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A Cinderella Story Once Upon a Song
Actors: Lucy Hale, Megan Park, Missi Pyle, Freddie Stroma, Jr. Titus Makin
Director: Damon Santostefano

PG 2011

The teen music scene meets classic fairy tale in this modern telling of Cinderella. The story is familiar enough: stepdaughter Katie (Lucy Hale of Pretty Little Liars) is a virtual indentured servant for her mean stepmothe... more »r Gail (Missi Pyle), cleaning the house and catering to her every need and whim, as well as those of daughter Bev (Megan Park of The Secret Life of the American Teenager) and son Victor (Matthew Lintz). When a famous music producer enrolls his son Luke (Freddie Stroma) at the arts school where Katie's mom is the dean and Katie and Bev study, there's a definite attraction between Katie and Luke. Unfortunately, Gail comes up with a plan to propel Bev into superstardom, which destroys any chance of a relationship between Katie and Luke, along with Katie's chances of realizing her dream of becoming a recording artist. What Gail doesn't count on is Katie's resourcefulness, the tendency of the oppressed to band together, and the emotional power of a song. What's bothersome about this film is that most of the main characters are one-dimensional and unlikable. Gail is a mean-spirited woman who drinks too much, mistreats her stepdaughter, has unreasonable expectations for her daughter, and basically ignores her bright and totally out-of-control son. Bev is a pretty girl who lacks a sense of morality and the gumption to stand up for herself, and Victor is a self-absorbed terror who acts without consideration for others or any fear of negative consequences. Katie is more likable as the stoical teen who endures a bad situation while developing her musical talent and trying hard to be a good friend, but viewers will find her inability to assert herself quite frustrating. Luke is a similarly likable, talented young musician whose aspirations are thwarted by his father's expectations. Gail, Bev, and Victor all get at least a glimpse of the errors of their ways in this film, but while Victor's enlightenment is somewhat believable, Bev's flash of insecurity and compassion for Katie is unconvincing and short-lived, and Gail's momentary delusion of humanity is quickly negated by the (off-screen) consumption of a bottle of wine. The musical numbers are great in this film and there's a Bollywood dance scene that's well choreographed and quite fun, but in the end, that just isn't enough to offset the stereotypical, shallow characters. --Tami Horiuchi

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Movie Details

Actors: Lucy Hale, Megan Park, Missi Pyle, Freddie Stroma, Jr. Titus Makin
Director: Damon Santostefano
Creators: Dylan Sellers, Ilyssa Goodman, Michelle Johnston, Clifford Werber, Erik Patterson, Jessica Scott
Format: DVD
DVD Release Date: 09/06/2011
Release Year: 2011
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 0
MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)