Born with the snout of a pig, young Penelope Wilhern (Christina Ricci) spends life a virtual prisoner in her home. Believing that the only way to break the curse is to marry one of her own kind, she meets a number of suitors, but all reject her. Two devious men, one with a grudge against the family, hire a man (James McAvoy) to pose as a suitor, but complications arise when he begins to fall in love with Penelope, and she makes a bid for freedom.