Ella is first seen as a 10-year-old (Eloise Webb), and she loses her mother (Hayley Atwell) in the opening minutes. While she never forgets her, Ella (Lily James) recovers enough to grow up happily with her father (Ben Chaplin). But soon after he brings home his new wife, Lady Tremaine (Cate Blanchett), and her daughters, Drisella (Sophie McShera) and Anastasia (Holliday Grainger), the father dies while on a business trip.

    The story is mostly the same as the original fairy tale.

    One change is that Ella first meets her prince (Richard Madden) before the ball while out riding in the woods after her new family has made her a servant, calling her Cinderella. She persuades* the handsome stranger to spare* the life of the stag* he and his party are hunting; he hides his royal identity as they circle one another on horseback.

    The film defines* their love not as an act of rescue* but of two people accepting each other for who they are.

    In perhaps the most obvious sign of Disney addressing the needs of a 21st century audience, this is a multiethnic* kingdom where the prince’s senior advisor and most trusted friend (Nonso Anozie) is black, and the princesses presented as potential* brides are African, Asian and Latin, along with vanilla Northern European. However, there are few contemporary* notes in the dialogue. Unlike such fairy-tale overhauls as “Ella Enchanted” or “Mirror Mirror,” this one stays basically traditional.

    The CG work is first-rate. What’s perhaps more impressive, however, are the lovingly detailed sets. And the mixed-period costumes* are just as good as the sets.

    While James and Madden are playing set-in-stone archetypes, their chemistry is lovely. And the idea of them as two pure hearts who see the imperfect* world not for what it is but what it could be is touching.

    Pacing might be a little slow for the young audience members here and there, but adults will appreciate the grace and wit of this adaptation. (SD-Agencies)