punk_in78 to start, i have to say that i read the book long before this was ever on television...which is where a lot of this is coming from. i was really excited to see that it was to be on TV because i loved the book; it's well-written and thought-provoking and any other hyphenated adjective you can think of. needless to say, i was very disappointed with the adaptation, if you can even call it that...the characters have the same names, sure, and part of the basic skeleton is there, i guess. but the one of the best qualities of the book was completely ignored...its darkness. this movie is so sappy that i think i got a cavity just watching it. they made it nice and neat and bright and happy. which is really unfortunate because there are a lot of unexpected twists that gregory maguire adds to the Cinderella tale that are not all sweetness and good. that's what makes it different and interesting. but the movie is lacking so much. azura skye did an o.k. job with what she was given, but she's just not plain enough to pull it off as an "ugly" girl. stockard channing was not as good as margarethe, i think she was miscast, but again, she did what she could with what she was given. if i hadn't read the book, i'd say that it's not that it's a majorly bad TV movie by itself...again, if you haven't read the book, it's o.k. and not bad for kids, what with the nicey-nice message the saturated it with. but if you want the real story, as always...just read the book.

Liza-19 I am a big fan of fairy tales. Oh sure, I saw the Disney movies like any other kid, I've also read all the originals - even the original Grimms "Aschenputtel" in German - yes, I know the Cinderella story all the way around. I've seen probably every movie ever based on it (The Slipper and the Rose, The Glass Slipper, Ever After, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella, Ash Pet... etc) This adaptation is my favorite beyond compare.The Cinderella story is approached in a completely new light. Our heroine is the ugly stepsister (my one complaint: Azura Skye is far too beautiful for the role) who is trying to make her way in the world with a demanding mother, a simple sister, and a spoiled stepsister. Iris is a fabulous character, and more than I can say for any other production, she seems like a REAL person. She loves her family, and even loves Cinderella, despite the troubles she has with her. All of the characters are interesting and believable - the way the script is written, it's as if the story really could have happened. They did a much better job proving it here than in EVER AFTER. Stockard Channing was perfectly cast as the stepmother. She's presented as not an evil witch, but a ferociously strong-willed woman who is out to survive at any cost. Oh, she is hard on Cinderella on occasion - and the girl certainly had it coming. Cinderella isn't presented as a completely spoiled girl, but rather one that is just to scared to make up her mind about where she wants to be. She stays among the ashes, the writer suggests, not because her stepmother forces her to, but because she's too frightened to face the real world. I loved this movie from beginning to end. I'm also reading the book which is equally engrossing. It's too bad they left so much out of the movie that was in the book - Clara believing she's a changeling and Iris's belief of a demon in the house - but it's certainly understandable that they couldn't put everything in. I keep my fingers crossed that this will be released on DVD soon, because there is no other Cinderella story superior.

rshane After reading the Gregory Maguire book, I didn't think that anyone could translate so rich a story and group of characters to the screen - I was wrong! Wonderful adaptation of the story and great casting and sense of authenticity about the period. Brilliantly acted and great passion for the story...

Angela L it's a simple yet charming story of another side of the cinderella story, from the point of view of a not-really ugly stepsister.i was amused to see azura skye, since she doesn't look like her regular self :) but all in all, enjoyed seeing the film. stockard channing graces the screen once more. see this if you want to take a break from all the typical fairy tales that goes on.