Ashpet: An American Cinderella

There are a lot of mysteries in life, but certainly one of the greatest is why every video store and library in America doesn't have copies of Tom Davenport's From the Brothers Grimm fairy tale series. Ashpet, the ninth in a series that has won more awards than Grandma Moses has children, is a live-action rural retelling of the Cinderella story. Ashpet (the Cinderella character) 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 collect 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 transformed from 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 Ashpet's sister 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. Ashpet is a wonderful change of pace from the steady drizzle of insipid cartoon remakes of Cinderella. A top-notch production in all respects, Ashpet has the additional benefit of teaching kids an important lesson: just as it is the clever soul who is well-versed in the diverse ways of removing a skin from a cat, it is the well-rounded child who understands that there are many different ways to tell a story. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (Available from: Davenport Films, RR1, Box 527, Delaplane, VA 22025.)