• Home
  • About MomStart
  • Contact Me
  • Today’s Topic
  • Savings
  • Disclosure/Terms of Use
  • Cart
  • Purchases

MomStart

Forget the Mommy Guilt, it's a new day

  • Tech The Halls Holiday Gift Guide 2020
  • Movies
  • Travel
  • Tech
  • Recipes
  • Crafts
You are here: Home / Archives for Cinderella

Designing Princes & Princesses The Talent of Sandy Powell #CinderellaEvent

March 18, 2015 by Momstart Leave a Comment

A few weeks ago I attended the press junket for Disney’s new live action Cinderella. I had the opportunity to interview the amazing cast and famous director. Each person we interviewed commented on how much they all love the work of Sandy Powell. Richard Madden talked about how manly he needed to look and that Sandy agreed. His only issue was in the Ballroom at the Ball but he agreed that everything worked quite well together. Kenneth Branagh said there was nothing to worry about with Sandy on the job and Cate Blanchet said she always loves what Sandy creates and that this was no exception. And I have to agree, her designs are amazing.

image

So how does she come up with such amazing colors?

I kind of chose all the color palettes for each of the characters. And I work closely with the people who design the sets. And the set dressing, so that we make sure that nothing clashes with the curtains. And you know, the, all the furnishings. But no, the colors all, all of my doing. And that’s one of the things I really really enjoy more than anything else…….I pick colors because they feel right. And because I like them.

 

Cinderella’s Dress

image

…….I kinda knew it had to be voluminous. I knew it had to be big and had to be impressive. But without being heavy. Uh, and yet it helps knowing who the actress is and what shape you can make them. Or what shape they are, and then what you can turn them into, as well.

The Fairy Godmother

image

…that was rather ambitious and to be honest we didn’t have enough time to, to really develop it. It could have gone a lot further, and been a lot more successful. I think the costume as a whole works in the film, but I had this mad idea that she actually literally twinkled, and all over. We got all the circuits made up by this lighting company, but it took a lot longer than I expected. We couldn’t actually really construct the costume till we had the lights done. So, we were waiting and waiting, waiting for the lights to be finished…..So that costume actually ended up being really rather thrown together at the last minute. Kind of, I kind of didn’t like it, it looks like it’s been thrown together. In a way, I think it’s quite funny that it looks like it’s been thrown together……

 

The Lizard Footman

image

Yeah, it, it was an interesting process, that. Because it did actually start with the costume, so I had to do a costume that looked like a footman and how can I make that lizard-like? So I used the texture of the fabric, it was a fabric that we dyed first of all the greens and the yellows, and over the top was a lace, like a silver lace which gives that sort of scaly effect. It was put over the top and then again it was painted again once the costume was made. It was like a tail coat but where the tail’s a little bit more exaggerated. The gloves were green and they were dyed with the yellow too. So it was actually all clothes. And then that gave the visual effects department something to build on. Then they designed their lizard, but based on my costume in a way

 

 

As she was talking she did mention that sometimes as a designer you have to talk an actor into liking the costume and help them learn to trust your decisions. And she made some amazing decisions.

 

Cinderella is now in theaters.

Filed Under: fashion, movie, Movie review Tagged With: Cinderella, interview, movie, Sandy Powell

The Prince Interview: Richard Madden in Cinderella #CinderellaEvent

March 16, 2015 by Momstart Leave a Comment

A lot of times when I’m interviewing the cast of a movie I get to take the pictures of the talent. For this one I split the photo taking process with another blogger and for Richard Madden I was able to sit and listen to the entire interview. I enjoyed listening to Richard Madden talk about his role in Cinderella and how he confessed that his eyes really are that blue. Sitting across from him I didn’t believe he was telling the truth, but whenever he takes a photo and he’s wearing the slightest bit of blue, his eyes really are blue. He was a charming young man and you could tell that he was very modest and still really new to being the center of attention. Cinderella is his first major part. Here are a few bits and pieces from the interview the bloggers had with Richard Madden.

image

Q :So how did you get involved in what– the process of playing a Prince?

RM : I wanted to make him– I wanted to make him different. In the animation you only see him in 2 or 3 scenes. Um and also in the original animation there’s this kind of old fashioned view I think of you know a woman needing a man to come and rescue her from a terrible life and that’s kind of outdated enough.

Not a message I think we should be telling young girls and in this version it’s, it’s not that which is great. You’ve got a, a young man with all of his own problems and a young woman with hers and actually they, they bring the best out of each other. I think she rescues him as much as he rescues her and that’s why I was really interested in this, in this version.

We got to kind of see this real young man character and most importantly you know Cinderella’s this wonderful amazing woman that I wanted to make a man that was worthy of her affections.

Q : What was your initial reaction when you found out you got the role as the Prince?

RM : Well I was kind of just overwhelmed. I was in Canada shooting mini-series and I just got like a text from my Agent before and it said, you are about to receive a call answer it. I was like, “Okay.” Uh it was Branagh who’d called to tell me, I got the part.

And I was like just overwhelmed and uh really excited and then um just really terrified after that of like, “Oh God everyone’s gonna’ be like he’s wrong casting and how am I gonna’ do it? And this– and that’s not my idea of a Prince. And, and so all the feat of that, but like I just went back to the original animation and when actually somebody got 2 or 3 scenes we don’t get to know his name. I can build a character from scratch and I can do that with, with Branagh. There’s no one better to kind of take me through that then him that than him. He is like– a lot of my Prince is based on, on Kenneth Branagh ‘cause he is like a true gentleman.

Q : How did you like working with him?

