Julia Chiappe

From fairy godmothers and fated journeys emerges a tale as old as time. Gail Carson Levine’s 1997 novel Ella Enchanted is that and more. Known more commonly for its 2004 film adaptation starring Anne Hathaway and Hugh Dancy, the story of Ella Enchanted is a timeless cult classic. The film’s wonderfully sensational costuming, musical numbers, and thinly-veiled references to pop culture have contributed to its spot as my all-time favorite comfort movie, but real lessons arise from a nuanced consideration of the story’s implications. The novel, in its own regard, emphasizes the importance of unification through communication and language, while the film adaptation embraces a more direct, allegorical framework of modern politics. Both iterations have the potential to make real-world connections and leave readers and viewers alike inspired. 

The middle-grade fantasy story follows 15-year-old Ella of Frell, cursed at birth with the gift of obedience by Lucinda, an impulsive fairy with no comprehension of how her generosity could go awry. Ella’s father, Sir Peter, remarries, leaving Ella stuck with Dame Olga and her wicked daughters, Hattie and Olive. Naturally, the eldest daughter, Hattie, exploits Ella’s curse of obedience, ordering her around to steal, lie, and abandon her best friend. The film follows a structural narrative similar to the novel, but there are three major plot-oriented changes that differentiate the stories:

1. The novel’s pacing is a lot slower than its film counterpart. Rather than introduce Dame Olga as Sir Peter’s new wife right away, readers, like Ella, are eased into her role. Ella is sent away to finishing school with Hattie and Olive, and it is from there that she begins her journey to find Lucinda and undo the curse. 
2. In the novel, Ella meets her love interest, Prince Charmont, or Char, at her mother’s funeral. The two keep in contact through a series of letters. The film, on the other hand, plays into an enemies-to-lovers trope; Ella runs into Char after being ordered to leave her organized protest against the kingdom’s leadership, which is Char and his family.
3. The film’s reigning villain is Sir Edgar, Char’s uncle, who assumed the throne after the passing of Char’s father. His division of land and treatment of groups such as ogres and elves are important issues for Ella. Edgar’s royal garb is a caricature of a king’s: a mustache, a gaudy ruby-adorned crown, a monogrammed scepter, and a venomous snake sidekick to do his bidding. Char’s literary father is alive and well, and although there are allusions to civil unrest, the stakes are a lot lower.  

Ella’s politics and personal principles are similar in the book and on screen, but her approaches to diplomacy differ. In the book, Ella is particularly interested in the power of language as a unifying tool. She learns how to speak Ogrese, Elfian, and Ayorthaian through conversation and mimicry, forming unlikely friendships and temporary alliances as a result. This skill proves valuable throughout her journey, earning her the respect of Slannen, chief elven trader, and the admiration of Prince Char. Communication as a whole is framed as an imperative element throughout the novel. Initially, the younger of Ella’s wicked stepsisters, Olive, conflates her desire for conversation with her desire for wealth. She demands money from Ella, yet still Olive is not satisfied. “Talk to me,” she orders Ella repeatedly. Similarly, despite his immersive travels that afford him the unique opportunity to engage with other cultures, Char confesses how he simply “long[s] for conversation” in his letters to Ella. In her correspondence, she recounts the mundanities of her daily life, thus emphasizing the fated couple’s true, unwavering connection as entirely separate from the novelties of royal opportunity. 

Ella is more upfront about her political beliefs on-screen and adopts a more active approach to her diplomacy relative to her counterpart in the novel. The establishment of foreign language is omitted from the film, but Ella manages to engage with ogres, giants, and elves on a more personal level. She attends the mall of Frell’s grande opening with her best friend Areida at the beginning of the film, not to join her sisters among Prince Char’s fan club but rather to protest the kingdom’s “giant land grab” and brutality towards ogres. Despite her forced obedience, Ella never fails to take ownership of her progressive ideas in the film. She influences Char to question his uncle Edgar’s policies and advocate for a fair kingdom, representative of all marginalized groups. These ideals are especially relevant when considering the film from a contemporary standpoint. 

Further applicable to a modern viewer is the film’s subtle exploration of idolatry and celebrity culture, among beauty standards and technology. Hattie and Olive are members of the aforementioned Prince Char Fan Club, with the posters and buttons to prove it. Hattie’s scrawling cursive sign reading, “PRINCE CHAR RULES,” visually overtakes Ella and Areida’s protest signs. The fan club’s adoration of Char is comparable to modern celebrity culture; they are all somehow convinced that they will marry him and Hattie is the parasocial ringleader that gets to boast her knowledge to Char himself. 

The film is brimming with clever allusions to pop culture and modern society. Dame Olga’s face is permanently tightened after being injected with too much “Batox,” a split-second frame of a newspaper clipping advertises a job for an abacus programmer, and Ella’s fairy-magic-infused book provides endless information, prompted simply by the command, “show me…” The film’s exact time period is purposefully ambiguous, but we know that the music of Queen has somehow made its way from the modern realm into the medieval kingdom of Kyrria. Ella sings “Somebody to Love” at a bar for giants, and the song’s liveliness enhances the film’s romantic comedy quality, while the lyrics mirror her independent struggle to escape the curse of obedience; “Someday I’m gonna be free.” It’s a fun, anachronistic moment of absurdity and catharsis, counter to the authoritarian weight upon Ella and the kingdom as a whole to maintain obedience. 

Fairytales and fables are often formulaic—they’re made to stand the test of time. They are an avenue of escapism, but they are also less conspicuous vessels of wisdom and resistance. Ella Enchanted exemplifies this, both in its original novel form and film adaptation. Whether it be Ella’s inclusive curiosity for language in the book, her expression through protest in the film, or her strength and steadfast nature common to both, there is something for all of us to take away from the fantastical Ella of Frell. 

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GAIL CARSON LEVINE‘s first book for children, Ella Enchanted, was a Newbery Honor Book. Some of Levine’s other books include Ever, a New York Times bestseller; Fairest, a Best Book of the Year for Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal and a New York Times bestseller; Dave at Night, an ALA Notable Book and Best Book for Young Adults and The Wish. Gail Carson Levine and her husband, David, live in a two-centuries-old farmhouse in the Hudson Valley of New York State.

Ella Enchanted can be purchased here.