Brandy’s “Cinderella” Deserves Her Flowers
(Originally published on Glen’s Lens at WordPress on February 16, 2021)
If I were to call any film “underrated”, it’d be the 1997 version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Though the film broke records in viewership of the original broadcast and home video sales, the film which starred Brandy as Cinderella and the late Whitney Houston as her Fairy Godmother flew under the radar during the majority of its existence.
When Disney revealed its catalog in the seemingly endless Twitter thread back in 2019, fans were disappointed in the exclusion of their beloved classic. With no other streaming options nor a soundtrack album, they had to settle for low quality clips on YouTube. Despite this, the fans continued to share their love for the film in the form of articles, fan art, and cosplays. On Friday, these fans rejoiced Disney Plus made the impossible possible and finally added Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella to their catalog. This paved the way for even more articles, fan art, and cosplays (including one by Brandy herself for a Youtube video with performer Todrick Hall).
I don’t think it’s particularly unique for me to say that this film was an important part of my childhood. It was the first movie I fell in love with, and I don’t think I’ve ever fallen as hard for one since. Its unapologetically fantastical setting, its multicultural cast that wasn’t just full of white and light-skinned Black people (looking at you Bridgerton), the catchy songs effortlessly sung by its talented cast, its distinctly whimsical production and costume design, having Disney’s first (unofficial) Black princess- it was everything I wanted and more. Though my family rented the tape a few times from Blockbuster, it was frustratingly rare trying to catch it on TV. Whenever I’d randomly catch it while flipping channels, I’d instantly keep it on and would want to rewind it back every time it ended. For decades, it was the only movie that mattered to me.
(Disney+)
The colorblind casting is what makes this Cinderella story stand out. Brandy’s Cinderella, her stepmother (Bernadette Peters) and her stepsisters (the late Natalie Desselle-Reid, Veanne Cox) live in a poor provincial town made up of not just white but black, brown, and Asian residents. This is an element that you barely notice yet never see in a film like this, showcasing the rarity of seeing actual diversity in film in general let alone in a kid’s movie.
Ever since middle school, I’ve seen people brighten up in their realization that it’d be downright impossible for a white king (Victor Garber) and a Black queen (Whoopi Goldberg) to bear an Filipino prince (Paolo Montalban). Never have I ever heard anyone outright complain about how this family unit made sense, and it’s due to the chemistry between the actors. Aided by Robert Iscove’s direction and an updated script written by Robert L. Freedman, the principal and supporting cast make this fantasy tale ring true for its audience.
It’s crucial to note that colorblind casting is a tool that is best utilized purposefully, and that’s just what the producers of this film did. In an oral history of the film on Shondaland, executive producer Craig Zadan revealed that an unnamed Disney executive was opposed to a Black Cinderella and suggested the singer Jewel for the part. Thankfully Zadan, along with Debra Martin Chase, Neil Meron, and Whitney Houston always had Brandy in mind for the role, with Zadan claiming the following : “The whole point of this whole thing was to have a black Cinderella. We didn’t want to make it with a white Cinderella. We weren’t interested in a white Cinderella”.
The producers adamantly honoring Houston’s personal choice of Brandy in the lead role was a truly powerful move. In this case, colorblindness isn’t as unknowing as the label would suggest- the executive was clearly uncomfortable with the idea of a Black girl playing Cinderella for an undisclosed reason. It’s no coincidence that white women were (and still are) consistently chosen to play Cinderella, who is arguably the most relatable yet inherently pure fairy tale princess. By casting a black girl as the beautiful ingenue, a role repeatedly handed to white women, the producers unknowingly helped dispel the notion that whiteness is inherently equivalent to goodness and purity.
This was a huge deal for kids of color like myself, who were used to seeing characters who looked like us as the sassy best friend, the butt of an offhand joke, and/or the bad guy. It helped pave the way to actress Keke Palmer playing the role on Broadway, along with the creation of Disney’s first official Black princess Tiana (voiced by Tony winning actress Anika Noni Rose) from the 2009 film The Princess and the Frog (her being a frog for the most of the movie, notwithstanding), and singer Halle Bailey as Ariel in the upcoming The Little Mermaid remake. Though some will continue to seethe at the idea of a black girl taking up their space, filmmakers taking a chance on people of color is the only way to move forward in a world like ours.
(Zadan/Meron Productions)
Moving past the colorblind casting, I genuinely believe this is one of the best retellings of the Cinderella story. The third adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein TV musical leans in to the hokey sincerity that more recent Cinderella stories try to distance themselves from while still maintaining a sense of emotional grit. While Ever After has their heroine literally carry her prince out of trouble and Enchanted has their fallen princess abandon her shoe for a sword, Brandy’s Cinderella goes through a journey of self growth with the help of her Fairy Godmother’s encouragement.
When the Fairy Godmother gave her the idea that her stepmother is jealous of how “fabulous” she is, Cinderella outright denies it as if she was told that mice could be turned into horses. The ball becomes more than just an escape from her chores, but also a place where she reintroduces herself to the world, where people can see her true beauty and grace. After Cinderella is scolded by her stepmother for believing the prince could fall for someone as “common” as her, she tearfully comes to a realization that she has to leave, a right she denied herself for so long to appease her dead father’s wishes to stay with the family. She finalizes her decision by saying the following: “I deserve better, Father. I deserve to be loved, and that’s what I found out tonight. And that’s all that really matters”.
This line, which is unique to this version of the musical, exemplifies what Cinderella is about to me- the struggle of finding your worth until it is shown to you. When people focus on her lack of agency and imagine how they would leave if they were in her shoes, I think they forget that Cinderella is bound to her stepfamily’s subjugation of not just her day-to-day life, but also her spirit. How can you stand up for yourself when you don’t believe you can be anything else other than what the people closest to you see you as? When Cinderella sees that the royal family and the entire kingdom recognizes her as more than just that girl with cinders smudged on her face, and can perhaps even be loved by a handsome prince who she loves back, she finally recognizes her self worth and is finally able to treat herself. This is even more meaningful given the fact that she is the first Black Cinderella to achieve this dream, showing black kids and kids of color that this dream is theirs to own as well.
It’s easy to see why black kids and kids of color who grew up into adults continue to adore this movie- it is simply beautiful.
I just really love this movie, okay?
