other critics panned the plot as "simple, lazy storytelling"<ref>{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Anna|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/cinderella-story-review/|title=A Cinderella Story Review|work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|access-date=November 17, 2020}}</ref> and "a dull rehash of the old girl-meets-boy chestnut".<ref name = "FilmThreat">{{cite web|last=Vonder Haar|first=Pete|date=July 19, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040904081204/https://filmthreat.com/Reviews.asp?Id=6276|archive-date=September 4, 2004|url=https://filmthreat.com/Reviews.asp?Id=6276|title=A Cinderella Story|website=[[Film Threat]]|access-date=November 17, 2020}}</ref> They noted that its attempts to modernize aspects of the source material were gimmicky and led to illogical plot elements, such as a cell phone being the film's glass slipper and Sam looking too pretty and cheerful for an outcast.<ref>{{cite web|author-link=Stephen Holden|last=Holden|first=Stephen|date=July 16, 2004|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/16/movies/film-review-shattered-pieces-of-a-glass-slipper-a-san-fernando-valley-cinderella.html|title=FILM REVIEW; Shattered Pieces of a Glass Slipper: A San Fernando Valley 'Cinderella'|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=November 17, 2020}}</ref><ref name = "FilmThreat"/><ref name = "GlobeandMail">{{cite web|last=Anderson|first=Jason|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040804213351/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/movie/MOVIEREVIEWS/20040716/CINDERELLA16/|archive-date=August 4, 2004|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/movie/MOVIEREVIEWS/20040716/CINDERELLA16/|title=This Cinderella should have stayed home|date=July 16, 2004|work=[[The Globe and Mail]]|access-date=November 18, 2020}}</ref> Some particularly felt the use of a perfect teenager as a social reject delegitimized the moral of any average person believing in oneself.<ref name = "FilmThreat"/><ref name = "GlobeandMail"/>
+[[Roger Ebert]] wrote that ''A Cinderella Story'' "is a lame, stupid movie, but Warner Bros. is spending a fortune to persuade [young audiences] to see it and recommend it".<ref>{{cite web |last=Valero |first=Gerardo |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-cinderella-story-2004 |title=A Cinderella Story Movie Review (2004) |website=Roger Ebert |date=2004-07-16 |access-date=2018-01-09 |url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180111134812/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-cinderella-story-2004 |archive-date=January 11, 2018 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Other critics panned the plot as "simple, lazy storytelling"<ref>{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Anna|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/cinderella-story-review/|title=A Cinderella Story Review|work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|date=January 2000 |access-date=November 17, 2020}}</ref> and "a dull rehash of the old girl-meets-boy chestnut".<ref name = "FilmThreat">{{cite web|last=Vonder Haar|first=Pete|date=July 19, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040904081204/https://filmthreat.com/Reviews.asp?Id=6276|archive-date=September 4, 2004|url=https://filmthreat.com/Reviews.asp?Id=6276|title=A Cinderella Story|website=[[Film Threat]]|access-date=November 17, 2020}}</ref> They noted that its attempts to modernize aspects of the source material were gimmicky and led to illogical plot elements, such as a cell phone being the film's glass slipper and Sam looking too pretty and cheerful for an outcast.<ref>{{cite web|author-link=Stephen Holden|last=Holden|first=Stephen|date=July 16, 2004|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/16/movies/film-review-shattered-pieces-of-a-glass-slipper-a-san-fernando-valley-cinderella.html|title=FILM REVIEW; Shattered Pieces of a Glass Slipper: A San Fernando Valley 'Cinderella'|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=November 17, 2020}}</ref><ref name = "FilmThreat"/><ref name = "GlobeandMail">{{cite web|last=Anderson|first=Jason|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040804213351/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/movie/MOVIEREVIEWS/20040716/CINDERELLA16/|archive-date=August 4, 2004|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/movie/MOVIEREVIEWS/20040716/CINDERELLA16/|title=This Cinderella should have stayed home|date=July 16, 2004|work=[[The Globe and Mail]]|access-date=November 18, 2020}}</ref> Some particularly felt the use of a perfect teenager as a social reject delegitimized the moral of any average person believing in oneself.<ref name = "FilmThreat"/><ref name = "GlobeandMail"/>
 The film was nominated for five [[Teen Choice Awards]] at the 2005 ceremony, winning the award for Choice Movie Blush Scene, the same year Duff won the [[Kids Choice Awards]] for Favorite Movie Actress.
@@ Line 119: / Line 136: @@
 |-
 |Choice Summer Movie
+|''A Cinderella Story''
-|
 |{{Nom}}
 |-
@@ Line 143: / Line 160: @@
 |-
 |[[Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie - Date Movie|Choice Date Movie]]
+|''A Cinderella Story''
-|
 |{{Nom}}
 |-
@@ Line 174: / Line 191: @@
 | ''[[A Cinderella Story: Starstruck]]'' || 2021 || [[Bailee Madison]]
 |}
+==See also==
+* [[List of films set around Halloween]]
 ==References==
@@ Line 207: / Line 227: @@
 [[Category:American teen comedy films]]
 [[Category:American teen romance films]]
-[[Category:Films about teenagers]]
 [[Category:Films based on Charles Perrault's Cinderella]]
 [[Category:Films directed by Mark Rosman]]
@@ Line 215: / Line 234: @@
 [[Category:Films set in the San Fernando Valley]]
 [[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]
+[[Category:Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award–winning films]]
 [[Category:Warner Bros. films]]
+[[Category:English-language romantic comedy films]]

v t e A Cinderella Story
Films	A Cinderella Story (2004) Another Cinderella Story (2008) Once Upon a Song (2011) If the Shoe Fits (2016) Christmas Wish (2019) Starstruck (2021)
Soundtracks	A Cinderella Story Another Cinderella Story Once Upon a Song If the Shoe Fits Christmas Wish
Songs	"Our Lips Are Sealed" "Tell Me Something I Don't Know"