LOVE the book; HATE the film!

I am devastated that they didn't make the film you wanted them to!
To the best of my knowledge this has never happened before in the history of cinema.
My good luck is that I only know this movie, and fell in love with on its own merits.
For me it makes a good double feature with "Fairytale:A True Story".

wow, you sound like a bitter, angry old woman who cooks children. We all feel sorry for you. The movie is considered a modern day classic made by a brilliant director. You hate Wizard of Oz too, you miserly old hag?

I don't agree with you at all about this movie but I understand where you're coming from. Ella Enchanted is pretty much my favorite book ever so when I found out they were making a movie based on it I was really excited. But then, even just based on the trailers, I could see that it was just an awful adaption and didn't even go see it cause I knew it would just make me mad. But then my aunt got it for me for my birthday so I ended up watching it anyway. I will say, It's a cute movie and I probably wouldn't mind it if it weren't for the fact that it's almost nothing like the book. I'd probably be able to enjoy it more if I wasn't constantly comparing it to the book.

This is my signature.

I agree with you. The movie is fine as a cute movie for kids, but it doesn't carry the spirit of the book at all. I can deal with plot changes most of the time (it is, after all, a different medium) if the spirit of the story is still there. Here, it's just not.

You might really like the 1986 mini-series: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090474/. It's six half-hour episodes, so really not much longer than a standard movie, but it's much more faithful to the book. The actor who plays Sara is really amazing. It's by far my favorite adaptation of the story.

Good grief OP, calm down. Yes, she is extremely kind in the film and works hard and sacrifices; she and Becky play ONE prank on Minchin and she's hardly undignified when she stands up the one time to Minchin. Yes, though, the curse scene was really stupid. Never read the book, though I know it's occasionally over-mushy like the movie, but I can't fault the movie for making the story less tragic.

Wait are you saying that you’re.....a ghost?

Sorry I couldn’t resist.

I sympathize with what you’re saying. But what the book portrays sounds like a Christian idealization meant to teach children how adults want them to behave. The movie seems more realistic. However, the film portrays Sara with many of the qualities you describe. It sounds like you are looking for a 1940s style of acting.

Kids play pranks. Kids are petty. The kind of kid Sara is in the book, perfect little adult all the time, doesn’t exist. Or rather *shouldn’t* exist.

Didn't read the book. Only saw the last 45 min. or less of the movie but loved it so much I ordered the dvd for my youngest grandchild. Not surprised Cuaron attached to the movie; a quality director!

I appreciate your view as I do know how frustrating it is when you love a book and then the movie adaptation fails to live up to expectation or changes everything but in this case I disagree. I found book Sara to be irritating, she was the epitome of a Mary Sue character. She was good at everything, she was always perfect, never did anything wrong, everyone loved her, the only people that didn't were people that are mean and jealous. At least movie Sara had a couple of flaws. She felt more realistic. She only pulled one prank on Miss Minchin and I don't think that altered her character at all. She was still the sweet, generous and kind girl that she was in the book. I also preferred how the film dealt with Becky. I felt increasingly sorry for Becky in the book, especially when Ram Dass gave Sara a gorgeous new comfy bed and pillows and blankets and just gave Becky Sara's horrible old uncomfortable one. Then when they tell her she can leave Miss Minchin's they take her on as Sara's maid. At least in the movie she left as Sara's equal. I understand that it was a different time, and I can appreciate that, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. I liked that Lavinia got redemption, and yes I do also like the idea that all girls are princesses (Sara's speech I the movie is one of the most powerful and beautiful moments). I didn't like how the book looked down on people who learnt at a slower pace (Ermengarde) and called them stupid for not being able to learn things as well as everyone else. I would've been fine with the same ending as the book however it would've been very anti-climactic. She just strolls into his house and they suddenly realise who she is and everything gets resolved in a couple of pages. I'm also aware that the changed ending in the movie is cheesy and unrealistic but I don't really care, and I can't deny the fact that it makes me cry with joy every single time. I also thought the movie was superbly acted, the music is gorgeous (Kindle my Heart is a stunning song), and visually it's beautiful. Her stories were one of my favourite parts of the film and in the book I found them fairly dull.

This is not me trying to change your view or trying to push my thoughts onto you, you're perfectly entitled to your own opinion. I just thought I'd share my opinion. Sometimes it's nice to hear differing views and I liked reading yours as it interested me to see what someone else thought.