Disney launched a new chapter in the Descendents universe with Descendants: The Rise of Red, which continues the immensely popular Disney Channel Original Movie franchise about the kids of popular Disney heroes and villains. But the most important thing about this new movie is that it canonically makes Brandy’s Cinderella the official Cinderella of the Descendants universe. Which I’m taking to mean that Disney acknowledges the 1997 made-for-TV adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella is superior to any other version of the story.
That’s as it should be, because 1997’s Cinderella is by far the best adaptation of the fairy tale out there. (I did the math on this.) It’s a wonderful movie in general. Its legacy looms large: Every zany, bright Disney Channel Original Movie musical out there owes one to Robert Iscove’s take on the legend.
Iscove’s Cinderella isn’t a DCOM itself — it’s a made-for-TV adaptation that aired on ABC’s Wonderful World of Disney programming block. The movie first premiered to mixed reviews, but over time, “Brandy Cinderella,” as it’s known, has become a classic. This Cinderella took an approach that’s still rare in fantasy movies and shows, which often lean on one specific aesthetic: Vaguely Medieval Europe, with rough armor and dark stone castles. But Cinderella isn’t just a fantasy, it’s a fairy tale. The beautifully whimsical set design and costumes celebrate that, with bright colors, eye-popping textures, and bold patterns.
Iscove took a completely race-blind approach to casting. Brandy Norwood plays Cinderella. The royal family is mixed-race, with Paolo Montalban as Prince Christopher, Whoopi Goldberg as Queen Constantina, and Victor Garber as King Maximillian. The entire cast is stellar: Bernadette Peters is an amazing stepmother, and Veanne Cox and Natalie Desselle, who play the stepsisters, have impeccable comedic timing. It can be a little over-the-top at times, but all in a way that fits the genre. They all fit splendidly into the sparkly world of Cinderella, like a glass slipper fits on its proper owner’s foot.
And what a beautiful world it is: Cinderella’s stepmother and stepsisters parade around in sequin-covered dresses, with big poofy sleeves and towering feathers. The castle walls are covered in swirling murals and overgrown lilacs, with Art Nouveau curves on all the fixtures. It’s all gorgeously decadent, speaking to the show’s roots in musical theater. Instead of staying away from what makes a stage show pop, like many musical theater adaptations, the filmmakers behind Cinderella decided to embrace what makes a musical special.
Additionally, there’s an added emphasis on Cinderella and the Prince’s connection outside of the ballroom. Many naysayers of the fairy tale like to scoff at the fact that the pair fell in love at first sight; conversely, many purists lift their noses at adaptations that try too hard to rectify that with #girlboss energy. The 1997 version walks this fine line perfectly, keeping the sweeping romanticism, but homing in more on that relationship than other versions do.
It helps that Montalban and Norwood absolutely sell the starry-eyed look, showcasing how clearly their characters are drawn in by each other. They’re both charming on their own — she’s sweet and quiet, but when she’s alone, she allows herself to dream big and bold. And he has an unflinching belief that he’s meant for more than just a marriage of convenience — he longs for a true connection. Together, they’re giddy, nervous, and smitten. The film just feels like a fairy tale love come to life.
Cinderella is the fairy-tale adaptation of all time. It doesn’t make the story more serious; it celebrates the whimsy and delight of happily ever afters. It adds just enough to turn a simple tale into a compelling movie, without losing the heart of what makes the story so appealing in the first place. That heart-on-the-sleeve approach colors the best DCOMs that came after it, the Descendants movies included. In a way, Cinderella is like the grandmother of the Descendants series. It’s a movie that believes so hard in fairy tales that it extends a hand and sweeps the audience away into one.
Cinderella (1997) is available to stream on Disney Plus.
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