Cinderella | |
---|---|
Based on | various versions of Cinderella |
Written by | Nick Dear |
Directed by | Beeban Kidron |
Starring |
Kathleen Turner Marcella Plunkett Gideon Turner Jane Birkin David Warner Leslie Philips Lucy Punch Katrin Cartlidge Sharon Maughan Nickolas Grace Jenny Tomasin |
Theme music composer |
Youth Jaz Coleman |
Original language(s) | English |
Production | |
Producer(s) |
Trevor Eve Simon Johnson |
Cinematography | Aleksei Rodionov |
Editor(s) | Colin Monie |
Running time | 90 minutes |
Production company(s) | Projector Pictures |
Budget | £2 million |
Release | |
Original network |
Channel 4 (UK) Bravo (US) |
Original release | 1 January 2000 (UK) |
Cinderella is a TV film released on January 1, 2000 in the UK, directed by Beeban Kidron. The cast is led by Kathleen Turner, who plays the Wicked Stepmother Claudette. The film follows the original idea of the fairytale classic but is based in a modern world full of fashion and technology.
Cinderella has been released on several formats. In 2000, Cinderella was released in the UK on videocassette by 4Learning. 4Learning's video comprised the film in three parts, followed by a documentary The Many Cinderellas, in a total of four 30 minute programmes. The film on videocassette was viewed in schools for educational purposes and activities. In 2002, Educational Media Australia also released the film on videocassette. In 2005, Cinderella was officially released in Taiwan on VCD and DVD by Gull Multimedia International. The DVD has audio in English with removable Chinese subtitles and is packaged with an accompanying booklet in Chinese. In 2006, the film was released in Japan on VHS and DVD by Transformer, and in Australia on DVD by VEA Group (including Classroom Video), a distributor of educational resources.
In 2000, Cinderella was one of Channel Four International's top selling programmes of the year. The film has received positive reviews. Kevin McDonough of United Feature Syndicate praised Kathleen Turner's performance as "wickedly good" and stated, "Cinderella features stunning cinematography, fabulous costumes, and the best role for Ms. Turner in years." Julie Salamon of The New York Times described the film as an "amusing, overheated pop version of the fairy tale" that "combines the romantic overtones of gothic thrillers...with fanciful music-video imagery. The evil stepmother (Kathleen Turner) wears fabulous neon clothes with exaggerated shapes..." Salamon also said, "This film has many virtues." Authors Elizabeth Ford and Deborah Mitchell of The Makeover in Movies called the film "visually exciting" and that "natural images dominate the tale...The expressionistic use of fantastic color, light and plenty of watery distortion create a magical mood. Its setting suggests a cross between Finland and Disney-world".