Cinematic history is filled with characters that some fans believe should have ended up together, but didn't, from Harry and Hermione to Katniss and Gale. For some reason, be it fate, poor decision-making, the allure of red hair or self-loathing, couples that were meant to be never were. There are, of course, fans on both sides of these debates that will argue their team to the bitter end. One such couple is Giselle and Prince Edward from Disney's modern fairy tale, Enchanted. A decade after the film, there are those who are still Team Edward (not that Edward), but Enchanted's director, Kevin Lima, did not mince words when explaining what Giselle and Edward didn't belong together, saying:
They're absolutely wrong. Because it is about a woman who grows past the small world where she came from and becomes a more fully formed person. So she can't stay where she was, she can't get married to the person she met that she decided to marry in a single day.
Kevin Lima makes a great point. Real life isn't a fairy tale. You don't get the idealized prince or princess that makes for so many happily ever after stories. For Giselle, as other Disney princesses have found out, deciding to marry a person that you've known for a single day is a bold strategy that rarely pays off. You might think you still love that boy/girl from middle school, but you've grown, and who knows, he/she might eat people now. Personal growth is important to who you end up with. Giselle didn't need the prince/the knight in shining armor anymore because she wasn't a damsel in distress by that point. She had grown and experienced new people and places. Moving out of your comfort zone changes how you see yourself and the world, and ultimately, changes what your needs are. Giselle couldn't go back to the simplistic, fairy tale life or the fairy tale prince.
The Enchanted director went on to express to Entertainment Weekly how Giselle doesn't give up who she is to be with Robert, but is able to maintain her purity and joy while becoming a more complex, fully-formed person. So while some fans may forever ship Giselle and Edward, the man behind Enchanted has put his foot down on the matter. Of course, nowadays happily ever after is often, 'happily ever after....until next time'. Indeed it appears that over a decade after its release, Enchanted is poised to get a sequel, aptly titled, Disenchanted. We haven't heard much about the sequel recently, and it was initially supposed to start shooting this summer for a 2018 release date. Amy Adams is a bigger name than ever, and the original movie has gathered quite the fanbase over the years, so I would guess that we'll be returning to Andalasia sooner or later.
For all the latest in which movie characters do and don't belong together, keep an eye on CinemaBlend and be sure to check out our 2017 release schedule for all the cinematic offerings left this year.
