A Cinderella Story [2004] [DVD]

This teen romantic comedy is a modern-day re-telling of the classic fairy tale. Hilary Duff stars as Sam Martin, a sweet but awkward high-school girl who has been suffering since the death of her father: the diner he owned now belongs to his thoroughly wicked widow, Fiona (Jennifer Coolidge), a former waitress who now makes Sam do all the hard work, mopping floors and washing dishes. School is no picnic for Sam, either: the most popular girl, the rich, pretty and bitchy Shelby (Julie Gonzalo) makes her life a misery. Things take a turn for the better when Sam loses her mobile phone and it is found by a mystery guy. The pair embark on a romance conducted entirely by text message and email. But who is the guy - and what will happen when Sam finally gets to meet him in person at the Hallowe'en school dance? Synopsis Meet high school student Sam who scrubs floors at a diner, copes with her wicked stepmother and stepsisters, and all the while dreams of meeting her prince. But maybe she has a Prince Charming already: her anonymouse-mail buddy who arranges to meet her at the Halloween dance. Can fairytales really come true?