Ella Enchanted

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—Review
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections

Ella Enchanted was a WONDERFUL little flick. I came out of the theater smiling all over. It was clean, interesting, and well developed. The character of Ella sets an excellent standard for women and girls everywhere. In a time when women’s empowerment couldn’t be stronger, the combination of faith and action that she displays encourages us to use that power wisely. She models the very example that Christ set for us during his time on this earth.

“Her gift made her obedient, but her heart made her kind.� – Ella champions the little man (and the big man—a.k.a. Giants) from the beginning. Herself a persecuted girl, she fights for all who suffer at the hands of others. Even as a child, Ella stands up for the outcast, Areida, who is persecuted for her race. Later, she outwardly opposes the evil Prince Edgar and his nephew, the naïve heir to the throne, Prince Charmont. Prince Edgar, taking advantage of Prince Char’s absence at school, has segregated and enslaved the races that once peacefully co-existed under the reign of Prince Char’s father. At a rally for Prince Char, Ella speaks out, opposing all that he and Edgar stand for. Then, when she meets Char face to face, she calls him on the carpet and challenges him to do something about it. Even her treatment of the “bad guy� is kind, and she makes a huge impact on his life. This kindness resembles Christ’s kindness to mankind when he came to earth. He taught that we should love and pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44), give to the poor (Matthew: 25: 35-40) and proclaim hope for the prisoners, the spiritually blind, and the oppressed (Luke 4:18-19). Christ himself championed the cause of the little guys of the universe: us.

Submission with a Mission – Submission differs greatly from obedience. The fairy godmother gives obedience to Ella as a “gift,� and in truth, obedience can be a gift when it is used to bless others. However, when not properly understood, obedience can also be a curse to the kind soul who chooses to obey without question. Someone once said, “Anyone can make you obey, but no one can make you submit.� Submission implies that one wants to obey. Here are some examples: Hattie forces Ella to steal when she discovers that Ella’s gift is obedience. That is obedience without submission, and it causes harm to Ella. Later, Ella chooses to stay in Giant world at Prince Char’s request. In willingly submitting to his request, he is blessed as they enjoy a wonderful, romantic evening. Christ exemplified this concept when he chose to come to earth as a man. Christ “…made himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant…and became obedient to death – even death on a cross.� (Phil. 2:8). Christ didn’t have to submit and give his life for us. He said so in John 10:18, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.� The key is that he wanted to, and he chose to bless all humanity through his obedience to the Father. That’s the supreme example of submission at its finest!

Faith in the Probability of Change – On her deathbed, Ella’s mother speaks promising words: “What’s inside is stronger than any spell.� Ella recognizes this concept in her dealings with Char, speaking one of the most powerful lines in the movie when Prince Char reveals his weakness. Even after Ella has encouraged him time and again to assume his power and use it for good, Prince Char states, “I’m going to ask my uncle to…� Could he have missed Ella’s point more completely? We want to say, “Are you totally stupid?� But Ella’s response is golden. She looks deep into his eyes, and says, “I think you’re going to be a good king someday…� This woman looks beyond all his imperfections and sees he will be a great king in the future, believing that change is not only possible, but probable. Later, she discovers that even she is capable of changing for the better. She only has to look inside. Christ also believes in man’s ability to change - through the promised Holy Spirit who comes to live inside every believer. In John 14:26, Christ says, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit…will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.� The Holy Spirit lives inside us to help us change, so that 2 Cor. 5:17 can be accomplished, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!�

LINKS
—Review
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections