A charming tale with a heartwarming duo at its center
The Penguin Lessons has all the recognizable tropes of an inspirational true-story Disney adaptation of the early 2000s; the film effectively utilizes a serious real-world backdrop but doesn’t deeply explore it, the protagonist (a teacher) recites literary passages that closely (albeit metaphorically) parallel the plot, and there’s a really cute beacon of innocence at the heart of the story – typically an animal or child, and in this case, a penguin. Based on Tom Michell’s memoir, The Penguin Lessons has enough heart and humor to elevate it above its predictive outline, and the chemistry between Steve Coogan and his absolutely adorable penguin costar(s) is worth the watch. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Penguin Lessons””