Like millions of spectators before her, young Mae has some inquiries regarding that small mask.
You’re never too young to begin evaluating films.
Just ask Hilary Duff, who recently introduced her 4-year-old daughter, Mae, to the enchantment that isA Cinderella Story.And to her surprise, the young film enthusiast didn’t hold back her opinions regarding a particular, notorious storyline element.
“My 4-year-old has seen this movie and also noticed things like, ‘How could he not realize it’s you under the mask?'” Duff mentioned, as she reflected on one of the film’s famous ballroom sequences. for Vanity Fair.
Fans of the 2004 movie have been wondering about this for twenty years. The new version of Cinderella features protagonist Sam Montgomery showing up at a high school dance with a small mask covering her eyes. Her face is otherwise fully visible and quite easy to recognize.
But unknowing romantic interest Austin Ames (Chad Michael Murray) could just as well be looking at a stranger since he doesn’t recognize Sam at all.
I was saying, ‘It’s the classic question, dear,'” Duff remembered telling her daughter. “And she responded, ‘But it’s you. You’re right there. I don’t get it. How does he not know?’ I said, ‘I know.’
Duff’s daughter is not the first to be confused by this plot detail, although she might be the youngest. It has even gotten to the stage where Denise Wingate, the Emmy-award-winning costume designer who dressed Duff in the notorious small mask, felt the need toexpress an opinion on the discussion voice a perspective in the argument take a stance in the conversation offer a viewpoint in the discussion comment on the controversy share your take on the debate add your perspective to the discussion contribute to the argument state your position in the debate provide an opinion on the issue, clarifying the intention behind the small mask.
You needed to be able to see her eyes, but not too much because the joke was for him not to realize it was her,” Wingate said in 2024 when discussing the design. That being said, the designer completely agrees that Austin’s failure to recognize Sam is crazy: “How does he not know?! Isn’t it obvious?!
Aside from the small mask, Duff recalled happy memories of her time spent makingA Cinderella Story while rewatching scenes from the movie.
“I recall reading the script and just thinking it was humorous,” she said, noting that she’s come across her fair share of “poor scripts” and instantly appreciated the movie’s version of Cinderella. Duff mentioned that once she committed to the project, the expanding star-studded cast made the film even more enticing.
Regina King was cast, which was obviously really exciting. She’s incredible,” Duff said. “And Jennifer Coolidge. And obviously Chad Michael Murray. I think everyone had a crush on him, and then he went off to film frickingOne Tree Hill and remained very attractive. I was thinking, ‘I starred in a film with him!'”
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Now a mother to four children, Duff welcomed her first child, son Luca Cruz, in 2012 while married to her then-spouse Mike Comrie. The two officially separated in 2016. Later, she connected with and wed Matthew Koma, with whom she has given birth to three daughters: Banks Violet in 2018, Mae James in 2021, and Townes in 2024.
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