Characters: Johnny Martin / Maxwell “Max” Campion and Penelope Wilhern
Media: Penelope (2006)
Played by: James McAvoy and Christina Ricci
Setting: 2000s, alternate London
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Penelope Wilhern is a happy, talented young woman who was born into a wealthy family and has dozens of would-be suitors, but her life is made imperfect by one detail: she was cursed to have the nose of a pig, and until the curse can be broken by someone falling in love with her, Penelope is kept locked in her home and discouraged by her overbearing mother.
Max Campion is a young blue-blood who has gambled away most of his family’s fortune, so when a reporter and a disgraced suitor of Penelope’s bribe him to pretend to fall in love with Penelope, he agrees.
After gaining entrance to the Wilhern household and meeting with Penelope through a one-way mirror, Max begins to care for her endearing personality, but when Penelope returns his feelings and reveals her face, Max is taken aback and runs away. What no one knows is that the young man is not Max Campion at all, but rather a struggling musician and gambler named Johnny Martin who fears letting Penelope down now that he cares for her. As the two spend time apart, Johnny begins to realize that he needs to get his life in order, while Penelope learns to love herself despite her nose and becomes a popular public figure and teacher. Still, the love that Johnny and Penelope share burns strong, and they may not have to live their lives in regret if they can just get up the courage to see each other again.
