Young Sophie is eighteen, and works tirelessly every day making hats in the shop once owned by her deceased father. On a rare outing to town, Sophie accidentally encounters the wizard Howl. Howl is dashing, terribly handsome, yet as wizards go, he’s a bit of a wimp. They are spotted by the Witch of the Waste, who mistakes the nature of the relationship between them. Seized by jealousy, she casts a spell on Sophie, transforming her into a withered ninety-year-old woman