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:

Curse | Parents | Pig | Friend | Witch

Cast

Richard E. Grant	...	Franklin Wilhern
Catherine O'Hara	...	Jessica Wilhern
Nick Prideaux	...	Penelope's Great-Grandfather (as Nicholas Prideaux)
Michael Feast	...	Jake / Witch
Christina Ricci	...	Penelope Wilhern
Ronni Ancona	...	Wanda
Simon Woods	...	Edward Vanderman
Paul Herbert	...	Leonard Wilhern
Simon Chandler	...	Doctor
Peter Dinklage	...	Lemon
Andi-Marie Townsend	...	Young Penelope
John Voce	...	Station Cop
Burn Gorman	...	Larry
Andrew Bailey	...	Floorman in Card Club
James McAvoy	...	Johnny / Max
Nick Frost	...	Max
Eve Pearce	...	Old Lady Card Player
Rob Rouse	...	Mr. Mosely - Suitor
William Willoughby	...	Handsome Suitor (as Will Willoughby)
Rubria Negrao	...	Hotel Desk Clerk
Ross Boatman	...	Cheery Dealer
Nigel Havers	...	Mr. Vanderman
Richard James	...	New Card Dealer
Lenny Henry	...	Krull
Tallulah Evans	...	Little Girl in Photobooth
Pam Phillips	...	Old Lady in Photobooth
Richard Leaf	...	Jack the Bartender
Reese Witherspoon	...	Annie
Russell Brand	...	Sam the Jazz Club Owner
Martin McDougall	...	Dr. Stone
James Howard	...	Reporter Outside Hospital 1
Shaun Parkes	...	Reporter Outside Hospital 2
Paul Viragh	...	Reporter in Mr. Vanderman's Office
Christina Greatrex	...	Mrs. Vanderman
Cornelius Booth	...	Pub Patron 1
Colin Marsh	...	Pub Patron 2
Tom Barker	...	Boy Pupil on Hillside
Todd Boyce	...	Preacher
Amaka Oditah	...	Girl Pupil
Preston Nyman	...	Boy Pupil
Rosie Stewart	...	Girl Pupil
Katie Hughes	...	Girl Pupil
Francesca Edgerton	...	Girl Pupil (Alice)
Abigail Chan	...	Girl Pupil
Pheobe Llewellyn	...	Girl Pupil
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Shane James Bordas	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Nigel Martin Davey	...	Street Vendor (uncredited)
Christopher Fosh	...	Chris Casino Security (uncredited)
Matt Rippy	...	Chauffeur (uncredited)
Nick Shafer	...	(voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Mark Palansky

Writing credits (WGA)
Leslie Caveny		(written by)

Produced by
Christian Arnold-Beutel	....	executive producer
Leslie Caveny	....	co-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
Joceline Andrews	....	makeup artist
Rebecca Cole	....	makeup artist
Tamsin Dorling	....	hair stylist
Tamsin Dorling	....	makeup artist
Paul Gooch	....	hair stylist
Paul Gooch	....	makeup artist
Kate Roberts	....	make up & hair artist: daily
Karen Scott	....	makeup trainee
Liz Tagg	....	hair designer
Liz Tagg	....	makeup designer
Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou	....	makeup hair

Production Management
Robert Bella	....	post-production supervisor
Lucie Graves	....	post-production supervisor
Andrew Litvin	....	production manager: reshoot
Tim Maw	....	unit manager
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 Andrew Haven	....	second assistant director (as James Haven)
Suzanna Shaw	....	assistant director: reshoots
Suzanna Shaw	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Graham Baker	....	head rigger
Mark Billingham	....	on-set dresser
Simon Duric	....	storyboard artist
Mark Goerner	....	illustrator
Muffin Green	....	property master
Rohan Harris	....	portrait
Robert Haynes	....	stand-by art director
Sarah Jenneson	....	assistant art director
Dougie Lankston	....	dressing props
Adam A. Makin	....	set constructor
Jim McCallum	....	stand-by props
Adam McCreight	....	dressing props
Dave Reed	....	construction manager
George Simons	....	graphic artist
Pete Steward	....	stand-by carpenter
Chris Ulusele	....	stand-by props
Howard Weaver	....	scenic artist

Sound Department
Jeremy Balko	....	adr mixer
James Bennett	....	adr recordist
Gareth Bull	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul Carr	....	adr recordist
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
James Seddon	....	engineer: Dolby
Danny Sheehan	....	supervising sound editor
Nigel Stone	....	dialogue 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
Scott Stoddard	....	prosthetics supervisor
Jamie Weguelin	....	special effects supervisor (as James Weguelin)

