Let Enchanted Enchant You

Who wants to watch a film about a naïve young woman getting stuck in reality. Not me. Enchanted just didn’t seem like the kind of movie that would entertain me. Maybe it was the thought of singing in Central Park that was too much for my believability meter to handle.

My Tivo disagreed with me and recorded the movie. I was feeling a little blue and thought, what the heck, it can’t make me feel any worse than I do right now – so I watched it. I’m so glad I did. It enchanted me and improved my mood to boot.

For some reason, it seemed natural for a lovely girl to dance through New York singing about love. Her naiveté was charming and her transition from one-dimensional to multi-faceted was superbly performed. Amy Adams deserves the hype she’s getting. (Her performance in Junebug convinced me).

So, I heartily recommend this movie. It reminds us that leaving naiveté behind doesn’t mean we have to become pessimistic.

Life is idyllic in the fairytale world where conflict is minimal and breaking into song solves every problem, but what happens when a princess from the fairy world gets magically transported into the real world? Enchanted begins in the animated fairytale world of Andalasia where Princess Giselle (Amy Adams) is destined to marry Prince Edward (James Marsden) and live happily ever after. Problem is, Edward’s step-mother Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) doesn’t want to give up the throne and will do anything to get Giselle out of Edward’s life. Queen Narissa’s solution is to push Giselle into a well that magically lands Giselle smack in the middle of the real world–the center of Time Square in New York City, to be exact. This launches the live-action portion of the film where Giselle immediately realizes that things are frighteningly different in this new world and that she is ill-prepared for the callous ways of the people who inhabit it. Giselle finds herself alone on a stormy night in the wrong end of town, but a chance encounter with Robert (Patrick Dempsey) and his princess-loving daughter Morgan (Rachel Covey) leads to a warm, safe place to spend the night and the beginnings of a complicated, yet compelling relationship. As Giselle begins to question the fairy-tale truths she’s always inherently believed, Robert’s outlook on life and love also begins to change significantly. Parallels to the classic Disney fairytales, Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty abound in the form of a King’s and Queen’s ball, small animals and rodents who clean house when called, the threat of poisoned apples, characters impulsively breaking into song, and the power of the kiss of true love and the absurd juxtaposition of fairytale idealism and stark reality is hilariously funny. Features music by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz of Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame fame, Wicked’s Broadway Elpheba Idina Menzel as Nancy, and even a brief appearance by former Princess voice talent Judy Kuhn (Pocahontas). Enchanted is one of the best, most entertaining Disney films of the year. (Ages 6 and older with parental guidance due to some scary images and mild innuendo) –Tami Horiuchi

Enchanted
Director:                 Kevin Lima
Writer (WGA):         Bill Kelly (written by)
Starring:
Amy Adams            Giselle
Patrick Dempsey     Robert Philip
James Marsden       Prince Edward
Timothy Spall         Nathaniel
Idina Menzel           Nancy Tremaine
Rachel Covey          Morgan Philip
Susan Sarandon	     Queen Narissa

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