RM : I loved it. Everyday it’s like you’re on set with Kenneth Branagh, and Cate Blanchett, and Stellan Skarsgârd, and Helen Bonham Carter. It’s like kind of a master class and in acting and also just in like how to conduct yourself as an Actor and you know. Um but Ken’s just amazing because the same amount of detail was put in something like this as it would be into something like MacBeth. You know I’d be on set and he’d kind of just come up and give me a big —-I think the Prince would really do anything that. ……I’ll go with that, but that’s kind of what he’s like. And that’s great because it just gives you so much ammunition so I can into these scenes with Derek and we can improvise.

And we can really play because you’ve got so much going on Ken really kind of inspires you. And that’s why you know um it brings out the best in me and that’s why we’re working together again in 2016 because we enjoyed working together.

image

Q : What was your favorite scene?

RM : The first scene that I show up with Lil um which is us on horseback when we first meet in the woods. I kind of– I like being outside and being on a horse. Uh it’s more fun than being in the studio most of the time. But it’s just like you know that was our first day on set. That was the first day of shooting. That was the first time with, with Lily.

So….you kind of have all, all of that going on on top of us kind of trying to play that scene. And I love what Ken wanted to do that– these, these 2 huge beasts. They were both trying to control their feelings and, and this kind of dance that they do on the horses.

Q : How hard was it to learn the dance routine?

RM : It was miserable…….Um I– I’m not a naturally gifted dancer. Uh so I had to kind of train for like 2– 2 or 3 months to like 3 or 4 times a week to get myself up to scratch so that– I mean there was 2 months before they let me near Lily’s dress….. and because I would just destroy it. I went through like 2 practice dresses that looked like a bunch of cats have destroyed them and–

image

But yea I wanted to make sure the– I think the Prince would enjoy dancing. So I wanted to make it look as if he was enjoying it and also that I could just act with Lily and not be thinking about what I’m doing with my feet.

Q : Were there any scenes that made you cry?

RM : Yeah the scene with Derek uh playing the King……..that was an emotional day and– but a really good one. I love, I love working with Derek. Um it was kind of an icon to me. Um and that was kind of a really moving scene. He plays it so beautifully it’s– it was hard not to get caught up in that.

Q : For that scene um you were almost like in a fetal position with her and that was just so touching and it just like breaks your heart. It was kind of ……when Cinderella was with her father. So was that kind of directed that way?

RM : Yeah it was directed that way, but I think that’s– I had chats with Ken at the start and we wanted– it was important I think how we see these two characters. You know I think first and foremost Cinderella’s a daughter and the Prince is a son and they’re so influenced by their parents. And I think that’s how we get to know them and get to know their personalities and what they’re like.

image

And they really wanted to kind of you know get that relationship going. And I wanted to have– I really wanted to have uh a sense of humor to this Prince. And, and Derek plays the King so well with that kind of sense of humor. I wanted the Prince to have that and, and for them to kind of be influenced by each other.

Q : If there were a blooper reel. What would be the one that would be the highlight?

RM : I don’t know. I mean that first scene is quite a lot of like– it’s you know if you see the B-Roll stuff there’s like marks on the ground that you’re supposed to have on the horses hooves. I mean it’s hard enough just gettin’ the horse to run a straight line sometimes. So and like this endless footage where there’s just nothing …and you’re kind of coming in and out of the shot on the horse trying to get it right.

image

Q : How does it feel to be a role model for young men?

RM : Um well the Prince is the role model not me. And, and the Prince is the role model not me, but that was important. I grew up with these Disney films and I have 2 sisters. So we– they watch these films and say that. And I think that’s just where you first deal with first thing came to. Um death, and love, and uh good and bad, and that’s what I really wanted to do with this Prince.

Was, was make someone, as I said at the start, that’s not that old fashioned view of you know a girl needing a guy. And I think I wanted to, to try and make a Prince that young men would have to look up to that– a Prince that you know has a, a built in respect for women uh and a compassion to the people around him, an awareness of his privilege. And so if there’s– there’s little boys that, that grow up and are… by then uh I’ll be really honored by it.

Cinderella is now in theaters!

Filed Under: movie, Movie review Tagged With: Cinderella, interview, movie, review, Richard Madden

Cinderella Interview Sir Kenneth Branagh

March 12, 2015 by Momstart Leave a Comment

I know I’ve mentioned once or twice that I don’t get star eyed very often. I seem to really like older men that are very talented and my latest excitement was bumping into Sir Kenneth Branagh. At the movie premiere I was one of the last ones out of the theater, I had realized that I left my pictures at my seat, so I had to go back and there he was blocking my way. So of course I had to ask him to move and he did, and yes this was a big deal to me. Kenneth Branagh is the Director of Cinderella and he did an amazing job putting everything together. The next day at the press junket we had the opportunity to interview him. He proved to be just as intelligent as I imagined, I mean it seems that everything he touches is amazing. Cinderella certainly was!

 

image

 

Q : Tell us about the casting process.

 

Kenneth : I had an idea of how Cinderella should be. Uh, but we knew, um, in my experience, it was gonna be like I made a film, Thor, which took a long time to find the beautiful and sexy Chris Hemsworth, now– now officially the sexiest man in the world. Um, so, uh, I thought, well, I have good taste then clearly. No, no. We knew that it would take a while and that you had to really feel that the– the character– the actor would, in this case, you just want to be with them. You know, you want to be in their company.

