Disney’s “Godmothered” was released on Dec. 4 onto the Disney+ streaming platform. The movie follows fairy godmother in training Eleanor (Jillian Bell) as she attempts to help single mom Mackenzie Walsh (Isla Fisher) find her happily ever after. Helping Mackenzie is Eleanor’s last chance at saving the Motherland (where all fairy godmothers are sent for training and assignments) from going out of business. The only problem is that Mackenzie wrote her letter to the godmothers when she was 10 years old, and now she is a struggling mother and reporter at 40. 

This film was no doubt a successful spin on the classic princess movies, even making several references to Cinderella (which can be fun for viewers to catch), but there were some parts that fell short. The movie takes place in Boston  in December, so there is an abundance of snow and comfortable sweaters seen throughout scenes, but they neglect the holiday until the very end of the movie. There are some small scenes which feature a Christmas tree and Christmas lights, but they do not focus on Christmas or the holiday spirit, something Disney loves to do, until the last 20 minutes of the film. The ending takes place at a cheerful Christmas parade, decked out in red and green with Santa Claus blow-ups everywhere, but at that point it seemed a little odd and out of place. I wouldn’t classify “Godmothered” as a holiday movie; it could have just as easily been set in January and no one would have known the difference.

My favorite part of the movie was the ending, which had the signature Disney musical number, tears and happy endings. There was a lesson of the diversity in love, and how everyone’s true love is ultimately different. The movie showed a variety of families engulfed in love, such as a family with two dads, a family with a grandmother raising her grandchild and single parents. The representation in the ending of this movie was so important for viewers because it allowed the message of love to be versatile and relatable.

I did go into this movie expecting it to be a cliche princess movie, which I would have admittedly enjoyed, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover the complexity of the unconventional fairytale. This movie carried themes of courage, love, support, romance, happiness, holidays and of course, some magic. 

Disney deconstructs the archetype of ‘prince charming’ and ‘happily ever after,’ as the focus of this movie is more so centered around family and finding happiness within yourself. There is a perfect mix of modern comedy and emotional familial relationships to appeal to a wide range of viewers. I recommend this film to all families, regardless of dynamic, because there is truly something for everyone in “Godmothered.”