Penelope | 
| Director: Mark Palansky
Actors: Christina Ricci, James Mcavoy, Catherine O'hara, Reese Witherspoon, Peter Dinklage
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: $25.99
Buy Used: $2.27
You Save: $23.72 (91%)
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Rating:  70 reviews
Sales Rank: 1967
Format: Ac-3, Color, Dolby, Dvd, Full Screen, Ntsc, Subtitled, Widescreen
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 89 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: SUMD66104618D
UPC: 025195037952
EAN: 0025195037952
ASIN: B0011N1WE8
Theatrical Release Date: 2006
Release Date: July 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Christina Ricci stars as Penelope, a lonely heiress who has spent her entire life trying to break a strange family curse that left her with the nose of a pig. When she meets a charming aristocrat (James McAvoy) who seems to see beyond her physical appearance, Penelope begins to learn that loving herself is more important than breaking the curse. Also starring Reese Witherspoon and Catherine O'Hara, Penelope is a delightful modern-day fairy tale for the entire family.
Amazon.com
Taking cues from Beauty and the Beast and Cyrano de Bergerac, director Mark Palanksy debuts with a slight, if fanciful confection. Produced by Reese Witherspoon and written by Leslie Caveny, Penelope begins with the phrase, "Once upon a time...," making it clear the proceedings owe more to fantasy than reality. Due to a family curse, Ricci's sweet-natured heiress sports a pig snout instead of a normal nose. Since surgery isn't an option--it would sever her carotid artery--her parents (Christopher Guest favorite Catherine O'Hara and an underused Richard E. Grant) hide her from the world for 25 years. Penelope can only break the spell through "one who will love her faithfully," but none of the local bluebloods will have her. One fateful day, while her face is hidden, she meets musician-turned-gambler Max (Atonement's James McAvoy in a winning performance). Sparks fly, until she finds he's only cozying up to her on orders from tabloid reporter Lemon (The Station Agent's Peter Dinklage), so Penelope runs away from home. The city she enters looks much like modern-day London--Amelie's Michel Amathieu served as cinematographer--except most everyone speaks with an American accent (then again, the film is a fable). The aspiring horticulturist befriends spunky courier Annie (Witherspoon) and reconnects with Max, who harbors secrets of his own. Once people become accustomed to her unconventional looks, Penelope's future starts to brighten. Like Enchanted, Palanksy's first feature gives the romantic comedy a refreshing--and empowering--fairytale twist. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
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| Customer Reviews: Read 65 more reviews...
 Christina Ricci has never looked better. Even with the pig nose. June 26, 2009
Tracy D. Cooper
Penelope is a fun little movie even if her suitors are over reacting to her nose and ears. I've always had a soft spot for Ms. Ricci and would marry her even with the pig nose. The rich part would be icing on the cake. The movie is fun and has its amusing and tear jerker moments, so as long as your not looking for deep meaning or some mystical self wakening experience you'll enjoy it.
 So sweet you'll be in sugar-high! June 5, 2009
canopy (New Zealand)
What a sweet, sweet story that is actually okay for kids to watch! As it is an obvious plot - fairly predictable - I won't go into too much detail about the story. It's not an ugly duckling story as some reviewers have said but more like a reversed Beauty and the Beast. There's a curse put upon a family and because of this curse, Penelope, our heroine, is born with a snout and the only way to break the curse is for her to find someone to marry her. And thus begins her family's journey to find the right man for this cursed girl. Unlike the story of the Beauty and the Beast this fairy tale has a sophisticated twist to it - which was fantastic. Although, the story is absolutely fantastic, I have to say I was more charmed by the visual of the movie. Oh, how beautifully this story was presented. The production team created this whole world that doesn't quite fit in any time period - a victorian gothic married with the twenty-first century... all the colours and the quirky and quaint setting were a sight to behold. I'd want to live on that set if it was real! :D
There were no weak links in the whole cast. Christina Ricci played Penelope beautifully. She is supposedly the female beast but her beauty shines through remarkably - and sometimes, she was too beautiful to be the 'beast' of the movie, even with the snout! ;) A special mention goes out to Mr Bennet. It was hilarius to see the hunk from Pride and Prejudice become a daft prick!
I would like to warn you, though, not to expect a romantic comedy. The story revolves around the character Penelope and how she overcomes and braves the hurdles of life. The movie stands to send out a message. There is a romantic story to it but it's definitely not the central plot. All in all a great feel good movie and, yes, an excellent chick flick for all ages!
A Charming Tale! May 30, 2009
J. D'Giovanni (USA)
Poor Penelope is cursed. Not only was she born with the face of a pig but she also must suffer through a seemingly endless parade of prospective suitors who flee in fear at the very sight of her. Of course, according to the legend, she supposedly needs a "worthy" groom to stick around long enough to break the curse but that is beginning to seem rather hopeless.
What I liked...
-Being that Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales the storyline really caught my attention. Penelope is an enjoyable re-telling of a classic story with some cute plot twists.
-The setting is quirky with retro and modern elements. I found the sets and locations to be charming, imaginative, and worth examining.
-The cast was great! Sometimes I regret casting choices but that could hardly be said for this film. Christina Ricci and Reese Witherspoon were fabulous and that is only the half of it!
-Aside from the fact that this is, at face value, a really charming tale there is a moral to the story.
What I didn't like...
Honestly, I could not come up with anything I did not like.
In summary...
Really, this is a very cute film and I highly recommend it. There are scenes with gambling and alcohol but I think most people would feel comfortable sharing Penelope with their children. The content is very family friendly and it is rated PG.
Overall, I think is a great film for romantics of all ages and I believe you will be as pleasantly surprised as I was!
Penelope May 15, 2009
James R. Andazola (Albuquerque, NM)
Penelope is simply a great movie. Being a Christina Ricci fan, I wasn't sure what to expect from this particular movie but I loved it enough to purchase it and make it a permanent part of my ever-growing moving collection. A must see. jimmy
 Good for early teens May 8, 2009
K. Salinaro (Hercules, CA United States)
Penelope I truly enjoyed the DVD. I purchased it because it had the book included, and thought my granddaughter would enjoy reading the book to her daughter.
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