Yeah, she had to be likeable. You needed to want to spend, those 90 minutes or whatever with her. And because of the way we were slightly reimagining the– the character’s personality, that she needed to have, you know, a good sense of humor, a kinda what we were calling a kind of an approachable beauty, um, and, uh, kindness and– and passion and strength and that could stand up, you know, in a scene with Miss Blanchett or Miss Bonham-Carter.

image

Um, and, uh, who also just had a kind of– a kind of, uh, uh, a sort of simplicity without being, you know, sappy. A lot of-……..it had to tick a lot of boxes. So it was gonna take a long time. And– and I– I heard Lily James’ voice first. I thought, God, that’s a beautiful voice. And– and then she was a beautiful girl. And then she was very patient across a lot of auditions and things. And eventually it just became clear that she was the one.

Q : What brought you to cast Richard?

Kenneth : I thought that he had sort of, apart from very blue eyes, he had very tight trousers, but that was another…….actually, they weren’t his own trousers. So I shouldn’t really,….he had, uh, intelligence and wit.  And also he relished the idea of how you might sort of play a gentleman. You know, he didn’t, uh, he wasn’t striving hard to be, uh, a certain modern kind of cool.

You know, I think both these actors, I love the idea that they– they were prepared to be un-cynical in the film, you know and just sort of respond directly to each other and that a gallantry, a courtship….the desire to woo, to serve, to listen were things that he felt could be played very positively and would be very, very attractive and that in a way there was a natural disposition in the world of the piece that we presented for him to, um, to love her.

image

You know, and that he was, uh, able to do that and not see that as suddenly rendering him the love interest. Uh, he just– it was– it was a very powerful thing to be somebody listening, looking, and reacting, and trying to, um, with the screen time that he has, uh, and I think it’s very touching and wonderful chemistry between them. And I think he– he was somebody I felt could do this thing we needed to do of having a man who earned Cinderella’s respect and love.

Q : Was there talk about telling the story from a different perspective?

Kenneth : For me, I mean that’s what Chris Weitz’s screenplay had, and that’s what I liked. I remember saying to, uh, Ali Shearmur, our producer, at the, uh, at the beginning of the process, I said I think my big idea here is to try to get out of the way. The story’s been working for two and a half thousand years. There’s a– there’s a– there’s a reason why that’s happening. And– and my experience has– has been to try and let, uh, the work of great storytellers do as much work as possible and then try and amend and adjust as best you see fit from– from– from your own perspective.

In my experience, for instance, in Shakespeare and I’ve– I’ve done it a number of times where you take a strong conceptual idea and you might move the story completely. You might make it very modern. I did a version of, uh, a play called Love’s Labour’s Lost as a kind of Hollywood musical. So it shifted it by, you know, 300– 350 years and to some extent did tell it from a different kind of viewpoint. And I think a lot of people– they may not– just liked the film, but for a lot of people the actual idea itself was confusing. It got in the way and felt reductive. It may have been just specific to that.

But I have found– I certainly, you know, I know that they in developing this they thought about whether she could be, you know, in modern, wherever it might be, Brooklyn or whatever the– and– and in– indeed there’s tons of evidence of modern Cinderella stories, you know, where gender is changed or time is changed. But, um, I feel as though you get a chance to, uh, consider, provoke, and think differently if it’s through a classical perspective.

It’s in a way in the…. it’s the same– to give a specific example, in doing it this way, in putting Cinderella and the prince on horseback, even Stevens, the same level, in a– in nature, in this ancient forest I think kind of cleans it up. So I get to see more of the two of them. I get a sense of the feeling in the scene in this sort of primal relationship there than I might do even if I came up with the most fantastic and brilliant, um, modern touches by having them meet in a restaurant or, you know, go on a bridge or on an airplane.

All of which would be entirely legit as well. You could have– because the story’s so flexible. It’s just that I– I’m not as drawn to that, myself. But I know– I’m sure as Disney and other people pursue the idea of ani– of a live action version of, uh, live action versions of fairytales that that’s an absolute, you know, open and regular invitation to see whether it can live that– that way. And– and the world the Cinderella story is as much part of our culture as the actual telling of the real tale.

Cinderella is in theaters March 13, that’s tomorrow people, make plans to go see it!!!

Filed Under: movie, Movie review Tagged With: Cinderella, interview, kenneth branagh

Interview With The Frozen Fever Creators Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee #FrozenFever #CinderellaEvent

March 11, 2015 by Momstart Leave a Comment

Last week while I was at the Cinderella Event, before watching Cinderella the new Frozen short, Frozen Fever was played. Frozen Fever is a cute short including all the beloved characters from Frozen. It happens to be Anna’s birthday and Elsa wants it to be perfect but she has a cold and every time she sneezes snow creatures are created and havoc ensues. I took my kids to a screening just a few days ago and they LOVED it as will you. I also had a moment to sit down with the creators (who are also the creators of Frozen) and find out how they are doing and what inspired this adorable short.

image

So it’s been a year. How are your lives now?

CHRIS BUCK : How are our lives now? Let’s see…

JENNIFER LEE : We thought they’d be less busy, but they’re not. So…

CHRIS BUCK : I still buy shirts at TJ Max. Hasn’t changed…

JENNIFER LEE : I still find myself going I have to buy another dress? So. So yeah. So nothing’s changed, really.

CHRIS BUCK : No. I mean, it…We, oh, since we first last talked, it’s been overwhelming, the year. We still get Youtube sent to us. I mean, I got one just yesterday…

JENNIFER LEE : Mm-hmm.

CHRIS BUCK : It’s actually very funny. Um, so I just, it’s, it’s been overwhelming. It really has. And I think the, you know

JENNIFER LEE : …still a surprise every day. It’s still…

image

In the Frozen Fever short, Elsa sneezing is the cutest thing ever. How’d you come up with that idea? Or who came up with the idea of her sneezing and snowmen come out?

