At first glance, The Penguin Lessons might seem like Dead Poets Society. Both feature comedic actors demonstrating their dramatic range. Instead of Robin Williams, Steve Coogan is the English teacher assigned to a class of young men. Both also take unconventional approaches to reaching their students. In Coogan’s case, he gets a class pet: a penguin. Now the movie might sound like Mr. Popper’s Penguins, but The Penguin Lessons is thankfully a much smarter story than that. This is largely thanks to Coogan, who gives one of his best performances. Coogan isn’t alone with a strong supporting cast, both human and avian.
Coogan plays Tom Michell, whose memoir inspired the film. Despite all of the Dead Poets parallels, Michell lacks John Keating’s inspirational glow. Michell doesn’t arrive at school expecting to shape many young minds. As the boys make a ruckus in class, he busies himself with a crossword puzzle. The students aren’t the only neglected ones. The film takes place in 1976 amid Argentina’s military coup d’état. Michell doesn’t want to get involved in the political turmoil, keeping his head down. Of course, it’s hard to maintain a low profile when you have a pet penguin.
While on holiday, Michell attempts to woo his date by rescuing a penguin washed ashore. The night doesn’t end with a hookup, but Michell still has to deal with the consequences the morning after. Despite Michell’s best efforts to ditch the waddling wander, he reluctantly returns home with the penguin, naming him Juan Salvador. The bird turns out to be a good ice breaker, influencing Michell to develop friendships with his housekeeper (Vivian El Jaber) and her outspoken granddaughter (Alfonsina Carrocio). Michell also becomes a better communicator with his students, working the penguin into his lessons.
At the same time, Michell tries to turn a blind eye to the injustices taking place in Argentina. Even when somebody he knows is being arrested for no good reason, Michell can’t summon the courage to intervene. Michell confides in the penguin, who turns out to be a good listener as well. This easily could’ve come off as too corny, but the rapport between Michell and the penguin feels authentic. Coogan, best known for his sarcastic wit, is underrated as a dramatic actor, showing his sincere side here. The penguin is a good actor as well. Penguin(s) actually, as the filmmakers used more than one.
The Penguin Lessons doesn’t drastically deviate from the formula you’d expect. It plays the notes you anticipate, but the film hits them well. Jeff Pope’s script is also wise enough to avoid certain cliches. When Michell’s boss (Jonathan Pryce) confronts him about the penguin he’s been hiding, you think you know where the film is going. It nearly falls into the same old trap, but The Penguin Lessons quickly rebounds.
Although Michell’s relationships with the side characters are charming, it would’ve been nice to learn more about his students as individuals. The only student given any development is the class outcast. Even then, we learn the bare minimum about him. In the long run, though, this is the story about a man and his penguin. On that basis, The Penguin Lessons is a touching crowd-pleaser that sticks the landing despite its titular bird being flightless.