Say what you will about this movie, but, it was very inspirational to me in high school, and watching it again recently reminded me of why. When this movie came out, a friend--a former drill sergeant, at that--glowingly recommended it to me. As a longtime fan of both Disney and Disney-esque productions, I figured I'd enjoy it...but, I had no idea the effect it was going to have on me. As soon as the credits rolled, I was ready to announce to everyone that Anne Hathaway had replaced Hilary Duff as my number one celebrity crush...and I spent the next few days telling everyone that! I also couldn't stop watching the finale, which made me smile again today, many years after watching it originally.

Why the lasting appeal? For two reasons: One, it has everything I could want in a movie: humor, action, romance, suspense, and even a great soundtrack. Second off, because the main storyline is inspirational. Even though I'm a guy, I could identify with Ella's curse because I was sort of saddled with problems from birth as well: a psychological "condition," my biological father walking out on me and my sisters, leaving me as the only male in my household, etc. However, as Chuck Swindoll once said, "Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it." Ella of Frell could have gone into hiding, and lived as a hermit so that nobody could tell her to do something ever again...but, instead, she did something about her curse of obedience...[spoiler]and eventually overcame it by her own will.[/spoiler] For someone like me, the character of Ella is both a inspiration and a role model, not to mention a strong female protagonist, which I always find admirable.

So, for me, this isn't just some silly Disney film or forgettable romantic comedy; it's a big-time inspiration, even if the original novel wasn't. I've always liked stories of triumphs; I hate movies and books that end on a sad note, because I want my heroes and heroines to overcome the odds: solve the case, save the day, win the game, etc. Ella's story is a prime example of that. I do have to issue one caution, though: Some discerning viewers--especially those with "Y" chromosomes--may be bothered with the immodest wardrobe of female characters at times. You may want to avoid this if you can't watch it without violating Matthew 5:28.