Cinderella (1997)

The Little Mermaid is a smash success as expected because it spoke to the pure hearts it was meant for. Despite the negative review bombing of some of its trailers and the strange narrative that it would "break" Disney's $1 Billion dollar trend (a funny way to say it has made close to half a billion dollars in a few weeks), progress won out. The film largely follows the plot of the animated classic with little deviation. That places an inevitable criticism on it not being "original", as opposed to the "it's different so it's bad" trope that would have followed any deviation. Thankfully, the people who matter for this film loved the highly-anticipated whirlwind romance of a mermaid and prince.

In 1818 London, eligible bachelor and talk-of-the-town Mr. Jeremy Malcolm (Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù) is searching for a bride. Unlike the other men, he has a list of requirements. His high demands for a wife lead him to jilt Miss Julia Thistlewaite (Zawe Ashton), which he will come to regret. In a revenge plot to give Mr. Malcolm a taste of his own medicine, Julia recruits her friend Selina Dalton (Freida Pinto) to masquerade as Mr. Malcolm’s perfect bride, only to turn him down with her own list of requirements. Predictably, things go awry because love is, well, unpredictable. 

Mr. Malcolm's List is a pleasant promenade through a fantasy Regency-era England filled with people of color. Mr. Malcolm's List checks off all requirements for a typical romantic British period piece: gorgeous dresses, lavish parties, heartfelt love confessions, and treacly romance. It also has the added element of completely colorblind casting comparable to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (1997). For fans of Bridgerton, this is pretty much the PG version of the show (though, Mr. Malcolm’s List doesn’t try to work in historical references to how their world used to be divided by color). 

Mr. Malcolm's List is pure escapist fun, with POC at every level of society without hardship rising through the ranks or any complicated explanations about the racial hierarchies of this alternate universe. The characters of color do not suffer, but all get their fair share of bubbly romance. Characters of color just get to exist, and it’s a joyous experience to watch them star in a genre that has always excluded people like us. 

Although this genre isn’t typically my cup of tea, the charming cast and romantic antics had me giddy by the end. Zawe Ashton is a scene-stealer who manages to make her scheming, sometimes mean character still hilarious and likable. Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Lord Cassidy is a welcome addition to any scene as Julia’s sweet, overly reliable cousin. Theo James’s Captain John Ossory is another scene-stealer who occasionally overtakes Mr. Malcolm as this film’s romantic star with his challenging and passionate nature. 

The Cinderella fairytale has been adapted a million times over, with the latest Cinderella adaptation from Amazon sparking controversy over its girl boss agenda. Most stories keep some form of Cinderella’s backstory and the plot of falling for a “prince” after a ball, but what of the diversity? This article ranks some of the most popular Cinderella adaptations based on diverse representation. (Unfortunately, not every adaptation could make it onto this list since there are so many). Spoiler warning: They’re mostly white.

Incluvie score: 1.5/5

Movie score: 4.5/5

Ever After is possibly the best Cinderella adaptation. This story devotes more time to characterizing Danielle (Drew Barrymore) outside of the prince, and their love is something that blossoms over many meetings rather than after one night. Danielle is a perfect example of feminism done well. She helps the poor and is critical of the ignorant nobility and the social hierarchy they enforce. She is assertive and educates the prince on their society’s flaws. The prince then actually makes changes in the law. The pair have a wonderful back and forth, constantly challenging each other in arguably the most well-developed and dynamic relationship of these adaptations.