Years before the events of the film, servant woman Clara falls in love with wealthy blue blood Ralph Wilhern and becomes pregnant with his child.

However, at the urging of his disapproving parents, Ralph marries another woman, leading a heartbroken Clara to die by suicide by jumping off a cliff.

Ashamed of her daughter's face and afraid of a media scandal, Jessica claims that Penelope died as an infant and hides her away in their mansion.

After Penelope's eighteenth birthday, Jessica hires a matchmaker, Wanda, and begins seeking out suitors, believing the love of another blue blood is the only way to lift the curse.

Seven years later, all of Penelope's suitors have fled in terror upon seeing her face, including Edward Humphrey Vanderman III.

Edwards conspires with tabloid reporter Lemon to photograph Penelope to prove her existence and hires young blue blood Max Campion to pose as a new suitor, planting a camera in his jacket.

She covers her face with a scarf in public to keep anonymous, secretly selling photos of herself to Lemon to earn money.

Annie removes the scarf to help her breathe and exposes her as the supposedly dead Penelope Wilhern to the other bar patrons.

She eventually learns the truth about Johnny's identity from Wanda and visits his apartment during a Halloween party while wearing a pig mask.

While Johnny and Penelope are at a park with her students, Lemon discreetly approaches and tries to take a photo to prove the curse has been lifted.

The site's consensus reads "Though Penelope has a charming cast and an appealing message, it ultimately suffers from faulty narrative and sloppy direction.