CinderElmo 1999

In the Kingdom of Sesame, there is a little red monster named CinderElmo who lives in a busy, chore-filled home with his wicked Stepmother and his stepbrothers, along with Zoe and the household dog and mice. His days are spent on endless chores while the possibility of attending a royal ball feels far out of reach, especially as the stepfamily keeps him in the shadows and out of sight.

Across the town, the King’s town crier, Grover, rings out the urgent news: Princess Charming must choose a match by midnight or risk losing the kingdom. To ensure a fair sweep, the King, King Fred, opens the invitation to every man and monster in the realm, and the whole kingdom buzzes with excitement and nerves alike.

The Stepmother hatches a plan to keep CinderElmo away from the ball, even as her own sons improvise a new dance to impress the guests. Then comes the unexpected knock: Cookie Monster arrives as the General Invitation Deliverer and hands CinderElmo a coveted invitation, which the Stepmother stubbornly tries to deny him. When the horse and carriage finally arrive, she locks CinderElmo and his friends inside the house to keep him from slipping away to the night of glamour.

Despair begins to lift when CinderElmo, after gazing at a falling star, is approached by a Fairy Godperson(/actor/oliver-platt) who offers him a spark of magic and a plan to seize his dreams. After a careful wash, the Fairy Godperson outfits him and Zoe in smart clothes, transforms the family dog into a handsome prince, and conjures a carriage from a simple dog bowl, while the mice become dependable horses. Time is short, and CinderElmo must use every second before the clock strikes midnight to make the most of this magical boost.

At the ball, the transformed duo step into the grand hall. The Stepmother’s scheme meets its match when the Princess Charming, Keri Russell, shows genuine interest in the mystery dancer. The Stepbrothers dance with the instructions their mother taught them, but the princess’s eyes are drawn to the enigmatic figure in armor. Zoe and CinderElmo slip past the Herald’s cloak and join the last dance, and the moment feels electric as the two beginning connections deepen.

The clock continues its sprint toward midnight, and the trio — CinderElmo, Zoe, and the armored knight — slip away from the crowd to seize the final moments of the spectacle. The armor clatters and tumbles, but Princess Charming grants CinderElmo a chance to share the dance of his dreams. Yet with seconds left, he must rush home as the magic wears off, leaving only a delicate shoe behind, and a memory of a moment when a boy and a princess found something real.

Back at the palace, the court trails the shoe to find its match, visiting many suitors who fail to fit. When the stepbrothers’ attempts fall short, Princess Charming discovers that CinderElmo is the one whose heart she’s been seeking, though he worries he’s too young for marriage. The King weighs a bold choice: he could rewrite the law to honor their union. The Fairy Godperson intervenes again, restoring the Prince to a human and helping the couple recognize a shared future. The celebration is set, and the royal family openly welcomes their marriage, inviting everyone to the palace while leaving the Stepmother and the mice behind.