So my holiday movie tradition continues with a Christmas twist on a favorite fairy tale – Cinderella. It also caught my eye because I recognized one of the actors from Once Upon a Time in Wonderland and couldn’t help myself. And it quickly became my favorite holiday movie and I watched it multiple times in one week.
Let’s recap and discuss why I loved it so much!
Bibbity-boppity-SPOILERS!
We met our Cinderella, Angie Wells (Emma Rigby), as she bakes cookies and talks with her pet rabbit, Jenny. Her cousin, Candace Karilla (Sarah Stouffer), enters the kitchen and asks if Angie just woke up. Angie says she’s been up for hours already to put the finishing touches on a party they are overseeing later that day. Candace says that Angie goes overboard with her little touches but Angie insists that it’s what make their parties special to the people who hire them to plan the events. But Candace clearly doesn’t share her cousin’s belief and is just worried about going to get Christmas presents for herself. Angie asks her to drop the cookies off at the venue but Candace manages to talk her way out of that.
Candace then asks Angie what her father (Angie’s uncle) is giving Angie for Christmas. Angie says that he asked her to let him know what she wants and she’s decided that she wants their event planning business. He owns it and they run it but she just wants to run it by herself. She says she will buy her uncle out with some savings and money left to her by her parents. Angie asks Candace to support her and Candace agrees. She asks Angie to send her a guest list for their next party and flounces out of there.
That night, Candace cleans up from the party and informs her employees and friends, Lara (Lucy DeVito) and Robin (Lana McKissack), about her plans to buy the business and run it without Candace. They are happy for her (and themselves) but think she’s too nice when it comes to Candace. And they may be right as we learn Candace barely is involved in the company at all and Angie is just covering for her. They wish her luck and Angie is hopeful.
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| (Oh, Angie) |
Candace and Angie have dinner with Otto (Michael Dempsey) and Angie notes that her uncle looks tired. He tells the two that he’s decided he’s reached a good age to retire and he plans on selling off most of his businesses with the exception of four and the event planning business. But he is going to give the event planning business to both of them. Angie starts to speak up but Candace asks her cousin to join her in the kitchen.
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| (Uncle Otto does look tired) |
Angie is upset but Candace isn’t really interested in running the business with her, just keeping her father happy. She offers to let Angie buy her out but she won’t take any of Angie’s money. Instead, Angie will work for Candace until Candace decides she’s paid off or Candace gets married, which could be soon if she meets a rich, handsome eligible bachelor at their next party. Angie agrees and hopes it all works out in the end.
We next see them at the house of their next party. Candace makes fun of Angie’s ideas for the party and worries that they (mostly she) will look bad in front of their host, who she is hoping to meet. She gets her wish when Nikolaus Karmichael (Peter Porte) enters his kitchen. Candace draws his attention and he assumes she’s been doing most of the work and he lets her. He says he loves the ideas she’s put forth – his Christmasquerade Ball is the hottest ticket in town. He loves the idea that no one will know who each other is and really loves the stocking game that Candace had just been mocking. Candace flirts with him and he invites her to the party.
Nikolaus leaves and Candace gives Angie a list of things she’ll need done before the party. Angie’s like “But I’m also in charge of the party” and Candace reminds her about their deal. I bet Angie’s really regretting it now.
Nikolaus then heads up to his office and is surprised to find his mother there reading a tabloid. Viktoria Karmichael (Lesley-Anne Down) is less-than-happy with her son’s latest press – which is about how he broke up with another girlfriend. He asks if that’s why she hasn’t approved his latest proposal. She says that she can’t help but think that a single man who puts forth a proposal about recruiting more women to work for the company has a hidden agenda. Nikolaus insists that he doesn’t want to mix business and pleasure. And Viktoria’s reason to hold up the proposal is weak and rather sexist in itself. If she’s so worried, she can hold her son accountable and not keep the company a boys’ club because she’s worried her son just wants to turn the company into the dating game.
