Mum's Monday: Enchanted

This film came out in 2007 and is a Snow-White-type adaptation with subtle references to other fairy tales. The film starts off as an animation, set in Adalasia, and is just another fairy tale world. The evil queen (Susan Sarandon) trying to stop Prince Edward (James Marsden) finding a wife. This is a good solid start to the film as it sets up the rest of the story.

The Prince, however meets Giselle and as in a usual Fairy Tale, they fall in what they deem to be love and plan to marry the next day. The Evil Queen, however has other ideas, and this is where the film changes pace to your usual fairy tale.

Giselle is sent to the real world, New York, where she meets cynical lawyer, Robert Philip (Patrick Dempsey), his daughter Morgan (Rachel Covey) and Robert’s girlfriend, Nancy (Idina Menzel) who he has been dating for 5 years. I think this a good place, as it is recognisable and like throwing someone in at the deep end, if like Giselle you come from a completely different dimension. This film is clever in sometimes blurring the line between Fairy Tale and the real world: Animals helping with the cleaning, a large song and dance in central park at the beginning of which everyone involved automatically knows the lyrics to the song apart from Robert who is confused as he retains the real world persona, and birds sending romantic gestures from Robert to Nancy.

A short time afterwards, she quickly learns what being in the real world is like, that it is not always a fairy tale, as she has met a couple on the verge of a divorce. She is puzzled about the concept as to her, that never happens.

When Prince Edward finds out where Giselle has gone he doesn’t hesitate to look for her. When he finds Giselle, she believes it is her destiny and lets Edward whisk her away, only to learn that she has naturally adapted to the real world in which she has learnt about dating and not rushing into marriage, getting to know who you are going to marry before committing to it.

When Giselle sees a Ball advertised, and, on Robert’s behalf, sends an invite, to Nancy, who we find out actually loves all the spontaneous romance stuff. Giselle, who also wants to go to the Ball so asks Edward to take her, before they go back to Adalasia. He agrees. Another good blur is when Giselle is not sure what to wear for the Ball. Morgan, loving all the fairy tale stuff, dressed up as a Fairy God Mother, knows exactly what to do and takes her father’s credit card and go shopping for the right clothes for the ball, including hair and makeup. This is a lovely part of the film, as a bond grows between them.

At the Ball, Nancy is impressed by Prince Edward who is still carrying on the theme of her liking spontaneous romance dances with Nancy and Robert dances with Giselle. Over the course of the ball, we see them all getting to know one another. We now see a change of pace, and brings the fairy tale nature back, as the Evil Queen, having kept an eye on everything throughout the film knows what has actually happened between the two pairs. We don’t learn this until the very end of the film, but on the pretence that she can make all the hurt go away, the Evil Queen gives Giselle an apple lased with poison and she collapses. Spotting this unfold, Robert tells Nancy to call 911. In a fairy tale, no one calls 911, but there is a sudden moment when you realise that we are in the real world, and I found myself saying “oh yeah, you would call 911, if you see someone collapsed”. However, to blur the line between fairy tale and reality one last time, it wasn’t 911 that saved her it was a true love’s kiss. Edward thinking it is him tries but nothing works. Nancy, realising what has happened and is the voice of reason, tells Robert it is him, and it is. We have seen him go from a cynical lawyer to a warm-hearted romantic, as Giselle has bought out the best in him.

Another part of a Fairy Tale that they made it fit into the real world, by people at the Ball, thinking it was part of the show, which is good, as when there seems to no other explanation that you can see, people jump to what seems the most obvious conclusion. This is when the Evil Queen changes into a dragon, she is angry her plan to do away with Giselle didn’t work. The Evil Queen/dragon is then defeated.

The ending is a little surprising as we see Edward and Nancy marry in Adalasia the next day in animation, although that is how a Fairy Tale works.

Robert, Giselle and Morgan are living in New York, and embracing what the real world has to offer, working in a children’s clothing company.

This film shows us romance is not dead, it is just what you would want to get out of it. If you want to get to know someone before you commit you can or do you want to be swept off your feet you can be. Romance comes in many different forms depending on the type that appeals to the individual.