By Mira Nayak
An irritated Englishman, the political climate of Argentina in 1967, an all boys private school, and an oil-covered penguin–all based on a true story: The Penguin Lessons takes a multitude of topics to fuse into one heartwarming yet heartbreaking story of political activism and an appreciation for the little (and fluffy) things.
Tom Michell, the new English professor at St. George’s College, from the start of the movie expresses his desire for a quiet life, which is a hard wish to grant for someone living amidst the political turmoil of Argentina 1976. To get away for a week, he vacations in Uruguay, both for his own safety and to meet girls. On a walk with one particular girl they come across this penguin, stuck in oil on the beach. Michell does not see any reason why the penguin should be picked up, cleaned and kept, unlike this girl he wishes to woo, who does. Shortly after an intimate penguin washing she gets up and leaves, abandoning the penguin in Tom’s care.
Michell, ever since stuck with this penguin (nicknamed Juan Salvador), wants it immediately out. Although quick to contact the local zoo, when he sees his cleaner and her granddaughter overjoyed at the sight of the penguin, he also sees a bit of his late daughter in their eyes. He had lost his thirteen year old daughter in a drunk-driver car incident, losing a part of himself as well. The granddaughter, Sofia, offers to parent Juan Salvador, however shortly after is kidnapped by the authorities due to her activism. Michell has the chance to chase after her and make a change, and instead moves on with his day, filling him with regret for the rest of his life. As he goes to visit Juan Salvador’s future zoo home, the penguins in captivity seem to mirror Sofia behind bars awfully closely, leading Michell to house Juan Salvador himself. If he could not save Sofia, he could at least save the penguin.
Juan Salvador is not just a funky pet, but a symbol of hope in Michell’s minimalistic life. As Michell introduces his penguin to his English class, he passes on that hope. The boys seem to pay more attention in class, to which Michell rewards with feeding Juan and even watching Juan take a swim in the pool. At the end of the movie, Juan Salvador unfortunately passes. At his funeral, Michell goes over his journey through the penguin’s eyes, in three stages. First, he did not want to be here. Soon after, everyone was so unexpectedly kind. Soon after that was evident, “Maybe I can make a difference here”. His monologue gives insight to those who utilize their surroundings to use their voice for change, a realization he had far too late. In contrast, one student that Michell had helped through his bullying, Diego, explained how penguins only have one mate. They die after the other dies, so Juan Salvador would have died anyway on that beach, and the moments Michell had had with him was time well spent. Diego had been reflecting on how Michell had taken that extra moment to cease his bully, and how that extra moment was time well played.
Overall, the movie states its belief of standing up for your cause, and taking that extra moment to get words out there. It trojan horses the political climate of Argentina 1967 into this beloved penguin, in hopes of driving viewers to spend time researching their own political climate. Michell notes, “In life, sometimes, you have to put the penguin in the pool”; his way of saying, sometimes, you have to stand your ground.