This 2002 romantic comedy features a hotel maid who captures the heart of a high profile politician when he mistakes her for a wealthy hotel guest. It is a modern day Cinderella story of two lovers that get caught between the restrictions of a class-based society, while it adds a racialized element to the tale – a white actor (Ralph Fiennes) plays the politician, and the maid (Jennifer Lopez) is Latina.

discussion

Describe the strategies used in the trailer to signify or enact class difference between the two main characters. Are these identifiers gendered or racialized in any ways?

What message does the film’s “fairytale” genre express with respect to race, class and/or gender?