This adaptation of "Cinderella" removes the element of magic and bases the tale on the "true" story of a 16th-century orphan named Danielle (Drew Barrymore), who meets and falls in love with a prince (Dougray Scott) through a series of coincidences. The two young lovers contend with deception, class differences and, of course, Danielle's wicked, ambitious stepmother (Anjelica Houston).