PENELOPE
A playful fairy tale with mixed worldview elements for older children.
Should You Watch It?
PENELOPE is a playful, funny, droll, and eccentric fairy tale. Christina Ricci and the supporting cast do a good job, and the story encourages courage, friendship, and becoming the person one was meant to be.
The film’s positive qualities are marred by some foul language, romantic elements, lackluster scenes and jokes, and mixed worldview material involving a witch and a curse. The content is not overwhelming, but younger children need a parent’s discernment.
If you are choosing for teenagers, adults, or older children, this is worth the trip if those concerns fit your family’s convictions.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESPenelope is a wealthy young woman cursed with a pig-like nose. The curse can be lifted only when she finds true love “with one of her own kind.”
Her mother has hidden her away for years, secretly seeking an upper-class suitor who can break the curse. When a tabloid reporter discovers that Penelope is alive, a young man named Max poses as a suitor. His plan leads to unexpected feelings and comical complications.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means PENELOPE is an enjoyable but imperfect fairy tale. It is playful, funny, droll, and eccentric, with a cast that does a good job.
The film’s weaker moments include some lackluster scenes and jokes. Still, its comic fantasy premise and positive qualities give it enough charm to make it a worthwhile choice for the right older audience.
The Worldview
PENELOPE presents a mixed worldview with romantic and moral elements. The story values courage, friendship, and the heroine’s movement toward becoming the person she was meant to be. It also treats love as the power that can lift a curse, while a witch appears at the beginning and near the end in a comic way. A Christian minister leads a wedding ceremony.
The film’s message about facing fear and seeing beyond outward appearance can align with a biblical understanding of character. Its fairy-tale treatment of witchcraft and its ambiguous attitude toward the witch create the main worldview concern. Scripture reminds us that “the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Mixed worldview with Romantic and moral elements, and an ambiguous attitude toward a witch character who shows up at the beginning and near the end for a joke with love lifting a curse from the witch, plus a Christian minister leads a wedding ceremony; six obscenities and four light profanities such as “My God”; light somewhat comic violence such as montage of men jumping out of window breaking glass; no sex but brief kissing; no nudity; alcohol use and woman gets drunk for first time; no smoking; and, gambling and deceit, plus a boy says, “It’s not the power of the curse, it’s the power you give the curse.”
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Penelope’s appearance affects how others treat her. What does Scripture say God values when people look at outward appearance?
1 Samuel 16:7 · James 2:1–4Penelope must face her fears before she can become the person she was meant to be. What fears do you need to face, and where can you seek courage?
Joshua 1:9 · Psalm 56:3–4The film connects true love with lifting a curse. How is biblical love different from simply getting what we want romantically?
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 · 1 John 4:7–8The Final Word
PENELOPE is a playful, eccentric fairy tale with a good cast and worthwhile themes about courage and character. Its language, romantic elements, and mixed worldview call for discernment with older children. For the right audience, our answer is WORTH THE TRIP — MIDDLE SCHOOL AND UP.
