Heartwarming / Penelope (2006)

• Penelope having a pretty happy childhood, despite the loneliness that came with hiding from the world.
• Penelope's chess analogy that if the queen is captured, then the king is bound to lose, because "he loved her". Most chess players do well not to get so attached to pieces they may have to sacrifice. But this reflects Penelope as a romantic and highly empathetic person.
• Upon a second watch, the scene where "Max" is proposed to by Penelope takes on a whole new meaning. Specifically, he obviously tries to explain the situation, until Penelope asks him to marry her so the curse will break and promises to kill herself if it doesn't. He would have been fine marrying her if the curse wasn't broken, he just didn't want her to kill herself or be suicidally depressed because of his lie.
• The street fair scene. Penelope has just run away from her house, and the first place she goes is the park, where there's a carousel, and children playing and cotton candy merchants and there are bubbles everywhere and it's nighttime and it just makes you want to cry with happiness.
  • In a similar vein, after she checks into a hotel, she opens the curtains and takes off her scarf. The sheer simple freedom she has with that one act is so painfully obvious.
• The bartender meeting Penelope halfway by giving her a straw to drink her beer with so she doesn't have to take off her scarf.
• Upon hearing that Penelope sold Lemon her own photos for the money to provide for herself, Max is inspired to chase his passion at piano once more. He had tried once before, but became frustrated when he found his skills had gone rusty during his gambling addiction. It's not until he hears the news of Penelope out in the world by herself that he decides to commit himself to his passion.
• Shortly after Penelope breaks the curse, we have a small moment. At one point, her mother tells Penelope that her snout isn't going to grow back. How does she know she's thinking that? "I miss it, too."
  • Following this, Jessica admits it was her own fault the curse lasted all these years. She points out that if she had just loved her daughter for who she was like a mother is supposed to, she could've broken the curse long ago. Sure she suggests they could give Penelope a nose job now, but the earlier comment is pretty admirable coming from someone as superficial as Jessica.
• Penelope's letter to Edward, breaking up their engagement. Anyone else in her position would've rightfully felt entitled to give him a spiteful reason you suck speech. But no, instead, she humbly apologizes for how she earlier scared Edward off with her appearance on purpose. And she shows sympathy in how being rich and handsome really does make it hard for him to work through his cruel, neurotic personality. She concludes the letter by breaking off their engagement (in a sense "freeing" him) and hopes he finds happiness somehow. Even after she gained beauty on the outside, she never stopped being beautiful on the inside.
• Some time after the curse is broken and Penelope starts over as a school teacher, Halloween rolls around and everyone wants to go as "Penelope". There's this one girl who tearfully mopes she's stuck going as "stupid static cling". Naturally, the sweet-natured Penelope herself comforts her that her costume is pretty unique.
• To an extent, Annie is one. Not only is she Penelope's first friend, but she's still her friend after the curse is broken. It's even implied that like her, she too misses Penelope's old face.
• When Johnny and Penelope reunite, he kisses her before removing her mask - that is, without knowing she now looks 'normal.' They both like her just the way she is!
• The scene at the end where Lemon sees Penelope and Johnny happily living together and decides not to take their picture.

• In a weird way the witch that cursed the family in the first place was actually their loyal butler that watched over her and saw Penelope grow up.