Dominique’s character is written very similarly to the one played by Jennifer Coolidge (the salmon fetish of Coolidge’s character is replaced in this version with a lust for crab puffs), although the two ladies play their parts quite differently and equally well.

Mary and Joey’s first face-to-face romantic encounter happens at a masked school dance. The similarities to the 2004 “ …Cinderella Story” starring Hilary Duff are many: Mary’s goal throughout the story is to attend the school of her dreams, and it is achieving this goal which will finally remove her from the home where she is forced into servitude. What Britt and Bree are about to find out is Mary, who has been secretly attending the same dance academy as they (by sneaking in through a back window and taking part in the lessons through a two-way mirrored wall in the studio), has inherited her mother’s dancing abilities and is a real competitive force as the girls eagerly attempt to win Joey’s attention-and his heart. Fueling the excitement among the female student body is the announcement that Joey will be hosting a dance competition to choose a new cast member for an upcoming music video. In the safety of Tami’s orange VW bus, on the way to and from school each day, the girls confide in one another all their troubles and dreams, with cheesy giggles and teen-screen wisdom in constant supply.Īt the start of the film, the high school attended by Mary, Tami, and the evil sisters Britt and Bree is all abuzz due to the return of former student and now teen idol Joey Parker (Andrew Seeley) who, having left the school to pursue a successful career as a singing and dancing pop star, has expressed a desire to “get back to his roots” and rejoin his classmates for his senior year. Mary’s life is made more bearable by her ever-faithful friend, Tami, who marches to the beat of her own drum by wearing bizarre, hand-made creations and provides a refuge of camaraderie for Mary. Dominique is the mother of two predictably obnoxious, cruel and, yes, ugly sisters, Britt and Bree, and Mary serves as chief cook and bottle washer in the ostentatious home shared by the four women. This twist on the proverbial dead horse is centered around Mary Santiago ( Selena Gomez), who is under the guardianship of has-been, aged pop starlet Dominique, after having been orphaned by her mother who was a stage dancer for the demanding diva. Hopes are not elevated for an encounter with a cinematic masterpiece when renting this limited theatrical release/direct to DVD teen flick, however an honest review has uncovered this film as a pleasant surprise hidden behind an unfortunate title. “ Another Cinderella Story”-One can almost hear a sarcastic sigh behind the eye-roll inducing title.

A cinderella story upon a song rating