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| (Hello, Viktoria) |
But then she demands that he gets married. She says it will prove that he’s mature. Viktoria points out that he has an inheritance he’s never touched and Nikolaus counters that it’s because he’s required to get married before he can touch it. He says that he would rather earn a paycheck and be respected for his hard work than get money for just marrying someone. Viktoria insists that his father wanted him to experience life and that includes marriage so he needs to just suck it up and do it like everyone else. He argues that almost everyone he’s dated ends up just wanting his money and he’s not sure if the person for him is out there. Though he believes if she is, he’ll just know when he finds her. His mother takes a parting shot that he knows it’s none of the other women he’s dating so that the significantly reduces his possibilities.
Honestly, this whole plot point seems rather clumsily handled. It’s clearly the writer trying to mirror the whole “the prince has to get married” plot in Cinderella but it’s not translating well to this. And further viewings just make it more and more confusing. Nikolaus has very reasonable concerns and wants while his mother doesn’t seem to care. She demands he grows up but nothing we see shows that he needs to. He’s a successful businessman with a social life. He just isn’t married but has valid reasons not to be. It seems to me that Viktoria believes the tabloids over her son and just wants him to be married, not happy.
In case you can’t tell, I don’t really like Viktoria.
The next day, Nikolaus goes on a run with his friend and personal assistant Max (Leland B. Martin). He decides it’s time to get serious and to stop dating around. He wants to find his wife and so Max asks him what he’s looking for. But Nikolaus doesn’t really know. Once again, he’s just going to wait until he finds her. Max wishes him luck before telling him he should get ready for the ball. Nikolaus takes off his shirt and nearly collides with Angie, who is mesmerized by him for a moment. She assures him that everything is set up for the party and has to remind him who she is. He thanks her before heading into the house and Angie continues with her other tasks.
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| (I don't blame Angie for being speechless) |
Angie goes to pick up Candace’s dress from Zelda (Mindy Cohn), who says she was inspired to make the dress after receiving Angie’s call. Zelda says it will look amazing on Angie, who says the dress isn’t for her. But Zelda insists it was meant for her, saying she’s seen Angie around the neighborhood – she knows Angie frequents a restaurant down the block and then asks who Angie visits at the cemetery. Angie responds her parents and then returns to the matter of the dress. Zelda insists that she needs to try it on and so she does, looking amazing and wishing she could wear it. Zelda believes she will.
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| (It is a lovely dress) |
And she just may. As Candace’s stylist waits, Angie calls her cousin to see where she is. Turns out Candace had a terrible reaction to the facial Angie arranged for her and she blames her – even though Angie made arrangements with a person Candace specifies and has used before. But with Candace’s face all red, she can’t go to the ball. Angie apologizes to the stylist who says that Angie is here and she already paid. Angie quotes Oscar Wilde before going to get her hair and makeup done.
Now all dolled up and wearing the dress, Angie heads to the Karmichael residence when she gets a call from Candace. Candace wonders where she is and realizes that Angie is on her way to the party. She says that Nikolaus gave her the invitation and Angie points out that it was because he thought she did all the hard work that Angie did. She also argues that he probably meant to give it to the company. Candace doesn’t buy and then says that if they are to share the invitation, then Angie can’t go because Candace can’t go. Angie says that isn’t how sharing work but Candace forbids her, saying she doesn’t want to hear that Angie was spotted at the party before cleaning up. Angie glances at her mask and promises that she won’t hear of Angie being there.
Ooh, I like sneaky Angie. You go to that ball and enjoy yourself!
I also imagine that Candace has a warped sense of sharing because her father was always insisting on treating them equally. And because she’s selfish, she probably focused on situations as whatever Angie got, she got rather than whatever she got, Angie got. So Angie can’t get to go to the ball because Candance can’t get it.
Candace needs a reality check.
