Product Details

• Actors: Louise Anderson, Kelly Mancini
• Directors: Kelly Mancini
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Number of tapes: 1
• VHS Release Date: January 1, 1990
• Run Time: 45 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1888522127
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #296,671 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Recommended by the National Education Association, this folksy, Americanized retelling of Cinderella spins a more realistic yarn, void of princes and fairy godmothers. The place: a woodsy, sweltering Southern town; the time: pre-World War II. Picture two rude stepsisters, their ambivalent mother, and a sweet teenager nicknamed Ashpet (in the original German story, her name was Aschenputtel, "Cinder Maid"). True to the original Brothers Grimm tale, this kindhearted lackey obeys every demand. Foremost, the stepsisters order Ashpet to fetch love sachets from "Dark Sally," an intimidating conjure woman, so they can attract mates at the town Victory dance--a soirée honoring the local boys who are headed off to war (and a rare event in this modest town). Not a problem: Dark Sally adores Ashpet and intends to make her the belle of the ball. Rather than whipping out a magic wand, Dark Sally encourages Ashpet to bathe in a remote pond and don a knockout dress (once her mother's) hidden in a secret room of the house. The rest of the tale, missing slipper included, runs much as expected. But its subtle humor, smart dialogue and creative setting make Ashpet play like a tall, icy glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade on the senses; it's a refreshing, 45-minute substitute for other, rather syrupy Cinderella stories. --Liane Thomas

Product Description

"Ashpet is a lovely blonde lass who is the stepin fetchit errand girl for her simpering evil stepsisters and their mother. On the day of the big dance, the two stepsisters go to Dark Sally (the fairy godmother) in order to purchase "love sachets" (perfume necklaces that will entrance the sniffing boys). The price is a dime each, plus the answer to a riddle. Of course, the evil duo are about as dumb as a box of rocks, so they can't answer any of the riddles, and hence send Ashpet to collet the sachets. Dark Sally, who has fond remembrances of Ashpet's mother, shows Ashpet a hidden attic in her house where her mother's beautiful dress has languished these many years. With a little wardrobe derring do Ashpet is tranformed form the beautiful, yet plainly dressed, scullery maid to a radiant princess. Instead of a carriage, she heads for the ball on the back of a luminous white horse. Once there, she catches the eye of a handsome young soldier boy, who promptly leaves A! shpet's stepsister high and dry and wondering who the lovely newcomer is. When Ashpet abruptly heads for home, her slipper falls off as she's riding away, and the young soldier picks it up and..heck, you know the rest of the story." from the review in "Video Librarian"

Winner of many awards including Kids First Award, Parents Choice Award, American Library Association's "Selected Films for Young Adults," American Library Association's "Notable Films for Children," Best Short Subject at the Philadelphia International Film Festival, Best Children's Entertainment Film at the American Film Festival

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Southern charm added to a classic tale, April 6, 2001

By 

Heidi Anne Heiner (SurLaLune Fairy Tales.com) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Ashpet: An American Cinderella (From The Brothers Grimm) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

"Ashpet" is a Cinderella story with more wit and charm than most retellings of the tale. This version is set pre-World War II and the prince is a soldier getting ready to go to war. The stepmother isn't as vicious as the eldest stepsister, Thelma, who wants a husband and doesn't like housework. Thelma is determined to use any method within her means including buying a charm from Dark Sally to wear to the Victory Dance.

My favorite element of the film is the subsitution of Dark Sally, a wise conjure-woman, into the traditional fairy godmother role. Dark Sally likes intelligent, hard-working girls, not lazy, silly girls like the stepsisters. She asks riddles and likes to tell stories with hidden meanings to anyone smart enough to listen. In this case the heroine Ashpet, rightfully known as Lily, is a great listener. Dark Sally doesn't use magic or charms to prepare Ashpet for the dance. She advises a bath and an inherited dress to enhance Lily's natural beauty.

This film is wonderful for the classroom and should entertain students with romance and a familiar story, but adults will most enjoy the humor and entertaining characters. After all, most young students will not understand right away that a trip to Niagara Falls usually meant a honeymoon during this time in history. The honeymoon trip pictures during the credits provide a great ending to a fine film.

5.0 out of 5 stars Davenport Excels, May 19, 2000

By 

bethkraft (Raleigh, North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ashpet: An American Cinderella (From The Brothers Grimm) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

These videos are excellent for the classroom! I thoroughly recommend any of them. Wish he would produce more.