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
Alex Ireland	....	digital compositor
Sid Jayakar	....	digital compositor
Jody Johnson	....	visual effects supervisor
Frank Lawas	....	visual effects I/O supervisor
Gurel Mehmet	....	concept artist: Double Negative
Megan Omi	....	digital compositor
Alban Orlhiac	....	senior texture artist: Double Negative
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
Bill Davey	....	stunt coordinator
James Grogan	....	stunt performer
Tim Halloran	....	stunt performer
Ruth Jenkins	....	stunt performer
Luke Kearney	....	stunt actor
Glenn Marks	....	stunt coordinator
Kim McGarrity	....	stunt performer
Justin Pearson	....	stunt performer
William Willoughby	....	stunt performer (2006)

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Bates	....	electrician
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	....	Steadicam operator
Stuart Howell	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Therese Hvattum	....	camera trainee
Gary Hymns	....	grip
Gary Hymns	....	key grip
Paul Hymns	....	b camera grip
Steve Kitchen	....	best boy
Grant Maclean	....	electrician (as Grant McLean)
Nathan Mann	....	focus puller: "b" camera
Abi Oseni	....	camera trainee
Laurie Sparham	....	still photographer
Simon Surtees	....	second assistant camera
Pat Sweeney	....	gaffer
Nick Wall	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Robert M.B. Burke	....	extras casting
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting
Amelia Hashemi	....	casting assistant

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

Editorial Department
Abhinav Bhat	....	assistant editor
Ryan Denmark	....	assistant editor
Lorene Dewett	....	apprentice assistant editor: FT2
Paul Ensby	....	additional color timer
Jason Fabbro	....	video colorist
Dianne Gordon	....	digital intermediate data manager
Todd Kleparski	....	digital intermediate producer
Michael Levine	....	additional editor: re-cut
Marjolaine Mispelaere	....	colorist
Thy Quach	....	editor trainee
Ian Seymour	....	associate 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
John M. Davis	....	music editor
Tass Filipos	....	music editor
Ben Foskett	....	orchestrator
Sam Jones	....	assistant scoring engineer
Andrew McCormack	....	music coach: piano
Hilary Skewes	....	musician contractor
Joby Talbot	....	arranger
Joby Talbot	....	conductor
Robin Urdang	....	music consultant
Artem Vassiliev	....	orchestrator
Mark Wyllie	....	music engineer

Transportation Department
Mark Crowley	....	driver: producer
Andy Levett	....	grip truck driver
Phil Richman	....	transportation captain
Darren Thackeray	....	driver

Other crew
Kim Armitage	....	script supervisor
Sarah Baker	....	production secretary
Kate Bone	....	assistant production trainee
Kate Brontë-Stewart	....	floor runner
Gero Brugmann	....	legal counsel
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
Debbie Moore	....	production accountant
Natalie Moore	....	assistant accountant
Mark Munnelly	....	auditor
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)
Izzy Spring	....	adr voice (uncredited)

Thanks
Florina Massbaum	....	the producers wish to thank
Frank Moshier	....	special thanks
Vivien Straus	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Summit Entertainment (presents)
• Stone Village Pictures (presents)
• Type A Films
• Tatira (as Tatira Active Film)
• Grosvenor Park Media (in association with)
• Zephyr Films

Distributors

• Blue Sky Media (2005) (Albania) (all media)
• Blue Sky Media (2005) (Bosnia and Herzegovina) (all media)
• Blue Sky Media (2005) (Bulgaria) (all media)
• Blue Sky Media (2005) (Croatia) (all media)
• Blue Sky Media (2005) (Hungary) (all media)
• Blue Sky Media (2005) (Kosovo) (all media)
• Blue Sky Media (2005) (Montenegro) (all media)
• Blue Sky Media (2005) (Republic of Macedonia) (all media)
• Blue Sky Media (2005) (Poland) (all media)
• Blue Sky Media (2005) (Romania) (all media)
• Blue Sky Media (2005) (Serbia) (all media)
• Blue Sky Media (2005) (Slovakia) (all media)
• Blue Sky Media (2005) (Slovenia) (all media)
• Capelight Pictures (2008) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• DesperaDo (2008) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2009) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Intercontinental Film Distributors (HK) (2008) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Momentum Pictures (2008) (UK) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Summit Entertainment (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Blue Sky Media (2008) (Czech Republic) (all media)
• Momentum Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (UK) (DVD)
• Net5 (2011) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Nordisk Film Theatrical Distribution (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Nordisk Film (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Paradise Group (2007) (Russia) (all media)
• Pinema (2008) (Turkey) (all media)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Square One Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (all media)
• Summit Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• TV Viisi (2011) (Finland) (TV)
• Tanweer Films (2011) (Bangladesh) (TV)
• Tanweer Films (2011) (Bhutan) (TV)
• Tanweer Films (2011) (India) (TV)
• Tanweer Films (2011) (Nepal) (TV)
• Tanweer Films (2011) (Pakistan) (TV)
• Tanweer Films (2011) (Sri Lanka) (TV)
• Universal Pictures (2008) (Italy) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Double Negative (visual effects)
• Neal Scanlan Studios (prosthetics)

