A Cinderella Story

"Once upon a time... can happen any time."

2004 1h 35m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 3,448

ComedyFamilyRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Routinely exploited by her wicked stepmother, the downtrodden Samantha Montgomery is excited about the prospect of meeting her Internet beau at the school's Halloween dance.

“Once upon a time... can happen any time.”

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Cast

Hilary Duff
Sam Montgomery
Chad Michael Murray
Austin Ames
Jennifer Coolidge
Fiona
Dan Byrd
Carter Farrell
Regina King
Rhonda
Julie Gonzalo
Shelby Cummings
Lin Shaye
Mrs. Wells
Madeline Zima
Brianna

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mark Rosman
Writers: Leigh Dunlap
Languages: Czech, English, German
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 3.7× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 22 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Czech, English, German.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Cinderella Story Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Mark Rosman, shot by Anthony B. Richmond. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Christophe Beck. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Cara Silverman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray and Jennifer Coolidge carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mark Rosman directs. Anthony B. Richmond behind the camera. Christophe Beck scores. Cara Silverman cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in Czech, English, German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Made its money back 3.7× over at the box office.
2Released 22 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Czech, English, German.
4Part of the "Cinderella Story Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Mark Rosman, shot by Anthony B. Richmond. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Christophe Beck. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Cara Silverman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray and Jennifer Coolidge carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Once upon a time... can happen any time.".
10IMDB entry: tt0356470 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 14 themes, including "high school", "work", "jealousy", "stepmother".

The technical file

Cinematography: Anthony B. Richmond
Original score: Christophe Beck
Editing: Cara Silverman
Production design: Charles William Breen
Costume design: Denise Wingate
Stunt coordinator: Eddie Yansick
Runtime: 95 min · 1h 35m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $19,000,000
Box office: $70,067,909
Return: 369% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: A Cinderella Story (2004)

Part of

Cinderella Story Collection

A Cinderella Story is a 2004 American romantic comedy film directed by Mark Rosman, written by Leigh Dunlap and stars Hilary Duff, Chad Michael Murray, Jennifer Coolidge and Regina King. A modernization of the classic Cinderella folk lore, the film's plot revolves around two Internet pen pals who plan meet in person at their high school's Halloween dance. The film was followed by five direct-to-video sequels, Another Cinderella Story (2008), A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song (2011), A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits (2016), A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish (2019), and A Cinderella Story: Starstruck (2021). The sequels using the themes and situations but not containing any characters from the first film. Unlike the first film, the sequels also include musical, dance, and holiday themes.

Also by

Mark Rosman

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Community reviews

What people are saying

tmdb516161672024-09-01
★ 5/10
"A Cinderella Story" has become an iconic franchise, with the version starring Hilary Duff standing out as a standout favorite. While Duff's portrayal alongside Chad Michael Murray brought a modern twist to the classic tale of Cinderella, subsequent installments in the franchise have failed to live up to the same standard. The franchise seems to be struggling to recapture the magic of the original film, instead resorting to unnecessary side stories and deviations from the core Cinderella narrative. It appears that attempts to replicate the success of the Walt Disney and Roger and Hammerstein versions have fallen short, leading to a sense of fatigue and irrelevance surrounding the franchise. Despite the star power of Selena Gomez in "Another Cinderella Story," the film failed to reach the heights set by Hilary Duff's portrayal. Similarly, Lucy Hale's "A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song" was criticized for its lackluster execution and departure from the essence of the Cinderella story. "Sofia Carson's "A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits" attempted to capitalize on dance elements reminiscent of "Grease," but ultimately fell flat, marking a low point in the franchise. Laura Marano's "A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish" was deemed the weakest link in the series, solidifying the downward trend in quality. As the franchise continues with new installments, the lackluster reception of recent films has dampened enthusiasm for further entries in the series. Viewers may find it challenging to engage with future releases given the disappointing trajectory of the franchise.

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