The following podcast contains explicit language.

Welcome to a Slate spoiler special on Cinderella, the live action version of the classic fairy tale from Disney, directed by Kenneth Brana, and starring Lily James as the titular princess to be.

I am Dan Cois. I'm editor at Slate, and I'm here in Slate's DC Recording Studio, and I'm

joined by Katie Waldman, who wrote Slate's review of Cinderella. Hey, Katie. Hey, Dan. So we'll talk

about a lot of things in the spoiler special, including the different ways that this new movie

treats the Cinderella myth about the aspects of kindness and sincerity that are reflected in the

character of Cinderella, and also about whether the new looks of the fairy godmother and

the wicked stepmother and step-sisters really work for us.

And of course, as in all spoiler specials, we will be spoiling what happens in this story, which...

The shoe fits, Dan.

The shoe fits. She becomes a princess.

I also want to spoil a little bit the short that appears before Cinderella, Frozen Fever, mostly because I hate it.

But let's start, Katie, with, let's touch a little bit on the differences between this live action version of Cinderella and the more familiar tales from many listeners on childhoods, the Cinderella of 1950s, the Disney version, and then, you know, of course, the Whitney Houston

Cinderella and all the other Cinderella, as we know.

But do you want to go into a little bit the way this story unfolds and the way it's different

from other various versions of that Cinderella tale?

Sure.

I mean, I think one big difference is that the character of Cinderella here is less passive than in the 1950s cartoon.

You see her riding bear back in the forest. She is sort of living her life. She has her value system.

And she is finding joy and playing with her animals. And she doesn't seem like this put upon wretch who is just sadly mopping because

she doesn't know what else to do with herself.

Like she sees that the house needs to be maintained.

...