JENNIFER LEE : One of our story artists, he was one of the head story artists on Frozen Fever… I mean Frozen itself. And we were brainstorming all, whatever could be, you know. Blue sky. Anything. And, um, we kept….. It would be nice to focus on Elsa more, and… ‘Cause she’s the one that people wonder What’s she like now? I mean, we end the film. We had this tragic character. We end the film, she’s free, but we don’t know. And, but we’d love to play with her magic in a different way, and he just said what if she’s a cold, and the cold wreaks havoc. And we, we just went crazy. I mean, … It got ridiculous at some points.

CHRIS BUCK : …you know, she would have this … stuff, but then suddenly, like, spikes would show up…

JENNIFER LEE : Create something else. And a sneeze does this, and blowing your nose does that. Like, we had all of these crazy… Does she know? Does she not know? So there were …. You know, still hours of what do we do? What if? But it was the idea itself was so simple, and fun. We just…

CHRIS BUCK : And it gave us license to have fun with Else.

image

 

During the interview we found that Chris and Jennifer are working on the Broadway Frozen musical and had a lot of input in the Frozen Fun feature at California Adventures. And they have no idea what’s next. They did discuss some of the inspiration in the location of Frozen.

 

CHRIS BUCK : …was… Mike was just going through, uh, books, and, uh, as many of the books he was going through, he’d seen a lot of, uh, internet stuff, too, but… And, and he was posting all these pages on Scandinavian, you know, beautiful scenery and architecture, and almost all the post-its were Norway.

So he said okay. Well, you know, we need our, our trip to Norway. Now we don’t say that it’s set in Norway. But, um…..It helps to have, um, something specific to kind of draw from. So it makes the world very believable. And their ideas in Norway, we’d never have come up with on our own, the, the stave church, which was very beautiful.

JENNIFER LEE : …real warmth and intimacy to the, to their, to the villages, and then when you get out to the vast Fjords, the contrast is great. And so it really, in the wood, it just lent itself to this beautiful extremes.

How much of it was really based on Hans Christian Anderson… Is it loosely based? Is it…

JENNIFER LEE : Yeah. I mean, we knew the Snow Queen is very, uh, was a compelling idea, but, you know, in the, in the, in the book she’s a… She’s evil, and you know nothing about her. She’s very one dimensional, and, and represents evil, and, and, uh, and in the original, uh, tonally, though, …..there’s a lot of similarity. And there’s a, the theme… We found the theme through the book. The theme and in the book it’s sort of, um, uh, love versus negativity. But we translated that in more extreme to literally to fear. So that was… That came from the book, and, and, um, and then it was just a lot more about, uh, sort of this, the setting, and, and things. But, but it’s a very different kind of a story, and, um, one that is beautiful in prose. But, you know. It’s, it’s not necessarily the most cinematic in terms of structure and, and things like that. So we wanted to have really three dimensional characters, and, and go deep into them. So we, we made it our own.

So from beginning to end, how long did it take to make the short?

JENNIFER LEE : Yeah. When did we…..June?

CHRIS BUCK : When we started the idea of Elsa getting a cold and all that. Just…So pretty much June through…

JENNIFER LEE : Through two weeks ago.…apparently. We’ve been called out for saying it’s a few months later. It’s 11 months….. Okay. It’s 11 months later. I’ll just say it. I mean. We’re animators. We…

CHRIS BUCK : Production-wise, like when we started animation or layout, it was probably August, wasn’t it?

JENNIFER LEE : …most of the, the writing and, and working with the songwriters was June through the end of August. And then…

In Frozen Fever Elsa sings “A Cold Never bothered me anyway” …what was the inspiration for that?

CHRIS BUCK : They did that. It was great. I think….Correct me if I’m wrong, but I know that a lot of kids, when they sang Let it Go, they sang that. They sang…

JENNIFER LEE : They sang a cold…

CHRIS BUCK : A cold never bothers me anyway…So they sort of… I think it might have been riffed… riffed off of that. And they …. You know, kids sing it so, like, that is the lyric. ‘Cause it’s like a cold, and their lives is so debilitating, and so big that it’s, like, that’s not gonna bother me. I’m gonna get through this! So, it’s so cute when they do it. And I think of it as a little bit of a nod to that, too.

 

You can only see Frozen Fever before the movie Cinderella in theaters March 13th.

Filed Under: movie, Movie review Tagged With: Cinderella, entertainment, Frozen Fever, movie

Kindness is a Super Power Lily James Has Cinderella Interview #CinderellaEvent

March 10, 2015 by Beeb Leave a Comment

Last week Louise participated in a Q&A interview with Cinderella herself – the beautiful Lily James! Beeb posted this for me because I ran out of time but I wanted to add what she was like.

Lily was exactly what you would expect Cinderella to be. She was so kind and funny. She was cute and petite. She smiled the entire time. I took a lot of pictures of her and almost everyone was a good one. She generally loves acting and it shows in her characters.

IMG_3142

Lily spoke about stepping into Cinderella’s shoes – literally – and her excitement in getting the role. She also discussed what the fairy tale means to little girls today, explained the fire hazard of wearing a large dress, and told us how exactly a princess navigates a port-a-loo!

Lily James
Q: What was your initial reaction when you found out you got the role of Cinderella?

