Beastly(2011)

The latest re-telling of Beauty and the Beast has a rich, gorgeous, self-absorbed prep school hotshot (Alex Pettyfer) as the ultra-popular but unlikable Kyle, who insults and humiliates a goth-chick classmate, Kendra (Mary-Kate Olsen). She puts the curse of hideous ugliness on him and explains that it will be lifted if someone tells him “I love you” within a year; otherwise he will stay uglied up.

Kyle’s equally shallow, neglectful and insensitive father, who cares a great deal about his public image since he is a major news anchor, sets up a distant apartment for Kyle complete with housekeeper (an immigrant separated from her family in Jamaica) and a blind tutor (Neil Patrick Harris, the best thing in this movie). Kyle has trouble adjusting to being repulsive but the housekeeper who has cared for him for many years and the wise & witty tutor help him grow up a bit.

Another classmate, generous & kind Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens), struggles to keep her dad out of trouble and off drugs. Kyle witnesses Lindy’s dad kill a man he owed money to, and overhears the dead man’s brother swear revenge and threaten Lindy’s life. Kyle offers to take Lindy in to protect her and her dad agrees. Lindy is not happy with this arrangement; she doesn’t know her protector is really Kyle as he introduced himself as “Hunter.” Eventually Kyle becomes sensitive and mature, and Lindy (who always hoped there was more to Kyle, deep down) falls for “Hunter.”

Lindy says “I love you” and kisses Hunter just before the deadline; Hunter becomes handsome Kyle again. Lindy is confused at first, then understands that love can transform a person, and she kisses Kyle as his real self. As a bonus, Kendra also restores the tutor’s sight and the housekeeper learns that rest of her family has gotten their long-delayed green cards.

The final scene shows Kyle’s dad about to meet the new intern at the television station: Kendra!