Teen Movie Analysis

1. A Cinderella Story
Mackenzie Stricklin

2. Background
Sam, the main character, has a difficult upbringing because her father died in an earthquake where
she lives on her father’s estate with her stepmother who has two dreadful daughters. She works
under her dad’s diner that is now ran by her stepmother. She is the “unpopular” girl in highschool who
lives as a servant to her step mom and sisters. Throughout the movie she is apart of an email
relationship with a boy named Nomad where they both discuss their dreams of writing and attending
Princeton University. They meet each other at their high school dance where her prince charming,
Nomad, share a romantic dance together, which she soon realize is the most popular boy, in school,
Austin Ames. As her step mom enforced here curfew, she runs off and leaves the boy questioning her
identity. From there, he was on the search for his cinderella. As the search went on, in a humiliating
way he soon found out that “diner girl” was his cinderella. At first he acts unfamiliar with her and
kinda shuts her out. Sam finally sticks up for herself with her family and to Austin as well. At the end
of the movie, he runs off the middle of the football field and dramatically expresses his love for Sam.
They soon run off to Princeton together and fall in love. Sam finds her Dad’s will and finds that he has
left the diner and the estate to her.

3. Developmental Themes
Social Development- Sam undergoes difficult
relationships with family members; meanwhile,
keeping intact a strong relationship with friends and
a developing process of a significant other.
Identity Development- Sam shows many insecurities
regarding appearance and comfortability within
herself always thinking she is not good enough for
others. However, she begins to find herself and her
self-worth. The two step-sisters are overly confident
and very self-conceited where they eventually find
themselves upset and insecure when Sam gets the
boy they had been chasing. They played a role in life
that was not their own trying to be someones they’re
not for the desired attention.
“Consumer Identity: Know the Fundamentals.” Annalect, 16 June 2020,
https://www.annalect.com/identity-two-methods-for-unifying-the-consumer-id/.

4. Theoretical Foundation
The movie can be best described using the Erikson’s Psychosocial theory because it examines
recurring changes in self-awareness, identity construction, and interpersonal connections. This goes
with how the characters developed relationships and their experiences with individual growth
(personal identity vs. social identity). They faced societal problems where they find themselves
understanding their own identity and influences on their social relationships.
● Negative ego identity crisis within the step-mom and step-sister where they develop unhealthy
relationships with themselves and others
● Sam discovering herself and her own identity influenced her relationship with Austin in a
positive matter
● Beginning scenes showed her strong bond with her father and after his passing it shows her
struggle with self-identity due to a lack of family relations

5. Cultural and Relational Themes
The movie shows the growing tendency in society
of victimization and seek to silence opposing
viewpoints without making concessions. Sam
might have easily fallen into the victim mentality
trap due to the treatment she got from her sisters
and the opinions Austin because of her social
status and appearance. However, her acts of love
and forgiveness go against the ongoing trend and
pursue higher ideals of honorable character.
StockUnlimited. “You Don't Have to Be a Designer to Get Awesome Visuals.” StockUnlimited,
https://www.stockunlimited.com/vector-illustration/a-couple-growing-a-love-tree_1286087.html.

6. Realistic and Unrealistic Norms
Realistic Norms
● Toxic relationships within family and
partners
● Self-identity problems and insecurities with
inner and outward appearance
● Social status with popularity in high school
● Gender stereotypes- other’s having views
on what a male and female should and
should not be
Unrealistic Norms
● Sam playing as a servant to her family
● The stereotypes of the jocks and
cheerleaders being mean and non inclusive
● Women being portrayed as dumb,
gold-diggers, and self-absorbed
● Girls in highschool demeaning other girls
thinking they are superior to other
individuals
● EMail relationships

7. Movie Rating
● 7/10
This movie does not necessarily show the most ideal representation of adolescent development;
however, it does portray rapid changes in life, struggling obstacles, identity, independence, and
transitions into adulthood. In the early stages of life, Sam experiences developing healthy
relationships with friends and family. After her father died is when she begins to face many different
challenging aspects in life dealing with her toxic and unhealthy step-family environment. Things do
not get much better in high school either where she experiences bullying, lack of friends, insecurities,
and self-identity issues. She is slightly disobedient as any average teen is when growing up. There are

8. Works Cited
Cherry, Kendra. “Understanding Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development.” Verywell Mind, Verywell Mind, 3 Aug. 2022,
https://www.verywellmind.com/erik-eriksons-stages-of-psychosocial-development-2795740.
Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development - NCBI Bookshelf.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556096/.