Top 10 Things Only Adults Notice in A Cinderella Story

One of the biggest clichés in high school movies is the “it’s not my dream, it’s your dream” father-son relationship. Austin and his dad perfectly demonstrate this dynamic. While his father imagines him enrolling at USC and taking over the family car-washing business, the quarterback aspires to attend Princeton and study writing. Younger audience members probably don’t question it, but us older viewers realize that Mr. Ames is being ridiculous. The pressure he puts on Austin to follow in his footsteps clearly hurts more than it helps. Most parents would be proud to have a kid pursuing an Ivy League education. We think Mr. Ames totally needs a reality check!

Maybe it’s the repetition of the fairytale ingrained in us but, for a long time, we never really questioned the marriage between Cinderella’s dad and stepmom. In a “Cinderella Story,” however, we just have to wonder how her dad allows it to come to be. Hal is supposedly Sam’s best friend before he dies, and yet he marries a woman who clearly doesn’t like his daughter. We can’t blame him for falling in love, but he probably should have anticipated that his new wife would make an awful step mother. How the wedding picture incident wasn’t an immediate red flag for Hal, we’re not sure.

This film has layers upon layers of nostalgia, especially for us older viewers. 2004 was certainly a time to be alive and this film is an absolute relic of the era. From costumes to props, we’re getting major flashbacks over here! Early 2000’s technology plays a huge part in the plot, too, since Sam and Austin meet in an online chat room. Watching them type using the number pad on a flipphone seriously brings us back to our childhoods. On top of that, the movie has more than a few historical references. Both Hal and Fiona’s version of the diner has a fifties theme, from the decor to the uniforms. Notably, Disney’s iconic animated film, “Cinderella,” premiered in 1950. So meta!

Sam is an impressive student, and she is banking on that in order to get into Princeton. However, those of us who have been through high school and college realize that Sam doing Brianna’s homework could completely ruin her chances of getting an Ivy League education. Academic dishonesty is a big no-no, whether you're claiming work that’s not yours or doing work for someone else. Plus, based on what Brianna says, it’s likely her teachers are starting to pick up on her plagiarism. Considering she lives with a straight-A student, it wouldn’t be too difficult for her teachers to figure out who’s actually writing her essays. Luckily, Sam ends up getting off scot-free, but things could have gone really bad.

Those too young for the dating scene may not think this, but in our opinion, Sam could have definitely done better. Her love interest, Austin, isn’t exactly the noble knight in shining armor we all dreamed about. For one, his cyber relationship with Sam is basically an affair, since it begins while he’s also dating Shelby. On top of that, he has bad taste in friends. They are rude to Sam because she has a job, and one of them clearly doesn’t understand the meaning of the word, “no.” When they publicly humiliate Sam at the pep rally, Austin just sits by and does nothing, when he should have defended her. So much for Prince Charming.

Those of us old enough to be familiar with a wider variety of media will notice that this movie is full of familiar faces. Its romantic leads are two of the biggest stars from the early aughts. Hilary Duff made her name playing the lead role in Disney’s “Lizzie McGuire,” and Chad Michael Murray is best known for playing Lucas Scott in “One Tree Hill.” Even more identifiable actors make up the supporting cast. Austin’s dad is played by Kevin Kilner, who’s also cast in “One Tree Hill.” And Academy award-winner Regina King appears as the fairy godmother-esque character, Rhonda. Even Jennifer Coolidge, who’s recently been enjoying a resurgence in her acting career, makes a major impact as the evil stepmother.

Sam is essentially left to the mercy of her cruel stepmother after her father passes away since she is still underage and has no assets of her own. At least, that’s what she thinks. The straight-A student endures years of mistreatment by Fiona before discovering her dad’s hidden will, which indicates that all of his possessions belong to her. Kids might find this story arc satisfying, but us older viewers wonder why Hal stored his will in such a bizarre place to begin with. Sam’s life would have been a lot easier if Hal had simply told his daughter or another close family member about his will, or maybe if he’d just hid it somewhere more easily found. The cryptic clue he gives Sam as a child clearly isn’t enough to help her find it.

Fiona’s treatment of her step-daughter is exploitative, abusive, and definitely illegal. Grown-ups are more likely to be able to identify Fiona’s crimes, especially if they’ve watched as many crime dramas as we have. At the very least, Fiona is breaking child labor laws by requiring Sam to work long hours at the diner without considering her class schedule. On top of that, her manipulation of Sam’s Princeton acceptance letter could be considered obstruction of correspondence and fraud. Rhonda and the other adult employees working at the diner definitely recognize that Fiona is mistreating Sam; otherwise, they wouldn’t have helped her secretly attend the school dance. Before Sam left of her own accord, there could have been a case made to remove her from her stepmom’s guardianship.

The moment Sam’s dad dies is made even more tragic by the fact that it could have easily been avoided. Viewers old enough to have a sense of earthquake safety will recognize that Hal actually makes all the wrong choices for the situation. According to the CDC, the best thing they could have done is stay in bed and cover their heads with pillows. Despite popular belief, doorways aren’t necessarily the strongest part of a house, and we’re advised to keep from standing in them during an earthquake. By getting out of bed and crossing the room, Hal and Sam risked walking on broken glass or tripping on fallen objects for no reason. Hal’s choice to run to Fiona is also a dangerous move, so it’s not surprising that it lead to his death.

When we were younger watching this film, we were too swept up in the story to notice, but now we can’t help but wonder why Austin doesn’t immediately recognize that Sam is Cinderella. The guy is smart enough for Princeton, yet he can’t figure out that his masked date is someone he’s already acquainted with. Not only do they attend the same school, Austin regularly dines at the place where Sam works. In fact, he and his friends are waited on by her the same day as the dance. Dressed as Cinderella, Sam’s face is only partially obstructed by her mask. Her height, hair, nose, mouth, and voice are all easily recognizable, yet it’s not enough for Austin to put two and two together.