LJ: Ken rang me himself and I screamed so loudly I’m sure I burst his eardrum. He said, “I’d like you–, I want you to be my Cinderella.” I was on set and I screamed. And Laura and Michelle came running over and, and they knew I’d been doing this torturous audition process and they’re like, ‘what is it, what is it?’ And then Ken was like, ‘you’re not allowed to tell anyone.’ So, I was like, ‘oh, nothing, nothing.’ And then, later that day, Hugh Bonneville announced the Downton dining room table. It was really sweet.

Q: Can you tell us about your experience with the dress? I’m obsessed with the dress.

LJ: Me too. [LAUGHS] The dress is insane. When I first put it on – there’s a scene from Runaway Bride with Julia Roberts where she puts this dress on and she looks in the mirror and, I think Richard Gere is looking really handsome somewhere and she just goes like swoosh, swoosh. She makes this sound and I put it on and I felt like Julia Roberts, it was just the best feeling ever. I was so nervous about this bit of the movie ‘cause it’s the bit where she’s the princess. It’s the moment, you know, and I think, ‘how can anyone live up to that?’ Really, you know, it’s this fairy tale, it’s this sort of thing that’s very far removed from me. And then I put on that gown and I just felt transformed and it felt like a suit of honor. But, [LAUGHS], it was really hard to wear and it was incredibly tight and incredibly – it had a life of it’s own basically.

Q: Was the dress heavy?

LJ: Yeah, it was really heavy. It was like crazy heavy and it pulled down on my waist and it took about twenty minutes to get in and twenty minutes to get out. [LAUGHS] It was kind of cool because it was almost like a ritual every morning. I’d have my dress – we’d start from the very bottom and slowly I’d, sort of, it would take a bit of time, we’d have some music on. But, the only thing was if I needed to toilet. [LAUGHS] And, you know, you’re always so rushed when you’re filming so it would be like a forty minute break, so the crew would be like, ‘God, where’s Lily?’ Me and Helena had same problem so in the end, we had these like port-a-loo’s that we’d like put under us. [LAUGHS] And it was like the most unglamorous thing ever. Um, [LAUGHS], so Helena and I would sometimes be, like, in our tent and be next door and be both using the port-a-loo’s at the same time. [LAUGHS]

Q: Was that a designer dress or was that custom for you?

LJ: That was Sandy Powell. It’s all Sandy Powell. She’s amazing and that wedding gown was – I feel like so sad that it was only in the film for like thirty seconds. I was like, ‘Ken, you’ve gotta shoot it from the back, you’ve gotta shoot it from the back.’ ‘Cause the flowers were hand painted and, you know, the detail that goes into these dresses.

And that veil, and the crown, and actually we did the hair like how Cinderella in the animation wears it at the ball, so that was a kind of like little echo. And that dress I was doing a sort of photo shoot in it one day when we were so busy and I rushed in and we did the photos. And, at Pinewood Studios it’s just, it’s England and it’s cold and it’s miserable and gray. And I rushed in, I was so cold and I was walking past this heater and my skirt caught on fire. [LAUGHS] And I didn’t care about myself I was like, ‘the skirt!’ And it was all hand painted flowers and they had to redo, like a whole section of the skirt.

Q: So, next to the dress you think about the glass slipper. How was that? Were they comfortable? Were they really made out of glass?

LJ: They were really made out of Swarovski crystals, so, even more amazing. They’re so beautiful but, sadly, I hate saying this, but, they don’t fit any human foot. [LAUGHS] So, I’m glad it’s no foot – if it was just my foot it didn’t fit I’d feel really un-Cinderella-y. But um, yes, so the prince is still looking for his princess. [LAUGHS]

Q: What would you tell young girls today that your character Cinderella – how is it relevant to them? What is the message that Cinderella has for them today? ‘Cause it is a bit of an old fashioned, some would say, out of date message.

LJ: Yeah, well, I think with our film, was being really faithful to the fairytale. This is a girl that’s not sitting around waiting for a prince to come and save her. That she’s got this unbelievable strength and it doesn’t come from fighting or from, you know, what happens, it comes from within. And the strength is her courage and her kindness and that, if she has that, she can, in a way, deal with as best she can what life throws at her. And by being this person, you know she’s being the best version of herself. And with such an open heart when she does meet the prince not knowing who he is, he falls for her because she’s a strong, powerful, you know, beautiful from within woman. That’s the idea.

Filed Under: interview, Movie review Tagged With: Cinderella, entertainment, interview, movie

Cate Blanchett The Evil Step Mom Cinderella Interview #CinderellaEvent

March 9, 2015 by Momstart Leave a Comment

I knew I was going to be interviewing Cate Blanchett but I never really thought about who she was going into the interview. I knew she was the wicked step mother of Cinderella in the new full feature live action Disney film but that’s all the thought I really put into it and then I saw her. When she walked into the interview room I felt like, wow, this is classic Hollywood. She is pure grace and elegance. Then it hit me who she was, she’s to me a living legend. She’s been in Lord of the Rings and she played Elizabeth. She has the talent to play such strong characters and she brought that talent to Cinderella. Here are just a few snippets of the interview with her.

IMG_3157

Q : So did you go after this role, or…

CB : Yes, like a rabid dog, [LAUGHS], and I didn’t get the Cinderella role, [AUDIENCE LAUGHS], though I had so many friends who- they asked me what I was doing in the summer, and I said, oh, I’m, I’m, um, in a live-action version of Cinderella, and there was a big kind of awkward pause. And they didn’t quite know how to ask me, [LAUGHS], are you a little old to be playing Cinderella? Yeah. A bit Bette Davis, so yes. No, I, well, no, it sort of landed in my lap, actually.

