Cinderella
Acceptable. Age: 6+. A Catholic review of this movie for parents.
Our review
Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters make her work like a servant, but she stays kind and gentle. A fairy godmother helps her go to the royal ball, where she meets the prince. It is a sweet fairy tale with a few mean and tense moments. Cinderella answers cruelty with kindness and never turns bitter, and that is worth showing a child. The magic is plain fairy-tale magic, a gift from a godmother and gone by midnight. Expect a mean stepfamily, a torn dress, and a king with a cigar.
For parents
Rated G. Common Sense Media says 4 and up, and Greydanus says Kids & Up. The hardest scene for small children is the stepsisters ripping Cinderella's dress to pieces. She is also locked in her room. The fairy godmother's magic is story magic, not a spell a child could copy, and it is given to Cinderella as a gift. Secular reviewers call her passive. We would say she is patient, and that staying gentle under daily unkindness takes strength. Ask: how does Cinderella treat people who are unkind to her? Why do the mice and birds want to help her? Is it harder to hit back or to stay kind? Who helps you when things feel unfair?