There was a time, when our girls were small, that the word "princess" was synonymous with "Disney" and "animated." It was not that Disney was the extent of their exposure to princesses, it was more that the Disney marketing machine is so huge, unrelenting and effective. Their princesses are everywhere. Band-aids, sweatshirts, pajamas, hats, toothbrushes -- you name it and Briar Rose, Cinderella, Jasmine, Belle, Snow White and Ariel's images adorn it. Oh, and they appear in movies, as well. But that was then. While all those Disney princesses have their place in the world, I am relieved that my girls have long since outgrown them.

In 1998, my Mom and I went to a movie with a real live princess in it, and I knew immediately that this was the princess for my girls. The film was Ever After, and Drew Barrymore (who is about as close to royalty as Hollywood gets) the princess. Ever After is a retelling of the Cinderella story that not only looks authentic but also introduces a heroine who possesses a great mind and a fiery spirit to match her beautiful face. I bought it for our family as soon as it became available on video. We have watched it repeatedly since then, and enjoy it every time.

Another princess movie that our entire family counts as a favorite -- in fact its dialogue has become part of our shorthand -- is the 1987 classic The Princess Bride. While the princess in this film, Robin Wright Penn, is undeniably beautiful, it is the combination of the cast as a whole, the fabulous dialogue, and the perfect direction that make this film so wonderful. I'm inclined to list our favorite lines from this film, but that would go on for pages, so allow me to share this one, tiny bit: "As you wish." If you haven't already, do yourself and your family a favor, watch The Princess Bride and enjoy all of the memorable dialogue and action together.

The 1994 picture Princess Caraboo is one my husband and I saw in the theatre in the early years of our marriage, before we even had children. I will watch Kevin Kline in anything, and my husband was drawn, I think, by Mr. Kline's real-life wife and the star of this film, Phoebe Cates. The story is based on actual events which occurred in England in 1817, and the talented, well chosen cast do the story justice and make it fun to watch unfold. The first time our girls saw this movie, I confess, they did not particularly enjoy it; I think they didn't understand it. However, five years later, at ages nine and ten, they find it delightful.

The final two suggestions in this page of princesses are films introduced to my husband and me by our girls. The first is a very funny film which came out in 2004 and was adapted from a terrific book by the equally terrific author, Gail Carson Levine, called Ella Enchanted. If you are already familiar with the book, I feel I should tell you that the movie is not an adaptation that will please purists. It is, however, an adaptation true to the spirit of the book, and a real pleasure to watch. The second daughter-recommended princess film is the 2001 picture The Princess Diaries, which, I must say, I have not seen in its entirety. Nevertheless, I am confident recommending it for several reasons, not the least of which is the girls' impeccable taste, which they inherited from their mother. One of the stars of the film may be enough to convince many: Dame Julie Andrews. It occurs to me that at this point in her life she appears in movies because she appreciates the script, director and fellow cast members, not because she needs to pay the rent or make a name for herself. Another star may further persuade: Anne Hathaway. Miss Hathaway, coincidentally, also stars in Ella Enchanted and has made quite a name for herself in non-G-rated films as well (among them Brokeback Mountain and The Devil Wears Prada).

The bottom line here is that there is no reason to restrict your families to a diet of ubiquitous, Disney princess fare. A plethora of alternatives are available for modern-day princesses and their families. And really, don't these children deserve to know the truth? The quality of a princess is not necessarily measured by the size of her marketing machine, but by the depth of her character, intelligence and spirit.

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