Type: Romantic
Film: Cinderella 2015
Featured Characters: Ella and Kit
Cinderella 2015 is unquestionably the Disney live-action film to surpass. It’s faultless in almost every way, from the impeccable casting to the dazzling (and believable) CGI that brings a bit of magic back into our old, cynical lives. And it’s an absolute, tiny treasure where romance is concerned because of Ella and Kit and their sweet, achingly wholesome love story that gives us the most we get from the fairytale pairing.
As far as fairytales go, it’s not contentious to admit that the earlier adaptations make the romance a bit too hard to believe as adults. While we know that arranged marriages were (and still very much are) something that happens, if we are to accept that it’s a true love match right from the get-go, then we need far more than one dance and determination at the helm. We need conversations, we need organic moments of character development, and we need to feel the spark as intensely as the characters do. In the case of Cinderella 2015, all of that and more is a hearty presence.
Ella and Kit and Quiet Comforts
In the literary romance world, a meet-cute is everything. It sets the backdrop for how the relationship will develop, and it quickly but effectively shows us bits of who the characters are. We get the first signs of Kit’s gentleness when he changes course on his hunt to help Ella, and then we see proof of it when he opts out of killing the stag because of her gentle scolding. Viewers know enough about Ella’s backstory at this point to understand her quiet resilience and the ability to read people based on what they show. It’s safe to believe why she’d later want to attend the ball to see her apprentice friend without having any interest in the prince.
Ella and Kit are both natural caretakers. They’re people who bask in the quiet comforts of everyday life, so it’s effortless to see why and how it all locks into place when they meet each other. As much as he’s a prince who’s had things handed to him on a silver platter, he’s never had the chance to share moments with someone else, which is why the secret garden scene matters to exhibit how they can be each other’s safe place.
While Ella was fortunate enough to have a golden childhood, life took from her later on. And with Kit, judging by how he behaves when his father is sick, we can presume that his past wasn’t as magical. It might have been good and decent, but it surely wasn’t sprinkled with the depth and joy that hers was. That’s why, when he gets a beat to push her on the swings and stay with her far from prying eyes during his ball, it reawakens some of those pent-up longings. It’s why he runs after her when he repeats the words “lizards and pumpkins” to himself, realizing that Ella, or at this point, the wonderful girl whose name he doesn’t yet know, is the answer he’s been searching for. She’s the person he doesn’t have to hide around, the one he can experience authentic, unbridled joy with.
Fairytales often make it seem as though love solves all problems, but Cinderella 2015 reminds us that it’s courage and kindness instead. It’s the choice to be truthful to oneself, and it’s the grace that comes with treating people (and animals) like they’re living entities—essential parts of the world. If this weren’t a fairytale and the story didn’t end after the happily ever after proclamation, we still have concrete evidence that their willingness to listen to each other would allow them to endure any hardship.
Ella and Kit could be carefree together. They could take time away, tucked in secret gardens or wherever necessary and hear each other out—they could have fun together, laugh, cry, if necessary. That much becomes unmistakable through each of their interactions, but especially in the garden. It shows viewers that they’re drawn to one another not because they fill the cracks left behind because of the heartaches in their past, but rather, because they make the pain and heaviness bearable.
Together, they have someone they can turn to at all times. Ella, more than Kit, since she’s been lonelier and horribly mistreated since her father’s death. They honor their parents with the decisions they make after their wedding, and they continue to look toward each other before big moments. One of the perks of having fantastic actors like Lily James and Richard Madden is that their performances also fill the spaces between the words. Their gazes stretch out to exhibit how much the two care for each other and how deeply they see each other.
There’s a deleted scene for Cinderella 2015 where conversations once again guide the two of them toward their place of comfort. Kit talks briefly about how his mother adored the garden and how his father can’t step foot here anymore. Ella mentions that her mother is also in heaven. She questions whether their mothers might know each other, then mentions how she believes heaven must feel like this ball—a place where everyone is invited. Kit then responds, in full transparency, that he did this to ensure he’d see her again.
These moments continue to show the audience that both are merely longing for someone’s company where they don’t have to try too hard. A place where they can be themselves and be appreciated for all that they are. When you take someone to a safe place, they become a sacred part of your story. Further, much of what we see in Cinderella 2015 is how those sacred corridors blend to establish trust. And because of this trust, it’s easy to talk to one another, to unravel the truth, and to open up about things that might make others question or judge.
It’s profoundly wholesome and so tenderly vulnerable to hear Ella talk about her animal friends. It’s precious and adorable to see Kit welcome it all with open arms, wanting to see the world through her eyes. At its core, Ella and Kit’s story is about overwhelming acceptance. It’s about looking someone in the eye and choosing to cherish every part of them. It’s about loving one another because of the goodness they’ve shown and realizing how rare it truly is. It’s a fairytale, but the trust, kindness, and ardent adoration can be a reminder of reality when unwavering love latches two people together.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Disney