Audiences: What Does "Ever After" Do to People?

Well this will be a fun subject. What does the movie Ever After do to people? What an interesting question. First it is important to look at exactly who the audience of this movie is. As stated in my previous blog, the production company used the Hotelling effect in order to expand the audience quantity. However, it can be assumed that the main audience, or at least a large portion, is that of young women.

The "young women" audience includes young girls who have grown out of the Disney version of Cinderella and other fairytales, and are beginning to grasp the concept of love and relationships. These girls are incredibly susceptible to the messages put out by media on the concept of love since they are entering the stage of puberty and beginning to feel emotional curiosity towards the male sex. These are girls who have yet to personally experience an intimate relationship, and are looking towards these movies and the older people in their lives to define what they should expect and look for as they begin entering the world of love. 

Movies such as Ever After help shape these girls' and their perceptions of love. Unfortunately, fairytale movies such as Ever After are just that, fairytales. The portrayal of love in this movie is one of instant attraction,  love at first sight, constant adoration, "true" love, and more. These ideas give these girls the hope that they will "fall in love" with someone and it will be perfect and last forever. That love can overcome everything.  

This movie gives an unrealistic interpretation of how love functions in todays world. Love is usually not instantaneous  as it is represented in the film. The timeline of the story encompasses 5 days time, in which the prince and Danielle meet, run into each other several times, and spend one night out together; at which point the prince is ready to claim her as his wife. Unrealistic to say the least, rash is another word that comes to mind. Such a series of events would be looked down upon in todays world, because more often then not, would never lead to a happy ending. 

I could go on analyzing all the different aspects of the film and how each portrayal of love is idealized and unrealistic, however it think you get the point. 

This is not entirely a critique, as the older audiences understand the realities of how love truly functions in todays world. These older viewers watch the film with warm hearts and "if only"s. If only that was how it worked. Mostly it is a distraction from reality and a wistful guilty pleasure. In addition it is forever a presence of hope, "maybe one day i'll find something like that" without any true determination behind the thought. 

Overall, the audiences of Ever After often watch the film in order to satisfy their curiosity or need for a happy love story. Unfortunately, no one goes unaffected, and perhaps the unrealistic expectations brought on by films like this contributes to the increasing amount of divorces.