MovieChat Forums > The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella (1976) Discussion > Question about the Godmother's advice -

Question about the Godmother's advice -

posted 17 years ago by mikwalen
14 replies | jump to latest

When Cinderella is on the swing "in exile" towards the end of the film, the Godmother appears to her and remarks that Cinderella "shouldn't be here at all, this isn't the way I planned it at all" and then says something like "let me guess - you stayed past the stroke of midnight, didn't you?"

Maybe I'm thinking too much, but I have always wondered what staying past the stroke of midnight had to do with Cinderella almost missing her chance to marry the prince?

The fans of this film are very knowledgable about it, so - any opinions / thought?

Thanks - God bless!
Mike

[–] mkolln 17 years ago

The Fairy Godmother meant that Cinderella had gotten in deeper than what she was supposed to. The way the Fairy Godmother "planned" it was that Cinderella wanted to go to the ball, but a romance with the Prince wasn't planned on.

[–] firstRainbowRose 17 years ago

I beg to differ. If she didn't have the romance planned, why was the date of Cinderella's wedding underlined in her diary? Also she flat out says "Oh, it's so irritating. I had it all planned out."

I think that if she hadn't stayed after midnight, then the godmother had it set up so they'd met again at a different time. I mean, she implys as such in the above quote. But because she stayed after midnight she lost the shoe, which sent the prince looking for her, missing the planned meeting. It also (I think) screwed up a chance for Carolsville and the Duke to met up and fall in love.

[–] mikwalen 17 years ago

Thanks! I was figuring that staying too late at the ball must have had SOMETHING to do with messing up the Godmother's plans. I was wondering what other fans thought.

There's also a hint that the idea of sending Cinderella to the ball was a sudden occurence to Godmother. Remember when she's passing Cinderella's house, she suddenly says - "Oh why not .... I'll just MAKE time!" Maybe the whole idea of sending Cindy to the ball and eventually having them marry occured to the Godmother in a flash at that moment.

[–] c_evett1 17 years ago

Could be. The fairy Godmother, besides kicking major ass, has a good head about her. After all shes the charge for so many fairy tales, and you can tell simply from the line "off you go and enjoy yourself" that she lives to make people happy.

Its just that her job sometimes irritates her.

I'm sorry I guess I didn't really make a valid point.

[–] mikwalen 17 years ago

No, you make a great point!

SLIPPER AND THE ROSE seems to be structured so that there are plot points that provide food for thought and are open to interpretation. For another example - when Cinderella accuses the stepmother of "tricking" her father into marriage - we can assume that there was treachery involved in the stepmother's attentions to Cinderella's father, perhaps to marry him for his money? Cinderella's comment is not fully explained, but it is interesting to ponder what the back-story is.

[–] firstRainbowRose 17 years ago

Shile it doesn't say how she "tricked" him, the book does explain that "This (his new wife) was a widow who had long cherished the thought of sharing the rich merchant's beautiful home..." "...Even before the wedding bells had ceased ringing they made the poor merchant's life a misery, and he saw his hard-earned fortune scattered like chaff in an Autumn wind." So you were right in thinking it was only for his money. From those two I've always assumed she made it seem like she had a lot of money herself, and was a really kind woman.

[–] mikwalen 17 years ago

Hi firstRainbowRose! I would love to see that book, I know it's a collector's item now. It seems like it explains a great deal of "back-story".

[–] firstRainbowRose 17 years ago

It really does. It says such things as the fact that her dress is made of rose petals (which is why it's the color it is, and why all the petals are falling as she runs away), and such. Just keep your eyes open on ebay and there's someone that puts them up.

[–] phillindholm 17 years ago

Yes, I think the Stepmother simply misrepresented herself as a caring person. She was beautiful,(thanks to Margaret Lockwood playing the part) but, as they say,'' that's only skin deep'' Bryan Forbes has since stated that was the idea-attractive people don't always have attractive souls.

[–] lori_mp 16 years ago

what is the name of the book? cinderella or slipper and the rose?

[–] firstRainbowRose 16 years ago

The one I refenced before is titled "The Slipper and the Rose", and I believe (I'm currently at work so I can check for sure) it's written by Brian Frobes.

[–] melonpotter 17 years ago

I've always assumed that because Cinderella stayed after the stroke of midnight,that was the reason everything changed back. The Fairy Godmother tells her that "the magic used tonight is borrowed magic, at the stroke of midnight it must be returned otherwise everything will return to the way it was before." (or something to that effect) If Cindy had left the ball before midnight she would have remained Princes Incognita or something to that effect.

[–] peanuts044 16 years ago

Yeah, I kind of got that from the statement as well....although I'm not sure how that would have been possible.

Still, it's nice to know I'm not the only one who found that line confusing.

[–] rens_email 16 years ago

A very easy answer to your question, and one that's answered for you in the film when she says she might "borrow" a bit because she's out of time to do all the work herself.

It's "borrowed" magic, hence the spell ends at midnight.