1.

Please list the film and the genre being used for the essay
Answer: In the Children’s Animation genre, the film being used is Cinderella.

2. What is the “gist” of the film?  Please give the basic storyline in 2-4 sentences (5 maximum)

—Remember to include the director's name
—Italicize the title of the film
—Include the year of the film's release in parenthesis the first time the film is named (only) 
Answer: Cinderella (1950), is a legendary representation of a children’s animation. The princess deals
with the trauma of losing her parents which leaves her with a nasty step family. Her step mom and sisters
treat her with no respect like she’s their minion. Throughout everything, Cinderella maintains an uplifting
spirit. However an unplanned mishap occurs, in which she begins to lose all of the hope she ever carried
with her. Following the inconvenience, she finds the love of her life in a prince from the royal ball. They fall
in love, holding a ‘happily ever after’ with one another.

3. Please define the film genre along 3-5 specific characteristics.  Include research to define
the film genre  

—It is strategic to quote research to defi ne fi lm genre so as to retain specifi c details.   —Note on
documentation: include quotation marks and parenthetical citations with the outline. Why? You
will not remember that you copied + pasted or paraphrased research later, when you complete
the essay.  

“Animated animals (presented so as to appear friendly and unthreatening to humans) have an innocence
that makes them especially appealing to children. These animals can serve as stand-ins for children, and
thus the films need not have children as characters.” (Booker, 2010, p. 2).

“While a certain amount of violence and danger help to keep children interested in the plot, all threats
must be successfully banished, leading to a joyful, happy ending.” (Booker, p. 2).

“Most obviously, Disney’s definition of innocence involves a sense of wonder and magic: for Disney
children believe in magic and live lives that are filled with wonder, just as earlier generations of human
beings had a greater experience of the magical.” (Booker, p. 6).

“Less obvious (but potentially more important) is the way in which Disney’s animated films have
consistently associated innocence with a constellation of images involving the natural, the real, and the
authentic. This cult of authenticity is perhaps the most crucial element that underlies the discourse of the
Disney animated film from the very beginning.” (Booker, p. 6).

4. Please offer a thesis statement that will explain how the film works with the genre:

—follows a tradition

—updates the genre for a new generation

—provides a new standard for the genre. 

—the thesis should be formal = list the name of the director + the title of the film (italicized).   
Answer: For Cinderella, Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, and Wilfred Jackson followed basic tradition
with the general theme of a princess living a rough life, but being able to find the love of her life with a
‘happily ever after’.
 5. Please outline 3-4 supporting paragraphs

—topic sentences will use the same  4-5 characteristics defining the film genre from Question
3 —follow the topic sentence with a brief description of the scene that will be used to best
example of the film genre's characteristic
—please indicate if research will be used in a supporting paragraph
Answer:
Cinderella opens with talking mice who use their experiences from wondering the house to guide
the princess through through every decision in relevance to the step family. The mice, Jaq and Gus Gus,
as well as others, appear several times within the film, however, they present themselves as her best
friends as soon as the movie went into its first scene. They wake her up and help her get ready for her
day.

Following the opening scene, Cinderella sings a song very heartfelt and personal song. She takes
advantage of the music and uses it to emerge herself in bouts of happiness. The song she sings provides
guidance in her understanding of the true beauty of life even through all of the bumps in the road. She
proceeds to sing about how dreams in one’s sleep are really the hearts desired wishes and hopes.

Further in the movie, the film scrapes the outer layer of violence. Cinderella prepares herself for
the royal ball, accompanied by her stepmother and stepsisters. Upon seeing the princess, her step sisters
mutilate her dress, shredding it to pieces. Threads are detaching from the seems and fabric is separating
from fabric, all because the sisters felt as if Cinderella did not have the worth of going to a royal event.
They destroyed her confidence due to jealousy.

Continuing after the destruction of Cinderella’s dress, her fairy godmother emerges from behind a
bench to rescue her for the sorrows she was enduring. Fairy godmother uses magic to transform
everyday objects into magical belongings for Cinderella, all so she could arrive at the ball. In the good this
gave, there was still one condition the fiery godmother gave Cinderella, she need be back when the clock
struck midnight. The evolution of the magic in this scene invoked happiness since the princess was able
to experience her long, patently awaited dreams. Although the experience was just a few hours, she could
never of dreamed what the future was holding.

6. Conclusion. Please explain how the film fits in the genre: does it continue the genre for a new
audience, does it reinvent the genre, does it modernize the genre, does it explore new angles
within the genre.  Another approach: how what impact does the film have on the audience? Does
it have longevity?
Answer: In essence, Cinderella fits the mold of children’s animation. The film expresses several different
traits of a general princess in animation, allowing the genre to proceed for new generations who watch
this film. The audience, being children, will always see Cinderella as a generic ‘happily ever after’ story,
yet the film will always live on, giving longevity. This legendary 1950 film has made 70 years and
counting.

7. Write a reference page 


Booker, M. K. (2010). Disney, Pixar, and the Hidden Messages of Children’s Films. Santa Barbara, Calif:
Praeger. (pp. 2, 6). Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.db15.liccweb.org/ehost

Disney, W. (Producer) & Geronimi, C., Luske, H., & Jackson, W. (Directors). (1950). Cinderella [DVD].
United States of America: Walt Disney Productions.