Penelope (2008) - Movie Review for Parents

MPAA Rating: PG, thematic elements, some innuendo and language
Genre: Family/Drama/Comedy
Age range: Ages 8 and up
Runtime: Approx. 101 minutes
Starring: Christina Ricci, James McAvoy, Catherine O'Hara, Reese Witherspoon, Peter Dinklage
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Director: Mark Palansky

Penelope - Overview

Harrowed by a curse that was placed on her ancestors, poor Penelope (Christina Ricci) was born with the face of a pig. It was said that the only way to break the ugly spell, was for Penelope to find love with “one of her own kind.” Almost from the day she was born, Penelope's mother (Catherine O'Hara) set out to make her into the perfect wife. Now that she is of marrying age, Penelope's entire existence revolves around finding a blue blood suitor who will actually marry her.

Unfortunately for Penelope, even her sizable dowry is not enough to convince the suitors to overlook her snout. But when one suitor, a gambling addict named Max (James McAvoy), seems to show true interest in her, Penelope's hopes soar. Upon finding him to be a fraud, though, Penelope's heart is broken for the last time. She decides to set out on her own and explore the world she has been so long locked away from.

Penelope's travels lead her to new friends and exciting adventures, but she is still a prisoner to the curse on her face. In order to truly break the spell that has her bound, Penelope must learn to love herself. Only then will she be able to live freely and accept the love of another.

Penelope - Guide Review for Parents

Artistically, Penelope is a beautiful story and a beautiful movie. Reese Witherspoon, who produced the movie and plays the part of Penelope's friend, shows her creative side with lovely background images of fall foliage, flowers and butterflies. The layout of the movie enhances the stories fairy tale/fable genre and adds to the sweetness of the overall moral about the need to love ourselves the way we are.

Unfortunately, mixed in with all this sweetness are several scenes which portray people smoking, drinking, and gambling. Even Penelope herself finds trying a "beer on tap" to be a central experience in exploring the outside world. Also, one of the main characters has a gambling problem and is shown several times in a gambling hall.

Parents may also be concerned about a scene which depicts a young woman committing suicide. Of course, her death is not shown, but the narrator does explain that she "fell" off a cliff, and we see her fall. Also, at one point in the movie, Penelope declares that if the curse is not broken she will kill herself. For more details about these and other examples of possibly offensive content in Penelope, see the content overview below.

Penelope - Content Overview

The following lists a few of the most prominent examples of possibly offensive content in the movie (may contain spoilers):

Violence (Very Low)
- A woman is shown falling off a cliff. (Her landing is not shown, but we find out that she died.)
- Penelope's mother hits a reporter with a bat and we later see him with a patch on his eye resulting from the incident.
- Several suitors jump out of the window when they see Penelope, breaking the glass and falling to the gound below.

Sex/Nudity (Low)
- Penelope wears a sleeveless wedding dress.
- A man and a woman kiss passionately.

Profanity (Low)
- The word "hell" is used.

Alcohol/Drugs (High)
- Several people are shown drinking in various settings. Penelope and Max discuss the great taste of a "beer on tap," and she later drinks several of these, becoming drunk in a tavern.
- People are shown smoking, drinking, and gambling in a seedy looking gambling hall.

Bad/Disrespectful Behavior (High)
- Max is shown to be a gambling addict who keeps gambling until he runs out of chips.
- Max tries to steal a first edition book from Penelope's library.
- Suitors run from Penelope screaming, some say mean things about her, and one agrees to marry her just so he will look good to the press. He expresses that he gags at the thought of kissing her.

Scary Scenes (Low)
- Penelope collapses after running with a scarf over her face.

Sad/Unsettling Scenes (Medium)
- A woman is implied to have committed suicide. In desperation, Penelope declares to a suitor that she will kill herself if the curse is not broken when she marries.
- Max is sad about losing Penelope and about his addiction.
- Penelope's mother degrades her and is never satisfied with how Penelope looks.

Penelope - Topics to Talk About

• Kids may have questions about the following topics: the persecution of people who are different, curses, gambling, suicide, beer on tap, reporters, suitors, a mother's inability to love her daughter for who she is.