'Penelope': A Charming and Unusual Pig Tale

By Adam Berliant
MSN Cinepapa

You'd think a fairy tale movie with a predictable plot, message and ending would be as doomed as a wicked stepmother. But "Penelope" takes on formula, smartly attacks it, and will leave you as happy as a pig in ... Shinola. It's a pig tale that works for kids and grown-ups alike.

Penelope (Christina Ricci) is the unfortunate heir to a family curse. She's beautiful but for her hideous nose, which only Babe or Wilbur's plastic surgeon could love. Though her pig nose doesn't run, everyone else does when they see it. Only true love can break her curse. So when Penelope's Mr. Right (James McAvoy) shows up in the second act, it becomes a countdown to canoodling.

So how does this movie save itself from being sadly conventional? By making just about everything that happens on the way to said curse-breaking moment delightfully unconventional. Even the breaking of the curse is as curly as a pig's tail. But, ultimately, it's the characters and their unexpected choices that keep "Penelope" captivating.

Penelope's mother (Catherine O'Hara) tops the mold-breaking list. For starters, she is neither dead, nor evil, nor a stepmother. Instead, she's pathologically loving and protective. She makes horrific decisions, but mostly with the best intentions. And this makes her more funny and sympathetic than villainous, even if she has effectively imprisoned Penelope for her entire life.

This is just the sort of thing that makes the movie work. Nobody is exactly who you'd expect -- a point that subtly develops into the more interesting message of the film. The "I just wanna be me" message comes on strong in the first few minutes but eventually unfolds in surprising ways.

The movie's only real flaw is an overabundance of story. So much happens to both Penelope and the supporting cast that the movie flirts with chaos. This keeps it from getting boring, but there are more than a handful of moments that just don't matter. The plot was a bit porky.

What's in It for Kids

With the exception of some gloomy but necessary gambling scenes, "Penelope" is a petting zoo of a movie: tame enough for even young kids. It's clearly a love story, however. Any kid still in the "kissing is gross" stage will classify "Penelope" as "Shrek" without all the great donkey and fart jokes. But if your 7-year-old is already watching "High School Musical," this is better than the ogre fare.

Tweens, girls especially, will enjoy it for all the same reasons as the grown-ups. And it provides a natural conversation starter about the way people change and grow with experience.

To be sure, there are formulaic plot devices thrown in to please the tweens -- the sensitive music swells, for example, when the cutest boy in the movie says something oh so deep. The sensitive music swells again during the "I want to be me" monologue. And once again, it makes its grand entrance just before the big kiss. Kids are going to start to want personal soundtracks to go with their cell phones and iPods.

The best part for kids will be watching Penelope, who is neither stupid nor helpless. While it's true that she starts off in a fairly stupid situation, she is brave, resourceful, curious and confident almost from start to finish. These are the qualities so many other fairy tale princesses lack, which makes it at last not a formula. She's a fairy tale character for real girls to admire.

What's in It for Grown-ups

If you suspect "lovesick girl with body issues" means this movie wasn't made for you, you're probably right. Fortunately, there are plenty of other ways to enjoy "Penelope," and grown-ups shouldn't have any problem doing so.

For one, there is plenty here for parents. While O'Hara's performance could be compared to her insensitive, self-absorbed mom from "Beetlejuice," there is just as much of her stressed out, justifiably distraught mom from "Home Alone." She's a lunatic, but still a mom. At least half of the funniest moments in the movie belong to her, and parents will easily see the humor.

Grown-ups will also enjoy the talented cast. This same movie with less accomplished acting might have been a problem. But Ricci, who stopped being the innocent type about 12 movies and at least one big tattoo ago, pulls it off and is fun to watch. Few actresses can play drunk with just their eyes.

Even better is Peter Dinklage. He is mesmerizing, as usual, in his role as a suspicious paparazzo. And Reese Witherspoon as Penelope's first best friend is all gravy by the time she appears on-screen. Together, these three keep the movie mature enough for adults to enjoy.

Too many movies aimed toward girls leave parents debating what is and isn't appropriate for their kids. "Penelope" offers the wit of a modern young romance with the soul of a classic fairy tale.

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Adam Berliant has worked for MSN Entertainment since fish grew legs. He occasionally writes for us and also happens to be the Cinemama's worse half. Luckily for MSN Movies, he's been married to our Cinemama long enough that, in a pinch, we can assign him to go see a movie and correctly guess what she'd think of it.

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