Angie arrives at the Karmichael mansion and is one of the last ones to make it into the party, handing over her invitation and her stocking. She heads inside as a live band performs some nice Christmas-themed songs and she is amazed by what she and her team managed to do. She finds the tree with the stockings and picks on that looks handmade, cherishing it.
Not long after, a masked man the audience knows is Nikolaus finds her and reveals he has her stocking. He then points out that she has his and Angie realizes they won the game. They talk and start to bond, really opening up to each other. There is a point where he almost reveals who he is but Angie doesn’t believe he is Nikolaus because she met him. She says the masked man is kinder and deeper than him, which must smart a bit. But Nikolaus doesn’t seem to mind too much and they continue talking before also sharing some dances together.
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| (A match made in heaven?) |
It’s probably the most magical night of their life.
But soon midnight approaches and it’s time to determine if there are any winners. And it’s also time to take off the masks. Angie had forgotten about that part and she starts to panic. Nikolaus encourages her and assures her it will be fine but she excuses herself, running off and right into Zelda. Zelda recognizes her and is pleased she came in the dress. She asks where Angie is going and Angie says she has to leave. Zelda tries to convince her to stay, to take a chance on the unknown but Angie doesn’t want to mess up a certain (?) chance at her dream. So she runs.
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| (Listen to Zelda, Angie) |
(The reason I put a question mark in parentheses there is because Candace is so selfish and fickle, I can’t imagine that she would readily agree to let Angie go once she got used to her cousin essentially being her personal assistant).
Angie quickly changes and throws some flour on herself to make it look like she’s been hard at work cleaning up. Lara and Robin greet her and say the party was amazing before they continue with the clean up. Angie creeps to the door and finds Max trying to find her as a brokenhearted Nikolaus looks on for her. Angie feels bad but Candace calls her before she could change her mind. She answers and since it’s a video call, Candace accepts that Angie has been there the entire time since she looks awful. She feels good and ends the call while Angie looks heartbroken over what she did to her mysterious masked man.
The next morning, Angie gushes to her pet rabbit about her night. She then decides to check out the items in his stocking. She finds a broken watch, a candle, a rock, a pack of gum and a t-shirt that is clearly a prize given after completing some restaurant’s challenge. Angie declares him perfect and wonders how she will ever find him again.
Meanwhile, Nikolaus is trying to find the mysterious woman from the ball. He called all the guests, pretended to be Max and claimed that someone had accidentally left something valuable in their stocking. He had everyone describe the stocking they brought and the stocking they choose. No dice. Max wonders if the woman snuck in but Nikolaus doesn’t believe she would do that. So Max then suggests that she was a plus one or on another list. Nikolaus wants lists of everyone who worked the party but Max says the planners have them. And they happen to be in the kitchen as they finish cleaning up. Nikolaus takes off from his office and races to his kitchen.
Candace hangs around the kitchen, clearly waiting to run into Nikolaus, while Angie finishes the clean up. Growing impatient, Candace offers to make sure they didn’t leave anything in the house. Angie sees through her cousin and tells her not to snoop but Candace goes off anyway. Nikolaus barrels into Angie not much later and can’t seem to remember her though he finds her familiar. She reminds him that she planned her party with her cousin and he remembers she had an invite. He asks her where her cousin is and Angie points him toward where she went, causing him to take off again.
Nikolaus finds Candace and wonders if she might be the woman he danced with. But she apologizes for missing the party and explains that she had an allergic reaction so she stayed home. He’s disappointed, hoping he had solved the mystery and leaves. Candace realizes her moment has passed and she leaves with Angie.
Determined to find the woman and convinced she is the one he is meant to be with, Nikolaus decides to take drastic measures. He broadcasts a video that Candace and Angie watch and announces that if he can find the woman who he spent the night with at the party, he will marry her. He even asks Angie and Candace to plan the wedding for him. Candace is beside herself over the fact they will be planning his wedding to someone else while Angie is flipping out as she realizes that Nikolaus was the man at the party. She expresses disbelief to Jenny and debates telling the truth, especially since it could cost her everything once Candace finds out she went to the party. Angie decides to get some more information about Nikolaus before making any decisions.
