Kimberly R. Bolton's Blog

Penelope is one of my all time favorite movies. Those of you who have heard of this movie starring Christina Ricci, James McAvoy and Reese Witherspoon may be asking, “Isn’t that a children’s movie?” And you would be correct, it is—a fairy tale to be exact about a girl born under a curse with the nose of a pig. To break the curse she must find “one of her own kind” to love her despite her appearance, and since she is an heiress she must find a rich blue-blood to marry.

Sound silly? Perhaps, but there is something about this movie that I absolutely adore; I find myself tempted to watch it over and over again. I could probably watch it every week (sometimes I have), but I try to steer myself away from such obsessive behavior.

So, what is it about this movie that keeps me coming back? It’s more than the beautiful imagery, amusing actors and deep blue eyes of James McAvoy that warm my heart and leave me wanting more. Being a typical girly-girl I love fairy tales, but it’s more than a good heart-warming story.

There are certain truths contained in the dialogue and images that speak to my youthful, single heart. So, just like my friend from Bible study, Mike, who always must share three answers for every question—I feel compelled to do the same as I answer why I love this movie.



#1. Penelope refuses to blame others or become a victim. From the time she was a child her mother taught Penelope the mantra that the nose was not her nose but her great-great-great grandfather’s. She has every right to blame her great-great-great grandfather who caused the curse to fall on their family. Her father blames himself since it was his family through which the curse ran. But Penelope chooses not to blame them, nor does she give in to being the victim. What? Don’t blame your parents or your genes for your short-comings? How very counter-cultural!



#2. Instead of allowing rejection to keep her prisoner she escapes and really lives. Since she was a child, Penelope has been hidden in her home. She always imagined that her parents were protecting her from the horrors of the outside world. In order to break the curse and give her the freedom she has always wanted Penelope must get married. Her mother hires a matchmaker who introduces her to gentleman after gentleman in hopes of finding the right match, but every time they reject Penelope. Now, I’m not suggesting that most of us encounter people who crash through second story windows just to get away from us, but I know it sure feels like that sometimes. When all hope seems lost, Max arrives on the scene and they connect in a way that gives hope to the idea that she can be set free. After revealing her hideous appearance, Max does not run as others have before him, but for reasons of his own he still rejects her—refusing to marry her. It is then that Penelope sees her home as the prison it has always been where she has merely been waiting for life to start. Instead of staying in the safety of the familiar and fantasizing about another life she breaks free. She tries things she had only dreamed of before.



#3. When given the chance for freedom with strings attached, Penelope refuses. She is finally given the chance to be free of her nose when a blue-blood, forced by his father, asks for her hand in marriage. On the day of her wedding, as she stands there wondering if she should say yes and end her years of “suffering”, she realizes that this path is false. It does not lead to true freedom, but only more slavery. If she said yes she might be free from the nose that everyone is so offended by, but she would be miserable in a loveless marriage. And so she rejects the prince who offers her only the illusion of freedom and chooses to love herself despite her shortcomings. What she discovers is that loving herself as she is was the way to freedom all along.

Have you ever been offered freedom only to discover there were strings?

All this talk of the movie has made me remember how wonderful it is and how mesmerizing James McAvoy’s eyes are - deep blue like the Carribean Ocean.  I might have to go watch this movie now - can you blame me?