Ella Enchanted is a deceptively lighthearted retelling of Cinderella in which the titular character is cursed at birth to always be obedient. Ella grows up independent and spirited, but is constantly downtrodden by her selfish stepsisters, who take advantage of the curse. When Ella decides to find the fairy who cursed her, she ends up caught up in a series of adventures involving ogres, trolls, and a prince. This modern fairytale explores women's independence and intelligently subverts the usual fairytale tropes.