The setting for this enchanting rendition of the classic Cinderella fairy tale is sixteenth century France. Eight-year-old Danielle's life is totally changed when her wealthy widowed father marries Rodmilla (Angelica Huston) and then dies of a heart attack. At 16, she (Drew Barrymore) has been relegated to the role of servant to her stepmother and two stepsisters. Then Danielle meets Henry (Dougray Scott), the heir to the throne. Only trouble is she's posing as a noble woman in order to rescue a servant who's been sold. She impresses Henry with her spirit and her idealism — both spurred on by Thomas More's Utopia, a book given to her by her father.
The screenplay by Suzannah Grant, Rick Parks, and director Andy Tennant (Fools Rush In) vividly conveys the fierce combat between the domineering Rodmilla and the independent Danielle, especially when it comes to the prince's choice of a wife. The roundabout course of love is the central theme of Ever After and it's a pleasure to report that Leonardo da Vinci (Patrick Godfrey) is even on hand to insure that all ends well.