I was very lucky, and when I, um, Sandy Powell and Dante, uh, Ferretti were on board, and they’re, you know, two of the greats, uh, you know, uh, that they’ve created such extraordinary visuals, um, in modern cinema. And, uh, and, and then Kenneth Branagh came on board who’s so fantastic with actors and with language, so it was kind of a perfect, a perfect storm.

Q : What’s your favorite scene?

 

CB : Ooh, well, I think the chemistry between Lily and Richard is palpable, and I wept like a baby, completely inappropriately and out of character when they waltzed for the first time. The, the music is beautiful, but also it was a real- it was really big feat because Lily was cinched in so tightly, and that dress was like an armored tank, and he was in seven hundred layers of wool, and the dance was really athletic, and they acted like a dream. And the chemistry was, um, palpable, and I just, I wept because it was beautiful to watch.

 

Um, but I think maybe being the, the mother of, uh, sons, I found it very, very moving, and every time I see it, I do- I’m a bit of a- I do cry a lot, [LAUGHS]. Um, but I, uh, I love the scene between, um, Derek Jacobi as the king, and Richard Madden as the prince. You know, because that’s the wonderful thing about the film, I think is that, you know, we try and shield our, our children from moments of grief and, um, and I know it from, uh, having lost a parent at the age of, of ten.image

Children are resilient, and they can, in a way, it’s harder, I think, to lose a parent, you know, the age the way that we are. Well, I mean, I’m might be a thousand years older than you all, but, um, and I, and, and I found that really moving.

I thought, um, for him as a, as a man to be curled up like a young boy, you know, and I’ve had a lot of friends recently lose a parent, and whether you’re eighty or eight and you lose a parent, you- you’re always the child, and so I find that move- that scene very moving.

Q : How much fun was it to play a Disney villain?

CB : There’s a lot of great Disney villains, and a lot of them are women and, um, and they always have, um, fabulous frocks and fabulous hairdos, um, uh, and so it was an enormous amount of fun. You know, the, the wonderful message in the film, of course, um, is to have courage and to be kind. You know, kindness is a super power, and we try to teach our children, you know, you share, you be respectful, you be generous, you be thoughtful, put yourself in someone else’s shoes, and to play someone who can’t play someone who can’t do any of those things, um, you know, to have that as your avatar during the day was quite fun.

image

Q : There was a scene where, uh, Lily asks you, as Cinderella, why are you doing this, and you say you’re- because you’re young, and I think you’re good, and I forget what the third one was.

CB : You’re young and beautiful, and, and I’m…

Q : Yeah, what is- is that saying that an older woman is gonna be, you know, so mean, and evil, and jealous to a younger, beautiful woman, and having to work that into your character? Did you find something else that you could- some humanity in her that you could use?

CB : Well, there’s that wonderful before that moment, you, you finally get to hear the stepmother’s story, and you know, it’s, it’s not the stepmother’s story. It’s, it’s the story of Cinderella. Um, and so the stepmother is foiled for her, narratively, and they’ve both suffered an incredible amount of hardship and tragedy, and this is a world still like today’s world where a lot of women don’t have agency; don’t have financial independence, and she made a decision really early on that the world is a tough place, and the way, the way to navigate your way through that is to graft yourself onto a, a man, and that’s, and that’s what she’s imparting to her, her children.

And the way that the stepmother has dealt with grief and hardship is to close down and to become bitter and jealous, um, you know, and there’s a sense of entitlement. And Cinderella’s experienced those things, but she’s remained open-hearted and good. She’s much more glass half full. And I think that whether you’re a man or a woman, you know, it, that, that tragedy does define- can define your character. So, I mean, hopefully, you’re not, you’re not, um, you don’t, you don’t necessarily like what the stepmother does, but hopefully you understand her.

And I don’t necessarily think it’s just about older women. There’s a lot of different female characters in there. There’s Cinderella’s mother, there’s the, the daughters, you know, there’s the people at the court and, and then there’s the stepmother, as well. But I think, I think there can be like professional jealousy, um, between men. You know, the same thing can exist between, between them, and this, I think it’s interesting to see them onscreen.

Q : How did you prepare for your role? You’re so evil. I love it. [AUDIENCE LAUGHS]

 

CB : Thank you. Um, often on film, we don’t get a lot of rehearsal time. We got a little bit of wi- with Ken on the, on the, on the script. Um, but, you know, actors come in at various different times, and so for me, the, the most creative two parts of the process early on are your costume fittings and, um, and so working with Sandy who I’ve worked with before, but also, Morag Ross who is doing my, um, makeup, and Kay Georgia who is doing my hair, and the four of us had, um, have, have worked together quite a lot.

image

And it’s- we get to try things out because before you even utter a syllable, um, what you wear- I mean, we do it, we do this on a daily basis. You, we form unconscious judgments of people, um, you know, the way they smell, [LAUGHS], by the way- what they choose to wear; how you choose to present yourself, you know, it’s a big part of who we are, and particularly on film because it’s so visual, obviously. Um, you, once I knew what those silhouettes were, I knew which bits I didn’t have to act because the costume was, was re- revealing those things.

You could- you could play against it. Um, so that was an incredible amount of fun and, um, and then obviously, it gives you a sense of how the character might move, and you try those things out because the camera’s not rolling- no one’s looking at you, and the other thing I find very creative is the camera tests. Because obviously the cinematographer and the director, uh, um, are looking for lighting effects and, you know, how will it affect on your skin or the hair- with wig color. They’re not looking at you, and I always like to see the camera tests because you can try, try things out.

You can fuck things up, and think, oh, [AUDIENCE LAUGHS], I won’t, I won’t do that. Um, so that was a big part of the preparation.

