This little piggy...-by Grace

Hey, ever had times when you stared at the mirror in hopelessness about the little red pimple growing on your nose? Everyone has times when they just don’t feel good about themselves. But compare yourself to Penelope Wilhern- a girl who grows up with the features of a pig as a result of a curse on her family.

In the movie Penelope, which is available in stores now, Christina Ricci stars as the young woman who is forced to ‘interrogate’ many blue-blooded bachelors, who are eligible to break the curse and free her of her porcine appearance, via a two-way mirror daily.

Her obedient, hidden life is turned upside-down one day when Lemon, a short cunning reporter who is dying to get his revenge on the overprotective mother (Catherine O’Hara) who once seriously hurt his right eye because he’d been hiding in the Wilhern household for a shot of the pig-like baby, hires a guy whom he mistakes for a blue-blooded bachelor in debt, Maxwell Campion (James McAvoy, who also starred in Becoming Jane).

There is a time in the movie when everyone discovers that Max is actually Johnny Martin, just a normal guy without a single bit of blue blood in his veins, but by that time it’s too late: he’s fallen in love with Penelope, but turned down her hand in marriage, and Penelope’s decided to break out and become independent.

This movie (produced by actress Reese Witherspoon, who co-stars as Penelope’s outgoing friend Annie) is a delightful story about believing in yourself and making your dreams come true, and although the ending may be a little bit predictable, there are still twists along the way that make this romantic comedy charming.

I love this movie because Penelope’s sad life before Max –or rather, Johnny- arrived touched me- the way she had to live in seclusion, not knowing anything about the outside world. It was also amazing when she finally claimed her independence. This movie is definitely one of my favourites. You have to catch it!

Picture taken from http://www.filmstreet.co.uk/uploads/images/Penelope_Christina_Ricci_1_809.jpg.