Angie goes to Nikolaus’ house, driving through a throng of women tries to prove they were the woman in the mask. She then goes up to his office and is nervous, wondering if maybe he really is the man for her. But he then doesn’t recognize her until she reminds him who she is. They then have a tense exchange in which he comes off as vain and condescending, especially when she asks how he can be so sure the woman would want to marry him. He determines that it’s not her because she doesn’t like him and she agrees.
She heads home after stopping to pick up tabloids to do some more research on Nikolaus. Angie confides in Jenny that she can’t believe the man she danced with at the party is the same man in those magazines. She believes that it’s not worth risking her chance to own the business and figures she can’t tell him the truth.
Candace then comes in and asks for the dress she was supposed to wear as she wants to return it. Angie says that it was final sale but Candace says stores will usually take them back anyway, which means she’s going to give Zelda so much grief she’ll take it back just to get rid of Candace. Angie pulls it out of the closet and gives it to her cousin. Candace looks it over and says she recognizes the dress. Angie says she can’t. Candace reveals that someone managed to sneak a camera into the party and took pictures of Nikolaus’ dream woman. She realizes it’s the same dress and figures out that Angie did go to the ball after all.
Busted, Angie tries to apologize but Candace thinks this is great. She tells Angie that she’s going to help Candace marry Nikolaus by convincing him that she (Candace) was the mysterious woman. And then Angie can give her some help until the wedding. Once Candace is married, Angie can have the company. Angie reluctantly agrees, especially since she agrees that Nikolaus and Candace deserve each other. She tries to convince herself – using Jenny as a surrogate – that it will all work out in the end but it doesn’t sound like she does a very good job.
It gets worse the next day. Nikolaus finds Angie decorating his front door and offers to help. He gets some glue on him and they laugh at his antics. They then talk and are actually sweet. He apologizes for not recognizing her and he says that he does like her. Angie says she likes him too.
Candace then comes out and prompts Angie, who is now even more reluctant to go through with this charade. But she does so, telling Nikolaus that Candace was the mystery person at the ball. He’s skeptical at first, questioning Candace – especially as she denied having been there. But she lies that she was just nervous about losing his business (even though she had been invited) and having just been scared (better lie). He eventually accepts it as Angie clearly wonders if she had just missed her own chance.
And so with the bride (supposedly) found, it’s time to kick the wedding planning into high gear!
Though there are a few snags. It seems someone (Candace) leaked the news that the mysterious had been found and that Nikolaus was happily planning his wedding to her. Nikolaus hasn’t formally proposed yet so he prepares to do that and Candace mentions her dream ring, which sets off some alarm bells as Angie had mentioned not really having ideas about her engagement or wedding at the party. Candace recovers nicely, saying that she now knew after meeting Nikolaus.
Viktoria then shows up and Nikolaus introduces her to Candace, who then tries to play herself up as a good person to her future mother-in-law. She tells Viktoria that she will be giving the party planning company to her cousin, who is an orphan and doesn’t have much so it’s only right she gets the company. Viktoria then comments that they can find something for Candace to do in their company and Candace thanks her but says she wouldn’t want to work for the first couple years of her marriage, claiming she doesn’t want anyone to think she was handed her job. Viktoria asks to speak to Nikolaus in private, leaving Candace behind.
In Nikolaus’ office, Viktoria expresses her disapproval of his sudden marriage. This confuses him because he thought she wanted him to finally settle down and get married. And she does but she also has gotten a good read on Candace after only a few minutes and realized that Candace won’t make Nikolaus happy. His trust fund comes up and she asks him to reconsider the marriage before leaving. He then realizes that Angie overheard some of the conversation and he tries to explain it to her, but she says he doesn’t have to explain everything – feeling even more conflicted.
