Curse Broken Only By Acceptance

‘Penelope’ is a contemporary movie that takes place in England.

Many generations back a lord’s son, named Ralph Wilhern, fell in love with a servant girl named Clara. When he told his parents that he wanted to marry her, they laughed and said that she wasn’t good enough to marry a lord’s son. So Ralph married a lady as his parents wished. Clara, in a fit of despair, killed herself. Clara’s mother, the town witch, came to their home that night and cursed them. The next Wilhern daughter would have the face of a pig. “And only when one of your own kind claims this daughter as their own till death do they part will the curse be broken.” Luckily, the Wilherns’ had all sons who had all sons unto the fifth generation; until Penelope was born.

Franklin (Richard E. Grant) and Jessica (Catherine O’Hara) happened to be the lucky couple in the Wilhern family tree to have the first baby girl since the curse. Penelope was born with a pig-like nose and pig-like ears. So Penelope (Christina Ricci) was kept inside the manor where almost no one ever saw her but her family and the staff. Wanda (Ronni Ancona), a professional matchmaker, was hired when Penelope was old enough to marry, in order to find a blue-blood for her to break the curse. Two rooms were set up with a one-way mirror for her to hide behind until she decided to show herself to the perspective groom. Because she was an heiress, many men tried to win her heart only to run in fear or terror when they finally saw her face.

Finally a man is brought in who doesn’t run away from her. After he betrays her, she feels that no blue-blood will ever love her. So, she decides to venture out into the world and see it for herself. Along the way she makes friends, explores, almost gets caught, and has many adventures. And there’s a reporter who has been trying to get a picture of the mysterious Penelope since the day she was born. Will he finally get one? And if he does, will he show it to the world? What would people do if they find out about her?

Among the other stars are Peter Dinklage, Nigel Havers, Lenny Henry, James McAvoy, Reese Witherspoon, and Simon Woods. This was a good movie and it had an excellent lesson about loving others. It’s rated PG.