The first truth and most prominent is no one should be told what to do. “It’s a terrible gift to have to do what you’re told!” Even at a young age, Ella (Anne Hathaway) experiences great pains because of her “gift”. She bites people and “stuffs [her] face” at her birthday party.
Love can span any crisis. Love will surpass everything from telling your friend you never want to see her again to turning your boyfriend into a book to trying to kill your lover. When you truly love someone, nothing will stop you from being together. This is true for both friend and significant other.
Do not judge someone because of their size, appearance, or station in society. Slannen (Aidan McArdle) is small and an elf, but he has big dreams and ambitions of being a “lawyer”. He does not want to be subjected to simply “singing and dancing”. The giants also hate the stereotypes set against them by the “stinking Grimm Brothers”. They are not really “big and scary”.
You have control over your own life and choices, even when you feel you do not. Even though Ella thinks she needs to find Lucinda (Vivica A. Fox) to take away the gift, she has had the power all along. She just had to find the strength in herself.
And finally, sometimes wicked step-sisters really are just wicked. From beginning to end Hattie (Lucy Punch) and Olive (Jennifer Higham) try to sabotage Ella’s life. Hattie discovers the “gift” quickly and uses it against her; even after Ella has beaten her curse, Hattie says, “You are never to kiss him again!” But since Ella won her struggle, she is free to do as she likes, even marry the prince.
Ella Enchanted is a book as well. The internet offers more analysis of the book than movie, but for some background information and thematic references, check out this site.
Another site analyzes this movie and story through an archetypal lens.
Thanks for reading!!!