A HAPPY ENDING DOES NOT HAVE TO INVOLVE A PRINCE, A CASTLE AND A DRESS
AS CHRISTMAS COMEDY GODMOTHERED LANDS ON DISNEY+, DANIELLE DE WOLFE TALKS TO STARS ISLA FISHER AND JILLIAN BELL ABOUT THE UNCONVENTIONAL FAIRYTALE
IF ever there was a time when the world required a little more magic, 2020 must surely be it. Enter Disney’s new Christmas comedy Godmothered, pairing a truly festive storyline with a dash of cinematic sparkle, just in time for the holiday season.
Starring Scottish-Australian actor Isla Fisher and comedian Jillian Bell, the pair’s latest project turns traditional fairytale conventions on their head.
Centred around Eleanor ( Jillian), an inexperienced fairy godmotherin-training, Godmothered is set in a time when her chosen profession is facing extinction.
Eleanor embarks on a mission to show the world precisely why it still needs fairy godmothers, when she discovers a decades old mislaid letter written by a now 40-year-old single mother named MacKenzie (Isla).
After losing her husband several years earlier, Isla’s character has given up on the concept of a ‘happily ever after’ – but then the fairy godmother-in-training arrives to offer a helping hand.
Best known for her roles in Wedding Crashers and Confessions of a Shopaholic, Isla, 44, says of the film: “I think it’s completely important and about time.
“I just loved the moment, without giving away any spoilers in regards to the story, where my character makes the point that one could have a happy ending that doesn’t involve a prince and a castle and a dress.
“I’m really proud of Disney for making a movie like this and getting that message out. I really hope families sit down and watch it and rethink the pressures that we put ourselves under to conform.”
It’s an interesting move by Disney, who for decades have been known for their whimsical tales, magical happenings and stories culminating in an oh-so-traditional happy ending.
Isla believes Godmothered is set to challenge outdated perceptions of what constitutes happiness for a woman.
“All the negative stereotypes that go along with fairytales, whether it be princesses doing domestic chores to be good or waiting for a knight in shining armour, or being kissed by a bloke when they’re unconscious and then falling in love,” declares Isla.
“There’s a bunch of stuff that we don’t really think [about]. This toxic masculinity of a prince having to slay a dragon – he can’t be vulnerable either.
“So, I’m really excited we made a movie like this, that kids are going to get a chance to see.
“I love the idea that it’s such an individual thing – ‘happily ever after’ – and we can just tailor it to suit what we really love.”
Directed by Sharon Maguire (Bridget Jones’s Diary) and produced by Dumbo’s Justin Springer, it’s a film that attempts to add a touch of magic to the most relatable of scenarios.
Isla’s enthusiasm is shared by fellow actress Jillian, 36, best known for her roles in 22 Jump Street and Fist Fight, whose casting aspirations appear to have finally come true – well, at least in part.
“I’ve always wanted to play a magical being [of ] some kind. I would love to play a witch and this is the closest I’ve gotten to it, so I immediately jumped on this project and begged them for the part,” proclaims Jillian.
“Eleanor is naive in some areas but she’s also smart. She wants the best for everyone and she wants everything to be magical and wonderful and lovely.
“Her dream in life is to come down and prove that fairy godmothers are still needed during these modern times.”
“There are still spells and magic and wands, so I kind of think that it’s in the same zone. Maybe a witch is just a fairy godmother that has a bad rep.”
Jillian is quick to emphasise that the beauty of the film lies in its message that what constitutes fulfillment is a personal choice.
“I think it’s really important to put out other definitions of what love is and what happily ever after means,” continues Jillian.
“I think it’s so important for little ones to realise that they don’t have to grow up so quickly and find romantic love or that they can find that through many different relationships.
“And what they hold to be important can be that they love soccer, they love science class, they love hanging out with their best friend, they love their brothers and sisters. I think it’s a beautiful message to put out that love can mean anything.”
While Jillian’s aspiration of becoming a witch will have to wait a little while longer, the costume department were on hand to help lessen the blow, dreaming up an ambitious design for the godmother-in-training’s spectacular dress.
However, it was her co-star Willa Skye, who plays MacKenzie’s daughter Mia in the film, who was in for the biggest surprise.
“One of my favourite pictures [was] little Willa seeing the dress for the first time,” says Jillian.
“I was so blown away by it because they were building this costume while it was on my body.
“It’s such a great picture. It’s so sweet. I mean, Willa’s eyes are bulging out of her head, but it’s the sweetest.
“I knew it would be a special moment seeing a little one see it for the first time.”
I love the idea that it’s such an individual thing – ‘happily ever after’ – and we can just tailor it to suit what we really love. Isla Fisher
■ Godmothered is available on Disney+ now