Shipper

23rd Dec 2020

Ever After (1998)

Question: When the Evil Stepmother wakes up Danielle (who is hungover, from being with Henry and the gypsies the night before), and asks Jacqueline to boil water, why? And what was done with it? Nothing was ever explained about the boiling water. I don't believe Evil Stepmother had Jacqueline boil water to make their breakfast with. She wouldn't have relented that easily. The very next scene has Danielle getting water from the well, looking fine.

Shipper

Answer: It could be a daily chore and for a variety of reasons such as providing the step-mother and step-sister hot water for their morning wash; sanitizing drinking water, making tea, etc.

raywest

Answer: Near the beginning of the movie after Danielle comes back from whipping apples at Henry, the stepmother and sisters are having breakfast. At the beginning of the scene Marguerite says, "I wanted one four minute egg, not four one minute eggs and where in GOD'S NAME IS OUR BREAD!" Therefore the boiling water was probably to make hard boiled eggs for their breakfast.

Answer: I think the boiling water part was to actually boil water for the breakfast.

Disagree. She isn't the type to relent and tell Jaqueline to boil water, for their breakfast. The tone that the evil stepmother uses, suggests some specific use of the boiling water to punish Danielle, somehow.

Shipper

Answer: Disagree. The Stepmother says it, in too resolutely a manner as if she has a specific purpose for the boiling water. As if it will be used as a punishment on Danielle, somehow. Btw, it can't be related to the whipping, either, as that doesn't happen till a few scenes later. Script error?

Shipper

Probably not a script error but something explaining this may have been edited out post-filming. It's typical in movies that filmed scenes are later deleted entirely or partially edited during post-production for a variety of reasons-to cut down the film's running time, speed up the action, etc. As a result, it often leaves small plot inconsistencies.

raywest

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