Other Companies

• Hyperactive Broadcast  editing equipment
• Pinewood Studios  movie studio
• Anvil Post Production  sound post-production
• AON/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services  insurance (as AON/Albert G. Ruben)
• Audiolink Radio Communications  walkie talkies/mobiles
• Bellwood Media  rights and clearances
• Blink Entertainment  marketing and promotion
• Bonded Services  prop storage
• DDA Public Relations (DDA)  unit publicity
• Fatts  post-production script services
• Freeform Design and Construction  set construction
• Gearbox Sound and Vision  additional ProTools systems supplied by
• International Film Guarantors  completion guaranty provided by
• J&J International  catering
• Lakeshore Records  soundtrack
• Lee Lighting  lighting
• Mad Dog Casting  extras casting
• Orbit Digital  Avids
• Panavision UK  camera equipment provided by
• Production Copier Company  production equipment and services
• Professional Negative Cutting  negative cutting
• Ray Knight Casting  extras casting
• Richmond Film Services  sound equipment
• Tenon Media  UK audit and accountancy
• Trevanna Post  post-production accounting

Also Known As:

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

104 min | Thailand:86 min (DVD)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:PG | USA:PG (foreign cut) | Taiwan:GP | Ireland:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:I | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Finland:K-7 | Australia:PG | Argentina:Atp | Portugal:M/6

Filming Locations:

56 Holland Park, Holland Park, London, England, UK

Company:

Summit Entertainment

Trivia:

Reese Witherspoon's first project as the leading producer as well as an actress, and also Mark Palansky's feature film directorial debut.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: (at around 1 min) A part of the mattress can be seen when Penelope's mother faints in the kitchen.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Penelope:My parents were born into the good life. Old money, blue blooded, society sweethearts.

Movie Connections:

References Beauty and the Beast (1976) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Hoppipolla

With Penelope it's great; without Disney its better.

Fairy tales are wide spread, with witches and curses they have, they are all too familiar with their poor damsel in need of rescue by the Charming Prince. The same can be said for poor Penelope, played by the essence of beauty and intelligence that is Christina Ricci. Famed for her roles as Wednesday Addams in the Addams Family movies, then "Kat" Harvey in Casper and during an Ice Strom she was Wendy Hood, hey, she's even dated a lesbian Monster and been chained up in Black Snake Moan. This, too, is the second in a row movie that consists of her taking a curse, the previous being John Carpenter's light horror werewolf flick Cursed (2005). You name it she has done it, and with perfection. Now all grown up she is playing the titular role of her 2006 movie Penelope.

Filmed in London, and with a high level of English actors too, and cast as an American fairy tale, this is the unlucky story of a witches curse on the first-born daughter of the Blue Blood (aristocrat) family, the Wilhern's. The only way to break said curse is to find her Charming Prince who shall love her for all her worth, pig nose and all. Yep, her curse is to be born with the nose and ears of a pig, poor girl. Kept away from others for all her childhood and youth by her grieving parents, played with relish by Richard E. Grant and the lovely Catherine O'Hara adding a touch of very hyper stressed and neurotic motherly love. Who could ask for more? Well, more is what we get here, more fun, more sad reflection and more diversity from the standard tale of woe. With its witty players from said Grant and O'Hara, we also get the very talented James McAvoy and the nemesis that is Lemon, the evil News Reporter, Peter Dinklage, hot on her tail for revenge. Having done "Lassie" (2005), "Death at a Funeral" (2007) and in the pipeline "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian". Excellent actor.

Funny in parts, and poignant in others, not an epic but not a waste of time either. A story of self believe and how one can learn to love oneself and then be loved in return, in any way, shape or form. Simple I know, but in this case, it works, with all the surrounding American accents sometimes rubbing the wrong way, we can easily dismiss the poor adaptations.

This ugly duckling fable will warm to your hearts and tingle you with delight, with a charming narrative and distinctive feel good factor, and if Disney had gotten their hands on the project, it just might have come across as over sappy, over benevolent and over too soon. And it's a good job they didn't, wasn't it?