Penelope (2006)

Director:

Mark Palansky

Writer (WGA):

Leslie Caveny (written by)

Release Date:

29 February 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

A fairytale like no other.

Plot:

A modern romantic tale about a young aristocratic heiress born under a curse that can only be broken when she finds true love with "one who will love her faithfully."

Plot Keywords:

Dart | Kissing | Midget | Vespa | Hotel Room

Cast

Christina Ricci	...	Penelope
James McAvoy	...	Max
Catherine O'Hara	...	Jessica Wilhern
Reese Witherspoon	...	Annie
Peter Dinklage	...	Lemon
Richard E. Grant	...	Franklin Wilhern
Simon Woods	...	Edward Humphrey Vanderman III
Ronni Ancona	...	Wanda
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Russell Brand	...	Sam
Martin Nigel Davey	...	Street Vendor
Tallulah Evans	...	Little Girl - Photo Booth
Michael Feast	...	Jake
Nick Frost	...	Max Campion
Burn Gorman	...	Larry
Christina Greatrex	...	Mrs. Vanderman
Nigel Havers	...	Edward Vanderman Jr.
Jillian Henry	...	Young Penelope (voice)
Lenny Henry	...	Krull
Paul Herbert	...	Leonard Wilhern
Richard James	...	Card Dealer
Richard Leaf	...	Jack the Barman
Rubria Marcheens Negrao	...	Hotel Clerk
Nick Shafer	...	(voice)
John Voce	...	Duty Cop
Christopher Fosh	...	Chris Casino Security (uncredited)

Directed by
Mark Palansky

Writing credits (WGA)
Leslie Caveny		(written by)

Produced by
Christian Arnold-Beutel	....	executive producer
Chris Curling	....	executive producer
Danny Greenspun	....	executive producer
Robin Greenspun	....	executive producer
Andrew Molasky	....	executive producer
Paul Ritchie	....	line producer
Michael Roban	....	executive producer
Phil Robertson	....	co-producer
Dylan Russell	....	executive producer
Dylan Russell	....	producer
Jennifer Simpson	....	producer
Scott Steindorff	....	producer
Reese Witherspoon	....	producer

Original Music by
Joby Talbot

Cinematography by
Michel Amathieu

Film Editing by
Jon Gregory

Casting by
Susie Figgis

Production Design by
Amanda McArthur

Art Direction by
Gerard Bryan		(as Ged Bryan)
John Reid

Set Decoration by
Bridget Menzies

Costume Design by
Jill Taylor

Makeup Department
Tamsin Dorling	....	hair stylist
Tamsin Dorling	....	makeup artist
Paul Gooch	....	hair stylist
Paul Gooch	....	makeup artist
Liz Tagg	....	hair designer
Liz Tagg	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Robert Bella	....	post-production supervisor
Lucie Graves	....	post-production supervisor
Andrew Litvin	....	production manager: reshoot
Jennifer Wynne	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joey Coughlin	....	third assistant director
Jacqueline Goldenstein	....	third assistant director: re-shoots
Sean Guest	....	first assistant director
James Haven	....	second assistant director
Suzanna Shaw	....	assistant director: reshoots
Suzanna Shaw	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Graham Baker	....	head rigger
Simon Duric	....	storyboard artist
Muffin Green	....	property master
Adam A. Makin	....	set constructor
Adam McCreight	....	dressing props
Dave Reed	....	construction manager
George Simons	....	graphic artist
Chris Ulusele	....	stand-by props
Howard Weaver	....	scenic artist

Sound Department
Jeremy Balko	....	adr mixer
Gareth Bull	....	sound re-recording mixer
Matthew Collinge	....	sound
Michael Feuser	....	assistant sound editor
Les Fiddess	....	foley artist
Nick Foley	....	adr mixer
Howard Halsall	....	adr editor
Michael Maroussas	....	assistant dialogue editor
Adam Mendez	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael Miller	....	adr mixer
Andrew Rowe	....	sound assistant
Danny Sheehan	....	supervising sound editor
Richard Straker	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ted Swanscott	....	adr mixer
Dominick Tavella	....	sound re-recording mixer
George Trevis	....	sound maintenance
Martin Trevis	....	sound mixer
Iain Jamieson	....	assistant adr recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Chris Hampton	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Diccon Alexander	....	digital matte painter: Double Negative
Oliver Atherton	....	digital compositor
Nik Brownlee	....	digital compositor: Double Negative
Darren Christie	....	digital compositor
J. David Everhart	....	visual effects producer
Antonella Ferrari	....	visual effects editorial
Ragui Hanna	....	digital compositor
Pete Hanson	....	studio manager: Double Negative
Sid Jayakar	....	digital compositor
Jody Johnson	....	visual effects supervisor
Frank Lawas	....	visual effects I/O supervisor
Gurel Mehmet	....	concept artist: Double Negative
Alban Orlhiac	....	senior texture artist: Double Negative
Madhava Reddy	....	digital intermediate
James W. Riley	....	visual effects producer
Christoph Salzmann	....	digital compositor: Double Negative
Ellen Walder	....	visual effects producer: Double Negative
Pieter Warmington	....	3D supervisor: double negative

