The movie Another Cinderella Story is about a talented orphan girl, Mary whose dream is to go to a performing arts school. She lives with her evil stepmother and stepsister. As her stepmother and stepsisters enjoy the luxuries of life, she is forced to be a maid and slave for them, despite her inheriting the money her father left her when he died. As the movie progresses, she found herself falling in love with the pop star, Joey who came to high school to have a normal life. Joey for the longest time didn’t know who she was as she didn’t reveal herself at the party to avoid getting in trouble with her stepmother, Dominque. At the end of the day, Mary leaves her stepmother while she’s sick to pursue her dreams and never looked back. The movie discusses the topic of the power dynamic and identity struggle, subaltern, Master-Slave relationship.
The master-slave concept is seen between Dominque and Mary. Mary being the slave is abused by Dominque and told to clean her room and the rooms of her stepsisters. Once she finds out the mp3 player that was lost at the party was Marys’, she forced her to teach her stepsisters the songs so they can dance with Joey. Dominque’s money and power made life hell for Mary and fall victim to the verbal abuse and slaving because she had no other option. She was treated as a subaltern where a voice and opinions didn’t matter to her self-centered stepfamily and were considered insignificant. She struggled with her identity as she is seen wearing a mask at the party to avoid being recognized as she wasn’t supposed to be at the dance and her not able to tell Joey it was her to avoid getting in trouble. She had to hide who she was from the guy she loves to avoid being seen as Dominque’s maid and change his perspective on who she is.
I think the movie Another Cinderella Story wanted the audience to know the effect of power abuse, and it affects the person who falls victim to it. Mary who once was rich becomes a slave through a power shift. It also shows us at the end how you use your power leads to your faith. If you use it for evil at the end of the day, you’ll be neglected just like Dominque and Okonkwo. It makes one wonder the injustices they caused towards people realize what they did was unacceptable.