Added to this, Candace doesn’t want to risk any more close calls so she asks Angie to wear an earpiece and feed her information so she doesn’t raise Nikolaus’ suspicions that she isn’t the woman he danced with at the ball. Angie reluctantly agrees though she asks Candace if she really wants to marry someone who really wants someone else. Candace says it’s not a deal breaker and believes that Nikolaus will eventually fall in love with her. She just needs to get over this little hump before she can start being herself.
Angie confides in Lara and Robin, who find it fitting that Candace is trying to bluff her way into marriage with Nikolaus but don’t really care since it means the business will now be Angie’s. However, they realize that if Angie can give Candace help to pretend to be the mystery woman, it means Angie is the mystery woman. They encourage her to tell Nikolaus the truth but she says she can’t risk it. Besides, she knows he’s just getting married to get access to his trust fund so she still feels that he and Candace deserve each other.
Candace and Angie start using the earpieces. Angie guides Candace through Nikolaus’ proposal, though it gets ruined as she tries to film it and then the ring ends up in the koi pond. Then she and Nikolaus have a quiet evening together with Angie feeding her some lines to make it seem like she was the woman at the party. They go through the items in Nikolaus’ stocking and find out all the special meanings. But all Candace wants to do is make out with him and so she just kisses him, even though Angie tries to stop her – her feelings for Nikolaus clearly starting to grow.
We then get a montage of wedding preparations where it’s clear Angie and Nikolaus gel better than Candace and Nikolaus, especially as Candace appears to be true to form and letting Angie handle most things.
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| (Wedding prep!) |
As the wedding approaches, Nikolaus starts to feel that he’s with the wrong cousin and starts to suspect that Angie really was the woman he danced with at the party. He notices that she drew things from the front of the house and asks how she knew it was his favorite spot. She lies that she just guessed and they have a conversation about being free to live the lives they want. It’s clear that Nikolaus is trying to get her to confess but she’s too scared to do so.
Especially with Candace playing head games with her, convincing Angie that if she tells Nikolaus the truth, he’ll never want to see her again. Then she would lose the guy and her business. That definitely keeps Angie quiet.
Nikolaus, though, is determined to figure out if he’s marrying the right woman. He and Max decide to go through the stocking the mystery woman gave for the party. He pulls out a book of Oscar Wild quotes but notes that both cousins have quoted him. There’s a white rose, a matchbook from a restaurant, drawing pencils and a picture of a rabbit. Nikolaus feels even more confused so they decide to visit the restaurant where the matchbook came from. It’s a place that serves different dishes from around the world and Nikolaus feels it is more a place Angie would frequent than Candace, especially since Angie confessed to wanting to travel the world.
After they finish eating, they spot the dress the mystery woman was wearing in a nearby window. Max reveals he knows the owner, Zelda, and she gives them some information – she confirms that the dress was worn by the mysterious woman and that she saw the woman at the party. But the woman she saw at the party was not the woman who returned it and that woman was pretty rude. Max and Nikolaus figure out that was Candace, which means that Angie was wearing the dress. This seems confirmed when Zelda says that the woman who wore the dress often goes to visit her parents at the cemetery. Nikolaus and Max stop by there and find a white rose like the one in the stocking.
Convinced he’s caught Candace, Nikolaus goes to her house with the dress in tow. He asks her to go through the items in her stocking and explain them to her. She struggles and he finally says that it’s because Angie was the one at the party. Candace lies and says that it was her but that she was so busy, she asked Angie to fill the stocking. It’s plausible so he asks her to try on the dress. She does and that’s when Angie comes home, hiding when she realizes Nikolaus is in the house. Back inside, it’s clear that the dress doesn’t fit Candace but she hides it by telling Nikolaus that even if Angie was really the woman who was at the party, then she was letting him marry another woman. Did that sound like someone who wanted him? It gives Nikolaus something to think about and he leaves.