Stunts
James Grogan	....	stunt performer
Luke Kearney	....	stunt actor
Justin Pearson	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Ashley Bond	....	focus puller
Simon Fogg	....	grip
Sam Goldie	....	focus puller: re-shoots
Ross Grainger	....	lighting technician
Tristan Haley	....	additional photographer
Tristan Haley	....	clapper loader
Alice Hobden	....	assistant camera
Stuart Howell	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Stuart Howell	....	steadicam operator
Therese Hvattum	....	camera trainee
Gary Hymns	....	grip
Paul Hymns	....	grip
Steve Kitchen	....	best boy
Nathan Mann	....	focus puller: "b" camera
Abi Oseni	....	camera trainee
Simon Surtees	....	second assistant camera
Pat Sweeney	....	gaffer
Nick Wall	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Karen Beale	....	costume stand-by
Tom Hornsby	....	costume assistant: dailies
Charlotte Sewell	....	assistant costume designer
Marion Weise	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Abhinav Bhat	....	assistant editor
Ryan Denmark	....	assistant editor
Lorene Dewett	....	apprentice assistant editor: FT2
Paul Ensby	....	additional color timer
Dianne Gordon	....	digital intermediate data manager
Todd Kleparski	....	digital intermediate producer
Michael Levine	....	additional editor: re-cut
Marjolaine Mispelaere	....	color timer
Thy Quach	....	editor trainee
Ian Seymour	....	first assistant editor
Dominic Thomson	....	digital editor
Jay Warren	....	digital intermediate project manager
Mark Sahagun	....	digital intermediate editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Christopher Austin	....	conductor
Christopher Austin	....	orchestrator
Richard Chester	....	assistant composer
Michael Connell	....	music editor
Tass Filipos	....	music editor
Ben Foskett	....	orchestrator
Robin Urdang	....	music consultant
Artem Vassiliev	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Mark Crowley	....	driver: producer

Other crew
Kim Armitage	....	script supervisor
Sarah Baker	....	production secretary
Kate Bone	....	assistant production trainee
Kate Brontë-Stewart	....	floor runner
Luke Carey	....	assistant to producer: UK
Matt Curtis	....	title designer
Janie Dowding	....	assistant to director
Elton Farla	....	medical coordinator
Jennifer Zolten Freed	....	post-production accountant
Sara Geiger	....	assistant to producer
Nicole Gregory	....	unit publicist
Harriet Harper	....	assistant to producers
Steve Hart	....	location scout
Julia Jones	....	unit publicist
Pat Karam	....	location manager
Sandrine Loisy	....	set production assistant
Emma Magee	....	production runner
Jill McCullough	....	dialect coach
Helen Oakleigh	....	chaperone
Michelle Pianca	....	assistant location manager
Moebius Simmons	....	assistant to producer
Joss Spry	....	production assistant
Katherine Tibbetts	....	production coordinator
Jason Wheeler	....	location scout
Gemma Louise Read	....	additional floor runner (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Stone Village Pictures
• Type A Films
• Grosvenor Park Productions
• Tatira
• Zephyr Films

Distributors

• Summit Entertainment (2008) (USA) (theatrical) (sales)
• Blue Sky Media (2008) (Czech Republic) (all media)
• Capelight Pictures (2008) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Desperado (2008) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Hyde Park Films (????) (international sales)
• Intercontinental Film Distributors (HK) (2008) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Momentum Pictures (2008) (UK) (theatrical)
• Paradise Group (2007) (Russia) (all media)
• Pinema (2008) (Turkey) (all media)
• RCV Film Distribution (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Square One Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (all media)
• Universal Pictures (2008) (Italy) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Pinewood Studios  movie studio
• Anvil Post Production  sound post-production
• Audiolink Radio Communications  walkie talkies/mobiles
• Dennis Davidson & Associates Public Releations (DDA)  unit publicity
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Fatts  post-production script services
• Freeform Design and Construction  set construction
• Gearbox Sound and Vision  additional ProTools systems supplied by
• Lakeshore Records  soundtrack
• Lee Lighting  lighting
• Mad Dog Casting  extras casting
• Orbit Digital  Avids
• Panavision UK  camera equipment provided by
• Trevanna Post  post-production accounting

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements, some innuendo and language. (foreign cut)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Taiwan:GP | Germany:6 | Singapore:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Hong Kong:I | Ireland:PG | South Korea:12 | USA:PG (foreign cut) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Hall Barn, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Stone Village Pictures

Trivia:

Delivered to some theaters under the codename "Scarfy",

Goofs:

Continuity: When Max/John first plays the piano, his fingernails are chewed to the quick. The hands later playing the piano expertly have well-manicured nails.

Quotes:

Journalist #1: Do you have any other pig parts?
Penelope: No!
Journalist #2: With such a large nose, do you smell better than the rest of us?
Penelope: [laughs] You tell me.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2008-03-01)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Hoppipolla

Worth seeing - Magical!

I saw this at a NY preview, and it was very much worth my time.

Cristina Ricci was excellent. I thought it was brave and smart of her to take on this role, and given the make up and costume she was very expressive and genuine – eyes, eyes, eyes. If any of you have seen "Pumpkin" this character would be a polar opposite of that role, but just as tongue and cheek, and just as much fun.

James McAvoy looked great, as was his performance. Christina and James had sparks that were believable. The supporting cast was also fun and fanciful. Catherine O'Hara played an excellent zany Mom which was more believable and real, in a weird way, then her role in Beetle Juice, (a film I adore.) Reese Witherspoon, was strong as usual, even in this odd, small supporting role (given her filmography). She looked great as a lower east side character. The only disappointment was Richard E. Grant, and not by his doing. There was no chance for him to shine given the part. Something tells me he got lost on the cutting room floor. A zero role for him given his talent.

In sum, I am one for magic and fables, so for me this was a very enjoyable film. I forgot the time which is the best test of all. Bravo!