WHAT SETS AMAZON'S CINDERELLA APART FROM ITS MANY PREDECESSORS? 

Few classic stories have been told as much and often as "Cinderella". Countless movies cover this housekeeping underdog. What is it about her that makes her story so compelling for girls and young women? Why do we love her so much? That's an answer for another day.

Today, we analyze what set Amazon Original Cinderella apart from its many predecessors, and it has nothing to do with the film's weak attempt at woman's empowerment. Cinderella aspires to be a proper dressmaker. That would be a more effective plotline if the fairy "fabulous" godmother wasn't still necessary. An empowered woman wouldn't need magic to get her to the ball. She would have made the fantasy gown with her own two hands. Instead, she spent her months of work on a basic pink dress (simply to call back to previous versions of this story: 1950 and 2015). It seems inconsistent that the story would need a practical dressmaker and a fairy godmother. Both can't coexist without one undermining the other. Why not make the dress she wanted and nix the need for magic? That would empower her more than ever.

The inconsistencies don't stop there. The romance between Cinderella and the prince also clashes with Cinderella's career aspirations. She wants to travel the world and make dresses, but she ends up in a relationship in the end anyway? So many plot holes. So many questions. Amazon seems to have shot itself in the foot with this remake. They wanted a fresh twist on the story, but they didn't step far enough outside the box. Traditional callbacks (i.e. fairy godmother, pink dresses, a romantic ball, etc). The two messages clash. Bottom line: If Cinderella wants so badly to make a name for herself as a dressmaker, she could easily leave home to do it. She is no prisoner or servant there. Dare I say, she gets along quite well with her step-sisters. They are all work together.

Thus, the important difference on which we shall focus: Cinderella's stepmother. Vivian and her two step-daughters are more developed in this Amazon Original than any of its predecessors. They have a backstory, fresh motivation, and a character arc. Not the usual jealous, shallow narcissists that pop up in any other version of the Cinderella story. Finally. Vivian is still "wicked" in a sense, but she isn't the cause of Cinderella's every hardship in the home.

All this all-female family can hope for is a promising husband with a decent living. Thus, Cinderella's house chores become a matter of training. Vivian wants her girls to be ready for married life. Yes, she is hard on her step-daughter. Certainly, verbally and physically abusive. There is no excuse for this. Yet, it illustrates her desperation to spare the three girls the same heartbreak that she endured.

When a suitor comes calling, Vivian does the one thing that she knows how to do. She promises Cinderella to him, securing her step-daughter's future. No longer on the market, she urges Cinderella to stay home from the ball. For once, this action is not motivated by jealousy or competition as a narcissistic stepmother would. It is a practical choice. If that's not enough to prove her intentions, then her reaction to finding Cinderella's glass slipper should. Any other stepmother would be furious at the realization that Cinderella is the person behind the fabulous, glittery gown and strive to sabotage her return to the palace. Instead, Vivian is thrilled that Cinderella wins the heart of Prince Robert. She practically begs Cinderella to marry him. What makes Vivian angry in this scenario is Cinderella's impractical refusal to do so.

Vivian's frustration lies with society. Her experiences as a young, talented lady led her to heartbreak after her first husband, a frigid traditionalist refuses to support Vivian's passion for music. The separation leaves Vivian devastated and struggling. In a culture where women cannot provide for themselves, the exemplary pianist cannot use her impressive skills to earn a living for her family. In this world, only men are allowed to run a business, and women are expected to serve them at home.

All four women do their share of chores in the house. All three girls go to the same places, learn the same lessons, and carry the same expectations. Vivian has one goal for all of them. There is no distinction between her biological daughters and her step-daughter. They are equal. If that's not unique for a Cinderella story, I don't know what is.

Vivian even points out, "You could be so pretty if you took even a second to comb that hair of yours."

The aspiring dressmaker and workaholic has herself to blame for her unkempt appearance and lack of social grace since she spends every spare moment in the basement with her unusually large collection of fabric.

Her basement is her personal space of which Vivian and the other girls respect. They never invade her privacy or rifle through her things. Privacy violation is a common tool for a narcissist, particularly the Lady Tremaine of old. The only time Vivian ventures down into the basement is so the two can have an honest, heartfelt conversation, not to tear apart her space or rifle through her things. She comes across the slipper accidentally.

Of course, the ultimate sign that Vivian is a better, more developed character than her predecessors is herredeemable. She learns her lesson and reconciles with her step-daughter. She also comes to respect Cinderella's work and reignites her passion for piano. Narcissists never redeem themselves and they never learn. They insist on right-fighting until their last breath. It's incredibly frustrating to see the same irredeemable woman rule over this girl's life in the countless versions of Cinderella that exist. How refreshing it is to finally see a stepmother worthy of development.