‘A happy ending doesn’t have to involve a prince, castle and a dress’
Isla Fisher talks to Danielle de Wolfe about the positive message of Godmothered
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 (Bell), an inexperienced fairy godmother-in-training, Godmothered is set in a time when her chosen profession is facing extinction.
It marks the beginning of her mission to show the world precisely why it still needs fairy godmothers, as Bell’s character discovers a mislaid letter from decades past belonging to a now 40-year-old single mother named Mackenzie, played by Fisher.
After losing her husband several years earlier, Fisher’s character has given up on the concept of a ‘happily ever after’ – the point at which the fairy godmotherin-training arrives to offer a helping hand.
Best known for her roles in Wedding Crashers and Confessions Of A Shopaholic, Fisher, 44, has long starred in films featuring traditional ‘happily ever after’ storylines. However, this grounded depiction of happiness, set in the midst of Boston, is precisely what drew the Hollywood star to this project in the first place.
“I think it’s completely important and about time,” enthuses Fisher, 44, of Disney’s less-than-traditional take on the subject.
“I just loved the moment, without giving away any spoilers in regards to the story, where my character makes the point that her happy ending – or at least 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 are known for their whimsical tales, magical happenings and stories culminating in an oh-so-traditional happy ending.
Featuring echoes of Enchanted but in an altogether less fictitious setting, Fisher believes Godmothered is set to challenge archaic perceptions of happiness.
“Just 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 Fisher.
“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.”
● Godmothered is out now on Disney+