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| (It looks better on Angie) |
With the wedding just around the corner, Angie and Nikolaus meet up once more and give each other the change to come clean. Neither takes it and they argue, parting ways. Nikolaus figures Candace is right and that Angie doesn’t feel the same way he does. The question still remains – will he marry Candace or not?
Or will Angie finally stop him? Because she visits her parents’ grave and talks about her problem. She decides it’s time to stand up for herself and figure out what happens once the dust settles. So she leaves a rose before heading to the wedding to talk with Nikolaus and Candace.
She finds Candace first, who lays into her for being late and demands that Angie help her. Angie refuses and says that she’s going to talk to Nikolaus and tell him the truth. Lara and Robin rush out of the room and they ask the DJ to turn the bride’s microphone on. Everyone gets to hear Candace’s and Angie’s conversation, including the part where Candace is lying to Nikolaus and how she’s been taking credit for Angie’s work but Angie is done being Candace’s doormat. Candace locks Angie out on the balcony as Nikolaus shows up.
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| (Angie is standing up for herself at last!) |
As Angie tries to get back in, Nikolaus tells Candace that he has an amazing wedding gift for her – he’s going to decline his inheritance. Instead, they can just live on the money they make together. He says he’s doing this a sign that he wants her and not the money. But Candace is less than thrilled about not living off the Karmichael money and so Nikolaus ends the engagement, leaving her. Viktoria then tells Candace that her microphone was on so everyone heard everything before going to get some more champagne. Otto enters, finding his daughter pouting on the floor as he finally sees her.
Viktoria finds Nikolaus and tells him that she’s proud of him. She asks if he is serious about giving up his inheritance and this time she finally listens when he tells her that the money doesn’t matter to him. After watching him almost marry the wrong woman but having the strength to walk away, she decides that he is mature after all and agrees to sign it over to him – no marriage necessary. She also encourages him to see if there’s a future with Angie but he’s not sure about that.
Max finally frees Angie, who wants to find Max. He tells her that he’s gone and she leaves, heartbroken.
Angie finally gets home and finds her uncle and cousin waiting for her. Candace apologizes for treating her like crap and confesses that she was jealous of Angie. She felt that Angie was so similar to Otto that he would love Angie more than Candace. Since it was clear the event planning business really belonged to Angie, she had hoped marrying into the Karmichaels would help set her apart. There are hugs and forgiveness all around, though I’m not sure if anyone really addressed how entitled and awful Candace truly was to Angie. Otto also apologizes for not being the type of parent who they felt they could talk to about their concerns.
Otto then tells Candace that they should give “them” some time alone and Angie wonders who he’s talking about. Candace wishes her luck and tells Angie to go get “him” right before Nikolaus enters the room. He confesses his love for Angie and she admits that she feels the same way. And then he proposes, which she accepts.
The movie ends with them getting married and presumably living happily ever after.
Is it a perfect movie?
No. (I feel they resolve and kinda redeem Candace way too quickly and don’t address how horrible she really was to Angie).
Do I love it anyway?
Yes, I do!
This movie reminded me how much I loved Emma Rigby in Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. It’s a shame they couldn’t add her to the regular Once Upon a Time along with Michael Socha (Will Scarlet/Red Knave). I think she would’ve made an amazing addition and been a great ally to Regina. As much as I love Rebecca Mader, maybe Anastasia would’ve been the better choice to bond with Regina rather than rushing a redemption for Zelena like the show ultimately did.
(Sorry, going back to the movie).
I enjoyed the premise and watching Angie slowly realize her feelings for Nikolaus. And I loved that Nikolaus redeemed himself as well. I guess in addition to Cinderella, it also has some Pride and Prejudice vibes to it as well.
Though, once again, I still felt they let Candace off way to easily and didn’t address everything she did.
I also really loved the music and hope I can find it somewhere, especially the song that seemed to be Angie and Nikolaus’ anthem – the one that played as they shared a dance at the ball.
I’m probably going to watch this movie a few more times throughout the year –why wait for Christmas? – and I hope you give it a chance too!
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