9. Lady Tremaine Was Just Looking Out For Her Kids
Sure, the Evil Stepmother seems like a right cow looking at the story nowadays, but you have to think about the time period this is supposed to represent. Lady Tremaine is a noblewoman who likely married below her station (Cinderella doesn't have a title, so one can assume her father didn't either), and now she's saddled with a child that she has the expense of looking after. At the same time, she's also got two daughters that she's keen to marry off, and neither of them are anywhere near as attractive as their stepsister Cinderella. When marriage is literally the only thing that a girl can to make sure that she is provided for, you can hardly begrudge Lady Tremaine for doing everything in her power to make sure that her children will have everything they need after she's gone. And yeah, she's kind of a jerk to Cinderella, but it's a bit churlish to think that you're above doing chores when someone who's not even related to you is giving you room and board. No, Lady Tremaine does not act like a real mother to Cinderella, but is she a villain? Surely not.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
