| Maid to Order | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Amy Holden Jones |
| Produced by | Mort Engelberg |
| Written by | Amy Holden Jones Perry Howze Randy Howze |
| Starring | Ally Sheedy Beverly D'Angelo Michael Ontkean Valerie Perrine Dick Shawn Tom Skerritt Merry Clayton |
| Music by | Georges Delerue |
| Cinematography | Shelly Johnson |
| Editing by | Sidney Wolinsky |
| Distributed by | Artisan Entertainment |
| Release date(s) | July 10, 1987 |
| Running time | 93 min |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English, Spanish |
Maid to Order is a 1987 comedy/fantasy film starring Ally Sheedy.
Contents |
Rich and spoiled twenty something Jessie Montgomery (Sheedy) winds up in jail after a life of wild partying. Her father (Tom Skerritt) decides he might have been better off without a daughter, and with that her "fairy godmother" Stella (Beverly D'Angelo) appears and creates an existence where she must make it on her own. Jessie is then forced to find work as a maid for an eccentric rich couple (Valerie Perrine and Dick Shawn).
The film is an unusual variation on the Cinderella formula: the fairy godmother is not the means to a better life for the heroine but rather the nemesis. Stella is Jessie's primary obstacle to achieving her wish of regaining her old spoiled Beverly Hills lifestyle.
In the end, however, through her experiences with the other people in the mansion (former singer turned cook Audrey, Hispanic servant Maria and chauffer Nick) Jessie learns the true meaning of love, friendship, and self-respect. When she chooses the happiness of her new friends over her own, she is rewarded with having her old life more or less returned to her.
The movie was released on VHS by International Video Entertainment in 1988 and was re-released on VHS in 1991 by Avid Home Entertainment in the SLP mode. In 2002, Artisan Entertainment released the film on DVD sans bonus features and was presented only in full screen. The DVD has now been discontinued for no given reason. As of December 21, 2009, Lions Gate has yet to announce any plans for a new DVD. In Sep. 2010 the movie became available to view on Netflix's Watch Instantly.