Starring Baliee Madison, Michael Evans Behling, April Telek, and Lillian Doucet-Rouche
Directed by Michelle Johnson
Music and Lyrics by various
The Cinderella Story movies were so popular with their target audience, they continued even when the pandemic raged. This is the most recent one to be released. In keeping up with the times, this one was released to streaming first, well before it debuted on disc. How does this version of the story differ from other retellings of Cinderella, or even from the other movies in this series? Well, for one thing, we start off on a farm, with Finley Tremaine (Madison) acting out a scene for the animals in her family's barn yard...
The Story: Finley dreams more of anything of becoming a great actress, but she's currently stuck on the farm, doing chores while her vain stepmother Valerian (Telek), spoiled and shallow stepsister Saffron (Doucet-Rouche), and cynical and lazy stepbrother Kale (Richard Harmon) let her wait on them hand and foot. They refuse to let her go to an audition for a western musical about Billy the Kid filming in her country town, but she manages to sneak on the set anyway. She impresses the director Trevor (Matty Finochio) with her singing and fancy rope tricks, until she has to chase her pig John Ham and ends up in the mud.
Still hoping to land a role, she dresses as a cowboy and calls herself Huck. That not only gets her into the movie, it gives her a chance to befriend Jackson Stone (Behiling), the film's star. Unfortunately, Saffron and Valerian get roles as background extras, with Kale trying to weasel in as their manager. She has to dodge them and find a way to keep them from selling her farm, before she loses her beloved home and her dream.
The Song and Dance: The western theme gives this one a bit of a lift compared to some of the more typical movies in this series. This is the only Cinderella Story movie to end without a ball, fancy gowns, or some kind of a metaphorical glass slipper. She doesn't need them. No goofy and unnecessary best friend sidekicks, either, unless you count Finley's animals. The real focus is on her ambitions, not on romance. There's decent shots of the wide open spaces of Vancouver, Canada, too. Madison and Behling aren't bad as the central couple. She's sweet and endearing, especially when talking to her animals. He's one of the better "prince charmings" in the series, even if it seems ridiculous that he can't see through her thin disguise.
Favorite Number: Finley's "I want" song "My Own Story" is heard twice, in the opening as she sings of her acting dreams to the animals on the farm, and later when she's happy they're finally coming true. There's two brief instrumental dance routines for the chorus, a hoedown during the audition, and another number at the "saloon" during filming that ends with "Huck" showing off some amazing rope tricks. Finley claims "I Can't Be Stopped" as she shows off at the audition...but she can be, by her own pet pig John Ham. Valerian and Saffron attempt "We're Sisters" at the audition...but not only is their number absurd, it's obvious that they're terrible performers, and that the only reason Trevor keeps them around is as eye candy and comic relief. Jackson joins the chorus for the driving "Welcome to the Show" in the actual film as "Billy the Kid" and his men manage a fair bit of menace as they sing of their intention to take the opposition down.
What I Don't Like: How the heck does no one see through Finley's "Huck" disguise? You'd think Jackson would, at least. It's painfully obvious. This one does at least try for a shred of originality with its movie and farm backdrops. I also give them credit for going for a stepbrother here instead of the usual second stepsister. Harmon does have a few good moments dealing with John Ham and trying to convince Jackson to let him be his manager, but Telek and Doucet-Rouche have far less to play and aren't nearly as interesting. For all the attempts at unique touches, this still features most the cliches inherent in the Cinderella Story films, from the meet cute encounter to the dull music without a tinge of the country inherent in the setting.
The Big Finale: While I enjoyed this a little more than the previous film in the series Christmas Wish, it's still mainly recommended as slumber party or birthday background fodder for 8 to 14 year olds.
Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming.
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