Q : Hi. Um, I wanted to ask you, um, did you have any input on what you wore, and what was your favorite look of what you wore?

image

CB : Oh, gosh, yes, it’s been a Sophie’s Choice moment isn’t it? Um, yes, I mean, Sandy’s got very, very strong ideas. I mean, that’s what makes her Sandy Powell. Um, but we talked really early on. We started emailing, um, each other pictures that we found inspiring, you know, lighting references, hat references, drapes, fabrics, um, and we sort of- we found this pool of images that we were both drawn to and, um, and the, the big offers that Sandy began to, to make, which I found really exciting is when she pulled out the color swatches.

 

Okay, we’re going for chartreuse, we’re going for green, we’re going for hot pink, and we’re gonna mix them all together. Um, and so there’s a, um, yeah, that was an enormous offer- that you, you take those offers from, from Sandy.

Q : And your favorites?

image

CB : My favorite, well, uh, there was a lot of green- my school uniform was green, so I tend not to wear a lot of green in everyday life, and I call that, that dress that I wore at the, um, the ball, the gherkin, you know, that was my least favorite, but everyone seems to like that one.

Um, I like the blue one. There’s a scene where the stepmother goes to see the archduke, and yeah, the poppy gloves and, um, uh, and a blue hat. It was sort of, I think for memory, it had a bird on it. I mean, the detail in Sandy’s costumes are just extraordinary.

Q : There was a notably difficult scene for you that was really hard to shoot?

CB : Um, well, it was all this, you know, obviously, I’m not in the film all the time, so you have- I wanted to sort of try and chart a journey that was, um, you know, from an, an exquisite exterior- the, um, you know, with a sort of affected grace that the stepmother became increasingly brash. And so it was just trying to calibrate- calibrate that. Um, you know, the, the, the costumes were- some were slightly more difficult to maneuver. Um…

Q : You just spoke about, um, trying things out on the camera test. How much input did you have- the script or anything?

CB : A lot. I mean, I think there’s a sense, um, that actors are sort of puppets that get moved around, um, but no, I’m, uh, no, I’m always interested in input. I, my husband’s a writer, you know, and I come from the theater, so I have a great respect for the script, and oftentimes, you know, the line that you want to change is the line that you need to make work, and that once you make that line work, then you’ve actually- you’ve shifted from yourself, the line you find hardest to say.

It’s actually- so without getting too kind of complex, it’s quite a difficult neurolinguisic process to actually make someone else’s words sound like they’re your own. And so the one I find that you may find most difficult to make your own is often the one that will unlock the character. Um, but it was really important to me, and it wasn’t the case when I first read the script that, um, that Cinderella had the final line of the film. And, uh, I said to Ken, so it’s a really great message. She comes in and says, well, I’m not gonna be rescued.

If this relationship is gonna work, he has to accept me for who I am, which I think is wonderful for young girls to say. I think it’s fantastic. And then there was a line at the end where he said, shall we go, and she didn’t say anything. And I thought, it’s not his story- it’s her story. And so then they- we added in this sense of forgiveness. I forgive you, and I, I feel, I feel like that’s a wonderful kind of conclusion to her, to her, her super power. Ella has an incredibly generous spirit and, um, and, and she also closes out the film which I think is great.

 

Cinderella is in theaters March 13th.

Filed Under: interview, Movie review Tagged With: Cinderella, entertainment, interview, movie

The Red Carpet Party For Cinderella #CinderellaEvent #JCPCinderellaMoment

March 5, 2015 by Momstart Leave a Comment

The magic of being turned into a princess was just the beginning of an eventful evening. Once the look was complete we had a pre-party to attend under the El Capitan. There JCPenny had snacks, drinks, and costumes.

 

IMG_3090

IMG_3092IMG_3093IMG_3094IMG_3091

The costumes were amazing. The detail on them is outstanding, Sandy Powell leaves nothing behind she’s amazing. JCPenny made some beautiful items for children.

IMG_3088IMG_3089

 

While I was looking at the JCPenny merchandise I had a visit from my favorite Prince Charming. This guy sure does know how to be there for his friends but that’s for another story.

IMG_3097

After the pre-party we were to walk the red carpet and then enjoy the #CinderellaEvent Party which was over the top amazing.

IMG_3101

At the party we took turns posing as if we were the stars:

View album
Cinderella Bloggers
VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

View album View album View album View album View album
View album View album View album    

I ate really good food and just walked around watching everyone have fun.

IMG_3105IMG_3106IMG_3118IMG_3119IMG_3103

And by the end of the night, I had to get home before the magic wore off!

clip_image001

 

Cinderella is in theaters March 13.

Filed Under: Movie review Tagged With: Cinderella

Turning Into A Princess @JCPenny Glam Ball #CinderellaEvent #JCPCinderellaMoment

March 4, 2015 by Momstart Leave a Comment

I love getting dressed up and I love having someone else put on my make up, but the opportunity is very rare. I never get dressed up or wear makeup anymore as a stay at home mom. There just isn’t time or a reason to get dressed up. I do get to walk the red carpet every now and then but I still don’t get all “dolled up” for the event. So the JCPenny Glam Ball was such a #JCPCinderellaMoment that I actually felt like I was transformed into Cinderella. I went from my normal stay at home mom to a princess walking the red carpet. It was such a fun and glamorous transformation.

