On Saturday it was pouring rain and I had just taken an exhausting SAT, so I went to the movie theater with the girls that I babysit. We were transferred to a magical place. The movie was a realistic remake of the Disney classic “Cinderella.”

At the very beginning of the movie Cinderella’s mother gives her advice, to “have courage and be kind.” We see as she grows older, she cherishes these values, even when she becomes subject to the command of her evil stepmother and stepsisters after her father dies. Without parents or friends her own age, Cinderella befriends the housemaids, pets, and forest animals. Despite her stepmother’s and stepsister’s maliciousness, she always pities, and even forgives the women.

Despite her admirable character, we never once saw Cinderella as perfect. Even on the magical night of the ball she was nervous. For the most part, Cinderella was sweaty, dirty, and tired. Yes, she had golden hair, but that hair was almost always tangled. Her smile and the sparkle in her eyes made her beautiful.

The film showed true love as two-sided, balanced, and real. When the prince saw Cinderella for the first time, she was not in a ball gown, but in her tattered maid’s dress. They were both on horseback, and he introduced himself as an “apprentice,” not mentioning that he was an apprentice of his father, the king. As they talked, they experienced a romantic connection in its raw form. There were no sexual or socioeconomic complications or motivations, they were teenagers talking for the first time.

When Cinderella went home that day, her happiness showed us that romantic pursuits in fairytales don’t necessarily mean male superiority and women conforming to social expectations. Before she tried on the slipper at the end of the movie, Cinderella asked the Prince, “If it fits or not, will you take me as I am?” and he asked the same question in return. It was a golden message for the young ears sitting beside me.

Cinderella’s beauty came from within, she exemplified not just courage and kindness, but that kindness is courage. No matter how mean her stepmother and stepsisters were, she stayed kind. She was a direct foil to the insecure evil of the other women. At the end of the movie as she leaves her home, she tells her stepmother that she forgives her for her misdeeds.

In addition to being nostalgically enchanting, the film was brilliant. It highlighted the bond between mother and daughter, father and daughter, and young lovers. The color and sweeping angles were dazzling, and Cinderella’s dress alone was worth the movie ticket. The movie stuck to the trend of recent fairy tales, painting the female protagonist as strong, independent, and human. However, the movie never showed males nor females as bad because of their gender, only showing unkindness as dark and selfish.

We all think we know the plot of the Brothers Grimm or Disney classic, but what those didn’t show us is the importance of teaching the younger generations that goodness will always emerge stronger than evil; To be kind and have courage.