The film’s true innovation—dated as it is—is its integration of early viral internet culture. The inciting incident involves Joey’s choreography being stolen by his fake-girlfriend, the deliciously villainous Dominique Blatt (Jessica Parker Kennedy). Mary, masked and empowered, dances her way into Joey’s heart, only to lose her Zune. The ensuing search isn’t a prince combing the kingdom, but a YouTube-esque video hunt titled "The Mystery Dancer."
Andrew Seeley—a professional dancer and ghost-singer for Zac Efron in High School Musical —has the physicality but not the acting chops. The chemistry is functional. The real scene-stealer is Jane Lynch as Mary’s eccentric, former-dancer guardian. Lynch delivers every line about "kitchen choreography" with the deadpan commitment of a woman who knows she is in a B-movie and is having the time of her life. another cinderella story full
Let’s be honest: The soundtrack to Another Cinderella Story is better than it has any right to be. The climactic dance-off features the infectious "Tell Me Something I Don’t Know" (later re-recorded by Gomez for her band’s debut album). The ballroom sequence set to "New Classic" is a genuine earworm. This is not high art, but it is high-energy bubblegum synth-pop that perfectly encapsulates the 2008 era of Lady Gaga-lite electro beats. The film’s true innovation—dated as it is—is its
Director Damon Santostefano (who also helmed the Duff original) knows exactly what formula he is working with: orphaned dancer (Mary, played by Gomez) meets pop-star heartthrob (Joey, played by Andrew Seeley). The twist? The glass slipper is a Zune (yes, a Microsoft Zune) loaded with dance tracks, and the royal ball is a masquerade-themed high school dance where the main goal is not to find a husband, but to stop a lip-syncing diva. The ensuing search isn’t a prince combing the
But here is the argument for its legacy: It is the most honest of the Cinderella remakes. It admits that the fairy tale is a lie. Mary doesn’t want the prince; she wants a dance scholarship. Joey doesn’t want to rule; he wants to produce beats. The final scene is not a royal wedding, but the two of them kissing while watching their viral video hit one million views.
Gomez, then 16, was in her "sweet but sarcastic" transitional phase. Unlike Duff’s naïve Sam, Gomez’s Mary is a cynic. She wears a track jacket, listens to hip-hop, and has zero interest in fame. When Joey reveals he is a pop star, she scoffs: “You’re a puppet. You don’t write your songs, you don’t produce your beats, you just show up and look pretty.” It is a surprisingly meta critique of the Disney machinery that Gomez herself was a part of.