Ella Enchanted [2004 film]

When I'm working on the reference desk, I'm asked just as often for film recommendations as for book recommendations. If kids are with their parents, it's easy to send them to the shelves and the pounce on Bob the Builder, etc. But if it's just a mother coming in, or a father, bringing something home for their kids, it's a little harder. I don't really watch a lot of youth films, so I thought that Ella Enchanted would be a good one to add--it's aimed for a tween audience; girls from 9-12 years of age will really enjoy it. The plot is this: when she was a baby, Ella received the gift of obedience from Fairy Lucinda. It turns out to be more of a curse than a blessing, when Ella's stepsisters discover how to use Ella's gift to their show more advantage. Ella sets off in search of Lucinda, so that she can take back the gift, and runs into the Prince of the Kingdom, who falls in love with Ella. This was an enjoyable story, and easy to watch, until the end, when the entire cast burst into song. At that point, it became painful--I couldn't understand why they'd spoil everything by ending with a musical number. Anyway, this should be an addition to any youth DVD collection at a public library, if it isn't already. And once patrons have watched the DVD, you can steer them towards the book. Or vice versa! show less