A Cinderella StoryMovie Reviews

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Avg. Critic Score: 25 out of 100 Generally unfavorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
7 OK for kids 7+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 50
    San Francisco Chronicle | Carla Meyer

    It's not a terrible movie, just a disappointingly pleasant one. Read full review

  • 42
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    When not unnecessarily bland, synthetic, and indistinguishable from undistinguished teen TV, A Cinderella Story is unnecessarily coarse and dumbed down, with every character except Sam and Austin subject to perfunctory ridicule. Read full review

  • 40
    Los Angeles Times |

    Unfortunately, "Cinderella" feels like a pro forma TV movie from the get-go and relies almost entirely on Duff's likability to hold the audience's attention. Read full review

  • 38
    USA Today | Mike Clark

    Desperately conceived by even the most insipid standards of contemporary teen-queen cinema, A Cinderella Story operates under a rotting pumpkin of a supposition. Read full review

  • 30
    The Hollywood Reporter | Kirk Honeycutt

    From its uninspiring title -- and certain turnoff for young males -- to its limp slapstick and uneven acting, A Cinderella Story arrives with a dull thud. Read full review

  • 30
    The New York Times | Stephen Holden

    Even for a fairy tale, A Cinderella Story, directed by Mark Rosman from a screenplay by Leigh Dunlap, fails to make sense. Read full review

  • 30
    Variety | Todd McCarthy

    Lusterless trifle. Read full review

  • 25
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    It's probably the movie event of the summer if you're an eight-year-old girl who doesn't get out much. Read full review

  • 25
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    A terrible movie, sappy and dead in the water. Read full review

  • 20
    Washington Post | Stephen Hunter

    They took the most famous tale in the world and broke it. Read full review

View more reviews for A Cinderella Story on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 7+ Funny and sweet update of the Cinderella story.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that there are some tense and sad moments, including the (off-camera) death of Sam's father and emotional abuse by Fiona. The movie has some mild schoolyard language, brief potty humor, a comic scuffle, a joke about eating disorders and a somewhat casual attitude about cheating in school. There is a sweet kiss. A strength of the movie is the portrayal of loving and loyal relationships between diverse people.
  • Families can talk about what made it possible for Sam to hold on to her dreams and her self-respect despite Fiona's efforts to destroy them both. What was it about Sam that made her step-mother and step-sisters feel so threatened? Families could talk about the importance of really looking at people and really listening to them, and about the importance of being willing to let others see you as you really are (which requires knowing yourself very well, too).
What to watch for
  • violence false0 Violence and scariness: Comic fighting, some tense scenes.
  • sex false0 Sexy stuff: Kissing.
  • language false0 Language: Mild rude words.
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Not an issue
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false0 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Not an issue
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

A Cinderella Story Movie Ratings + Reviews

Fans say

So-so 734 fan reviews

Critics say

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