Currently streaming on Disney Plus, Godmothered, starring Jillian Bell and Isla Fisher, is about a fairy godmother trainee, Eleanor, who decides to go and help a little girl whose wish was never answered, only to discover that that little girl is now a fully grown single mother of two. In a wide variety of films and stories, the idea of the Fairy Godmother is a staple in fairytales. They’re the helper, the Guardian Angel, the one that, with a little magic, gives that push that tells the heroine to have hope and courage and puts them on the right path to help their dreams come true.
With Frozen and Maleficent taking the lead, Godmothered continued with Disney’s recent theme of showcasing other types of love besides romance, and that a happily ever after doesn’t always have to include finding your prince. With a predominantly female cast, Godmothered emulates family, starting over and moving forward, and ultimately discovering that we each have the ability within ourselves, to create our own happiness.
So why was it necessary to attach Christmas to this?
Seriously, why are there so many films out there determined to make the story related to Christmas, when it doesn’t need to be? There’s movies like Die Hard or Iron Man 3, that were not intended to be Christmas movies, and not even released during the holidays, yet, they’re watched and treated as such. Godmothered on the other hand hammered Christmas in the synopsis when it was first released.
Why? Why was it so crucial for it to be set during Christmas?
Is it hurting anyone or anything to make Godmothered about Christmas? Of course not. It’s really just meant to be something families can watch together during the holidays. Fine, understood, but why did this film need to be latched on to Christmas? Given the importance of the Fairy Godmother figure in fairy tales in general, whether it was a Disney film or not, shouldn’t it be it’s own movie without being tied to a holiday? I could go through and point out every single scene or moment that’s Christmas related and question if it has to be… but that’s kind of aside from the point here.
So, forget Christmas for a minute. Godmothered, on its own, is a sweet story with an important and powerful message that a happily ever after is what you make of it and that we have the capabilities of making that a reality. Eleanor was taught that all anyone needs is a new gown, which leads to finding true love and then it’s happily ever after which is why she nudges Mackenzie (Isla Fisher) in the direction of her cute coworker (Santiago Cabrera) throughout the movie. But when Eleanor’s interference becomes unwarranted and causes problems, Mackenzie exclaims that what she wants is not what Eleanor wants, because it’s not a typical fairytale ending Eleanor knows about. However, what Eleanor does succeed at is lending a hand. She decorates the house, and helps out with Mackenzie’s daughters and encourages Mackenzie to go shopping, and do something for herself. She helps improve Mackenzie’s confidence, and makes her a better and brighter person.
As mentioned before, both Frozen and the live-action Maleficent told stories of women finding true love with their families and friends rather than a man. Godmothered takes it a step further. It’s not just true love within a family, but true love for yourself and loving yourself. Mackenzie is independent, strong and isn’t on a quest to find her ‘prince’ right now. Does she need a man? No, does she want one? Maybe… she does like her coworker, maybe it’ll go somewhere, maybe it won’t. The point is, it’s up to her. Self love is just as notable as loving any thing or person and the world is finally recognizing it. Eleanor brightens up Mackenzie, her family, and therefore their lives.
So, why Christmas?
Aside from marketing purposes (as pointed out above), this is a rough time for a lot of people. It’s a reminder about struggles within a family, it reminds single people of being alone, and/or it reminds people who do struggle with depression that they’re not happy during a season of love and joy i.e. when they’re supposed to. Eleanor makes Mackenzie realize that she can take control and have happiness back in her life… Thus giving Mackenzie her happily ever after.
Do I stand by what I said before about the Fairy Godmother figure deserving a movie that’s not attached to a holiday? Yes. Does Godmothered need to be a Christmas movie? No. But… given the message, does it work as a Christmas movie? Absolutely. So if you want to feel good, get in the holiday spirit, and have a laugh, then I recommend watching a movie that reminds everyone to take a breather and love one very important person in your life: you.