Thank you Disney Studios for inviting me to an advanced screening of Cinderella.

I remember the blue dress, the birds singing and the mice scurrying around with needles and thread. I remember pumpkins and glass slippers and happily ever after. From as far back as I can remember, it’s always been Cinderella for me.

I’ve seen all the remakes, the take-offs and the straight-to-DVD versions. I’ve been left disappointed and puzzled why anyone would want to take such an iconic classic and turn it into something… well… less than perfect. Buzz around this new Cinderella has been relatively quiet. While we saw movie trailers and still images, I couldn’t get an idea if this was going to be another campy knock-off or something different. Why remake yet another version of a favorite?

My kids and I drove to Disney Studios without any expectations. We had seen several movies lately that were rather disappointing and we were afraid another film wouldn’t be any different. When we left the screening room, however, my emotions welled up. There was only one word for this new Cinderella…

Thank you Disney, thank you for not making this a campy remake. THIS Cinderella was absolutely beautiful. The story that’s been beloved for decades has held up and is told again in such a fabulous way that it retains the magic and wonder of the original animated film, yet it brings the characters to life as if they jumped right out of their animated cells.

Ella (Lily James) has the happiest of childhoods with her beloved parents (Ben Chaplin and Hayley Atwell) until her mother falls ill and dies. As with most Disney classics, the mother is always the first to go. Ella is left grieving alone with her father, always remembering the words her mother spoke before she died…

Ella grows up to be very kind and when her father takes a new wife (Cate Blanchett), she learns to have courage in the face of adversity. When her father, too, dies, she is left to suffer the injustices of a cruel stepmother and two mean-spirited step sisters (Sophie McShera and Holliday Grainger). I have to say, Cate Blanchett is stunning as the Stepmother. Of course, I think Cate Blanchett is stunning in every part she plays.

The casting was spot-on and while I wasn’t enamored by the Prince at first (played by Richard Madden), I grew to love him and ended up thinking he was the perfect choice. Of course the Fairy Godmother was played by Helena Bonham Carter, who is sometimes over-the-top for me as an actress, but she played this role to perfection: just a touch of humor and a whole lot of kindness.

Everything from the grand ball at the palace to the hunt for the maiden who fit the glass slipper was crafted, acted and directed with an obvious love and respect for the original story. If you haven’t seen the trailer yet, take a look.