good back-story, and good acting

Brilliant and touching

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Rich spoiled brat Ally Sheedy pisses her dad Tom Skerritt off so much he wishes she'd never been born. In steps fairy godmother Beverly D'Angelo to try and help by giving Ally the George Bailey treatment. In a world in which she never existed, she must now work for a living and learn valuable lessons about...I don't know, being poor or something. Anyway she comes out a better person in the end, even if it does feel light-switched. It's not a great movie but it is watchable. For a comedy it's not terribly funny and all it has to say philosophically could be written on the head of a pin. Still, the cast is excellent (far better than it deserves). Ally does a decent job but, if you weren't a fan of hers before, this is unlikely to make you one. Valerie Perrine and Dick Shawn are fun as the weirdo rich couple who hire her as their maid simply because "It's so difficult to find good white help these days." Beverly D'Angelo is great as the fairy godmother. There's a little bit of Cinderella referencing in this, particularly near the end, but I'm not sure why. The story doesn't really follow that path but I suppose if you reworked Cinderella to be about one of the wicked stepsisters it might work. Oh and prepare yourself for the worst scene in the movie, where Merry 'Gimme Shelter' Clayton wows all the rich white people with a dreadful '80s cover of "The Shoop Shoop Song."

The reckless Jessica Montgomery (Aly Sheedy) is the spoiled daughter of the wealthy millionaire Charles Montgomery (Tom Skerrit), who dedicates his life to philanthropy. In order to compensate the absence of her mother, her father gave everything money can afford, but Jessie has a total lack of character. When Jessie is arrested for driving in high speed using drugs, her good father regretfully wishes he would have never had a daughter. His wishes are heard by Jessie's godmother Stella Winton (Beverly D'Angelo) and her former existence is erased from Earth. Jessie has to learn how to survive, working as a maid in the mansion of a weird couple. She becomes friend of the household staff and falls for Nick (Michael Ontkean), becoming a better woman. "Maid to Order" is one of the most delightful fantasies ever made. This Cinderella in reversed fairy tale is a great lesson of life and presents a great moral in the end, as usual in movies from Disney Studios. Aly Sheedy is perfect for this role; Michael Ontkean has a perfect chemistry with her; the whole cast has a wonderful job; but the unknown Merry Clayton "steals the show in most of the scenes" in the role of a singer. This film is underrated not only in IMDb, maybe with the viewers influenced by the professional critics, who seems that do not like this type of movie. However it is highly recommended as a great family entertainment. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Cinderela às Avesso" ("Cinderela in Reverse")Note: On 24 March 2016, I saw this film again.

I think this film may have been given too little credit. Although not an Oscar winner by far, it did lead me out of reality for a while and put a smile on my face. It is always nice when a film can do that. The music, by famous film composer Georges Delerue (Steel magnolias) helps cast the spell. Beverly D'angelo is well cast and Ally Sheedy is...well...Ally Sheedy

A Cinderella type movie... only the other way around... as her fairy Godmother says, some maids deserve to be princess' and some princess' deserve to b maids. You gotta love Ally Sheedy (best known for The Breakfast Club). The music in it is great! A great disco version of Spirit in the Sky and a beautiful song by Merry Clayton (gospel singer/backup for The Rolling Stones). I have no idea what the song is, if you do, e-mail me! A must see for comic/fantasy/80's lovers! I give it a 9!