So let me tell you from start to finish:

When we first arrived at the glam ball we were introduced to our prince for the day. He took us around to all our beauty stations and took care of our every need. He ordered us drinks and brought us food and constantly told us how beautiful we were. The first station he took us to was the JCPenny accessory counter. I felt like a little kid in a candy store, I was allowed to pick out two pieces. Out of the entire collection I chose this blue necklace and a blue bracelet.

image

 

image

You should see all the options we had: earrings, clutches necklaces and more!

IMG_3070IMG_3071IMG_3069

After the accessories we went to the waiting lounge where we had drinks and a high tea lunch.

IMG_3073

I love high tea because the servings are so small you can try everything and not feel guilty. Oh the food was so good.

 

IMG_3077

 

Our prince then took us to make up!IMG_3076

image

And I looked so pretty! This was the best make up job I have ever received because she didn’t overdo me. As a blond some people just make me too dark and I feel like a clown, but this made me feel so pretty!

image

Then after make up I ate more food and went to hair. At first I wanted really big hair, but as she was creating the ringlets I feel in love with it and told her I was quite happy with the way it looked.

 

image

 

thank you JCPenny you made me feel like a true princess! You even made my daughter feel like a real princess.

image

Cinderella will be in theaters March 13th.

Filed Under: Movie review, personal Tagged With: Cinderella, movie, personal

Frozen Fever: Your First Look #FrozenFever #Cinderella

February 3, 2015 by Beeb Leave a Comment

If your kids are having Frozen withdrawals, never fear: Frozen Fever, a new animated short, will be playing in front of Disney’s Cinderella, opening March 13th. Hey, that’s Jai’s birthday! We’ll have to check this out together. Get your first peek with these first look images and featurette above!

Frozen Fever
Frozen Fever - Elsa
Frozen Fever - Happy Birthday Anna
Frozen Fever - Olaf
Frozen Fever - Family Portrait

Filed Under: Movie review Tagged With: #FrozenFever, Cinderella, Disney's Frozen, Frozen, Frozen Fever

Disney’s Live Action Cinderella Teaser Trailer & Movie Poster

May 15, 2014 by Momstart Leave a Comment

 

Disney is putting together a new live action movie for Cinderella. I saw a sneak peek at it and I’m super excited about it. It looks like it’s going to be a great story of her strength.

Cin_Tsr_1-Sht_v2_lg

A live-action feature inspired by the classic fairy tale, “Cinderella” brings to life the timeless images from Disney’s 1950 animated masterpiece as fully-realized characters in a visually dazzling spectacle for a whole new generation. Out in theaters March 13, 2015. And here is the Cinderella teaser trailer:

Filed Under: Movie review Tagged With: Cinderella, Disney, live action movie, movie

Next Page »

Find Kids Auditions


Kids Auditions

Featured Video

Recently On MomStart

Don't let back pain ruin your anniversary plans!

Visiting a Doctor – on my Smartphone! #GetWellWithAmwell

Disclaimer: Compensation was provided by Amwell via Momtrends. The opinions … [Read More...]

Tech The Halls Gift Guide 2020

Tech The Halls Holiday Gift Guide 2020

Thank you to our partners who have sponsored our 2020 Tech The Halls Gift Guide! … [Read More...]

Recovering files from a failed hard drive

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard: How to Restore Lost Files in Minutes

Thank you to our partner EaseUS for sponsoring this post! Now that so much of … [Read More...]

Skoove

Learn to Play Piano With the Skoove App!

Thank you to our partner Skoove for sponsoring this post! My husband is a … [Read More...]

How to Make Memories with Your Kids that Last Forever

This is a sponsored guest post. As moms, for sure, many of you can relate to … [Read More...]

Our Living Room Makeover With VIZIO

VIZIO M-Series Quantum 65” Class 4K HDR Smart TV: The Perfect Gift (Especially Now)

Thanks to VIZIO for providing their M-Series 65” SmartCast TV for review! Our … [Read More...]

Crucial® X8 Portable SSD

Five Ways to Boost Computer Literacy in Your Kids While Schools Are Closed

Product sample provided. This is a guest post by Natasha Hendrix, Customer … [Read More...]

Modern Mother’s Day & Futuristic Father’s Day Gift Guide For Techies

Modern Mother’s Day & Futuristic Father’s Day Gift Guide For Techies: Online Shopping 2020

Product samples provided; this page contains our Amazon Associates … [Read More...]

Vintage Weddings: Make Your Day a Blast From the Past

This is a sponsored guest post. As we move into a more digital age, we find … [Read More...]

  • Visiting a Doctor – on my Smartphone! #GetWellWithAmwell
  • Is It Time For Us To Start Embracing The Esports Revolution?
  • 4 AirFryer Desserts to Make For Valentine’s Day
  • Augmented Reality Craft: Create DIY Valentine’s Day Cards That Come to Life!
  • Valen-Tech Gift Guide 2020

Recipes

4 AirFryer Desserts to Make For Valentine’s Day

Keto Lemon Garlic Turkey

Keto Lemon Garlic Turkey: Your Best Thanksgiving Bird Ever Thanks to Topsy Turkey (Plus Giveaway!)

Hotel Transylvania 3

Hotel Transylvania 3: Plan a Spook-Tacular Sleepover!

Double Crusted Sausage Pixxa

Ghostly Pumpkins Double Crusted Halloween Pizza Recipe

Fancy Italian Coffee Recipe

Funfetti Stuffed Cotton Candy Cookies Recipe @Smuckers #HolidayTips

  • 26 Out-of-This World Star Wars Recipes
  • Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation Cocktails
  • Keto Ricotta Pancake Recipe

More Recipes

We Work With

Louise Bishop: influencer & brand ambassador
dealspotr.com

Archives