Penelope
U.K./U.S.A. 2006

Opening 5 Jun 2008

Directed by: Mark Palansky
Writing credits: Leslie Caveny
Principal actors: Christina Ricci, James McAvoy, Catherine O'Hara, Reese Witherspoon, Peter Dinklage

By Mark Palansky with James McAvoy, Christine Ricci, Reese Witherspoon, Richard E. Grant, Catherine O’Hara, Peter Dinklage, Simon Woods

Palansky captivates the silver screen audience with Penelope, which addresses the effects of unconditional love. The whimsical fairytale, written by Leslie Caveny, accentuates the human desire to experience this special love and to emotionally embrace the cause it has on human dignity.

Jessica (O’Hara) and Franklin (Grant) Wilhem, along with their daughter, Penelope (Ricci), are the prominent nobles in town. The Wilhems are looking for the perfect male suitor from a line of blue bloods (rich kids) to break a family curse that was imposed upon Penelope at birth. Never mind that Penelope has the nose of a real pig. The hideousness does not stand in their way to find a young aristocrat “who will love their daughter faithfully” because if they adore her, so will the destined blue blood. Penelope, now of age, is beautiful, especially when she reveals her true character. Unfortunately, the curse stands in the way of her happiness, as well as her parents' dream.

Few people have seen Penelope and the local tabloid reporter, Lemon (Dinklage), wants to be the first to catch a glimpse on camera. He bribes a couple of blue bloods to act as interested suitors in what would be the last effort Jessica and Franklin would make to find their future son-in-law. The curse is to be broken only when Penelope marries one of her own kind who declares to love her faithfully. Thus far, the blue bloods run for their life at Penelope’s hideous sight, in spite of the handsome dowry her family offers. However, Lemon’s boy, Max (McAvoy), did not run away. In fact, he had missed her entrance and her all together because he was trampled on by the rampage of the other suitors' quick exit when she exposed herself. Max was curious to see what Penelope looked like but was mostly attracted by her voice, her kindness, and her intellect as they conversed through microphones and a one way mirror in the Wilhem’s estate library. Max returned to the house for several days after but was forced to end their meetings without explanation. He could not bear to reveal the reason their paths had crossed or to expose any more scandal brought on her family’s name. The heartbroken Penelope makes a life-altering paradigm shift. She escapes from her imprisonment into the real world where she meets Annie (Witherspoon), one of her own kind. (Karen Pecota)