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Amy Adams & Patrick Dempsey at the premiere of "Enchanted" held at the El Capitan in Hollywood, Calif. on November 17, 2007.
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Scoring big at the box office in its first week, Enchanted tells the story of what happens when a classic Disney fairytale collides with modern-day New York. Soon-to-be Princess Giselle (Amy Adams) is taken out of the land of Andalasia and thrust into the heart of New York City by the evil Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon), who will stop at nothing to keep the princess away from the throne.
Giselle has everything needed to make a perfect princess -- a kind demeanor, a pure heart, a lovely singing voice and an uncanny ability to communicate with animals -- in the world of Andalasia, which just happens to be animated. Giselle’s wish to meet the handsome prince of her dreams and share “true love’s kiss” comes true when Prince Edward (James Marsden) hears her singing and rushes to her side. The very next day, on her way to wed Edward, Narissa banishes Giselle to a place as far away from a fairytale kingdom as you can get, transforming her into a very real woman in a very unmagical place -- modern day Manhattan. Coming to her aid in this strange new place is no-nonsense divorce lawyer Robert (Patrick Dempsey), and his young daughter Morgan (Rachel Covey). When Giselle’s no-longer-animated Prince Edward, along with his servant Nathanial (Timothy Spall), and Giselle’s best friend and chipmunk Pip, all arrive in New York, her two worlds collide, and she begins to change her views on life and love.
Blending fantasy, action, music, CG effects, hand-drawn animation and live-action, Enchanted is an original, unique romantic comedy that puts a modern spin on the classic Disney fairytale. To portray the animated-turned-live-action Giselle, filmmakers knew that Amy Adams’ uncanny ability to embody a naive, young girl made her perfect for the role.
“When I first read the script, I felt like I knew who she was,” Adams tells MediaBlvd Magazine. “Oddly enough, I felt that it was something that I understood. I’ve always been attracted to characters who are positive and who come from a very innocent place. There’s a lot of room for discovery in those characters, and that’s something I always have fun playing. I didn’t treat it like it was a joke. I treated it like it was Chekov, so maybe they sensed my sincerity.”
Having spent much of her childhood and teenage years watching Disney animated films, the 33-year-old fan of Cinderella says that she felt she already had the background to help her in playing Giselle. “There was no need to study. If anything, I tried to avoid them because I didn’t want to do an imitation of one of the previous princesses. I wanted to create a new character. (Director) Kevin Lima had done such a wonderful job. He had the art all along the walls of Disney, and he had us come in and pre-record our voices, so that he could storyboard the whole film. For each scene, I knew exactly what he was looking for, the physical and emotional nature of the character, and what shots he intended to use. It was really helpful for me.”
When it came to her animated self, Adams says she was flattered by her likeness. “I was a little intimidated because her waist is a lot smaller than mine. I thought there’d be no late night Mexican food binges while shooting this. But, they did a really good job capturing some of my quirks and movements. I run pigeon-toed and she does too. Sometimes, you get self-conscious because you know they’re looking for what will define this character. I grew up watching those films, and James Baxter’s animation, so it was a huge compliment to be animated by him.”
Adams admits that the biggest challenge of playing an animated-turned-real-life character was finding the right balance of both worlds. “One of the things that interested me about taking this role was the challenge of making her fun, coming from the animated world, but also making sure that she was grounded, human and based in enough emotion that she would resonate. That was something that I was very conscious of.”
Currently a part of Grey’s Anatomy, one of television's most popular dramas, actor Patrick Dempsey plays the “straight man” amidst all the action and comedy. “Everybody was having a great time over-acting and being brilliant, and I had to drive the narrative, which was challenging,” the 41-year-old, better known these days as McDreamy, tells MediaBlvd Magazine. “I just wanted to be a part of the film because it’s hard to find stories that are original and different. There was also something about this that was timeless and familiar, so it felt like it was entertaining on a lot of levels. As a parent, it’s a nice family film. But, it’s also a good date movie, and something you can go to and just find entertaining. The symbolism in it, and the archetypes, are really fascinating. It was different and, at the time, I thought it was the right move to make. I still do.”
As the “straight guy” among all of the larger-than-life characters, Dempsey says that he never quite felt comfortable on set. “Everybody was so much larger-than-life that I was trying to figure out if I had the right tone, and if I was hitting the right beats, emotionally and comedically, without going over the edge. Watching Amy was just unbelievable. It made my job a lot easier. All I had to do was listen, watch her and react to what she was giving me. But, it was always strange, stylistically.”
While both Adams and Dempsey would be willing to return for a sequel, until that happens, they have other projects on their plate. Preparing to go to work on the film Doubt, with Meryl Streep and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Adams has already completed a couple of films, since making Enchanted. “I did Miss Pedigrew Lives for a Day (to be released in 2008), with Frances McDormand, where I play a 1930's cabaret singer who’s a very ambitious girl. My character meets Frances’ character, and we have this fantastic day together. And then, I did Charlie Wilson’s War, which is being released on Christmas Day. I play a Congressional Administrative Assistant to Tom Hank’s character. She’s his Gal Friday.”
Of course, Dempsey has his day job to get back to, once the writer’s strike is over. “We’ve only done 11 episodes, and that could be it for the year. This year, people are really wanting the storylines to move forward a little faster than they are, and (show creator) Shonda Rhimes is really trying to find her way, balancing out Grey’s with Private Practice. We find her to be much more receptive this season, certainly in the middle part of the season, where she’s looking for more feedback and collaboration from people than she has in the past. I think we’ve become really stagnant in the relationship between Derek and Meredith. I’m tired of going back and forth, playing the same bead, over and over. That’s been the biggest conversation we’ve had. We need to move forward with the dynamic between the two of them. I’d just like to see something else happen.”
Dempsey will also have Made of Honor out in 2008. “I play a guy named Tom, who is extremely successful because he invented the coffee collar -- the thing that keeps you from burning your hand. He’s a bit of a playboy, and he’s best friends with Michelle Monaghan’s character, Hannah. She goes off and falls in love with this Scottish man (played by Journeyman’s Kevin McKidd), then comes back and asks him to be the maid of honor. At that point, he realizes how much he really loves her and that she’s the perfect girl for him, so he decides he has to go and try to figure out how to sabotage the marriage and the wedding.”
