The Penguin Lessons Parent Guide
It's a touching tale of unexpected friendship and personal change in perilous times.
Parent Movie Review
Cynical and disillusioned after a personal tragedy, Tom Michell (Steve Coogan) has been floating around the world – Chicago, Ecuador, Venezuela – teaching English with little enthusiasm. Now he’s been hired to teach at the upper-class St. George’s School in Buenos Aires, but his timing is terrible.
Early in the new semester, a military coup overthrows the Argentinian government and in a bid to escape the violence and chaos, Michell takes a quick trip to neighboring Uruguay. Searching for “wine, women, and song”, Michell instead winds up as caretaker for a very persistent penguin. A series of bizarre circumstances force him to bring the penguin back to St. George’s where he tries to hide it from the strict headmaster while negotiating a new home at the local zoo.
Luckily, the zoo proves difficult to work with and Michell learns that his penguin, named Juan Salvador by Sofia (Alfonsina Carrocio), one of the school’s cleaning ladies, is a fine friend and a reasonably good stand in for a therapist. Soon the penguin is changing hearts all over the school and immeasurably improving Michell’s English lessons. When the brutality of the military dictatorship comes close to home, Michell will need to rely on his penguin friend as he struggles to become the kind of man he wants to be.
Loosely based on a true story, The Penguin Lessons is more than just a buddy pic, it’s the story of how a penguin helps people find their own humanity. This is a deeply human tale, as Juan Salvador helps people confront their own weaknesses and sorrows. A cynical teacher, an unhappy headmaster, school bullies, a distraught grandmother – all find comfort in the penguin’s direct gaze and summon the courage to cope or to change.
Less inspirational and more depressing is the film’s examination of life under the military dictatorship. The story plunges into Argentina’s “dirty war”, the name given to nine years of state-sponsored terror directed at Argentinian citizens, marked by “disappearances”, torture, and murder. Violence occurs off screen, but the generalized sense of fear is palpable.
As for other negative content, it’s limited to brief sexual references, adult alcohol consumption, and about twenty swear words, including two sexual expletives. The PG-13 rating is fair: this isn’t a movie that will appeal to kids. As for adults and teens, this is a great option for viewers who share my adoration for those waddling, tuxedo-clad little critters. The Penguin Lessons is also an excellent film for anyone interested in stories that examine complex issues like dictatorship, economic collapse (manifested here through hyper-inflation), politicized law enforcement, or the replacement of rule of law by state terror. This isn’t a cheerful film – although it certainly has some very funny moments. It’s a film about pain, loss, friendship, courage, growth, and hope. These are life lessons we all have to learn, but most of us don’t get to do so with a penguin by our sides.
Directed by Peter Cattaneo. Starring Steve Coogan, Jonathan Pryce, Vivian El Jaber, Alfonsina Carrocio. Running time: 110 minutes. Theatrical release March 28, 2025. Updated March 24, 2025Watch the trailer for The Penguin Lessons
The Penguin Lessons
Rating & Content Info
Why is The Penguin Lessons rated PG-13? The Penguin Lessons is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for strong language, some sexual references and thematic elements
Violence: Gunfire is heard in the distance. There is a military coup and armed soldiers patrol the streets. A woman hits a man in the head with a soup ladle. Dead penguins wash ashore in an oil spill. A penguin bites a man’s hand. Students bully another student in class; tying him up and uttering death threats. A woman is abducted by government agents. Soldiers point guns at a man they consider suspicious. There’s mention of a death caused by a drunk driver. A man is seized by the police and is later seen with abrasions on his face after being beaten by them off-screen. A main character dies.
Sexual Content: A man questions the size of another man’s genitals. A man kisses a woman he doesn’t know is already married.
Profanity: The script contains approximately eight scatological curses, seven terms of deity, and a couple of minor profanities. There are also two sexual expletives.
Alcohol / Drug Use: Main characters drink alcohol in a nightclub. There’s mention of a fatality caused by a drunk driver.
Page last updated March 24, 2025
The Penguin Lessons Parents' Guide
This film introduces Argentina’s “Dirty War”, which describes the state-sponsored terror the military junta unleashed against the country’s people for nine years – as demonstrated with Sofia’s abduction. For more information about this period and its legacy, you can read the following.
History.com: 30,000 People Were ‘Disappeared’ in Argentina’s Dirty War. These Women Never Stopped Looking
Wikipedia: Dirty War
The Guardian: Adopted by their parents’ enemies: tracing the stolen children of Argentina’s ‘dirty war’
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The film is based on Tom Michell’s book, The Penguin Lessons: A True Story.
Home Video
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The issue of human rights abuses committed by Argentina’s military dictatorship is also brought up in The Two Popes.
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