The Penguin Lessons
All actors and roles (10)
Short description
Set in 1976, this drama follows Tom Michell, a disillusioned English teacher working at a school in Argentina. While the country is experiencing significant political turmoil and social division, Tom struggles with a difficult group of students. His life changes after he rescues a penguin stranded on an oil-covered beach. The animal becomes his constant companion and eventually joins him in the classroom, helping Tom inspire his students and rediscover his own sense of compassion.
Directed by Peter Cattaneo, the film is the fourth feature in his directing career, following The Full Monty, The Rocker, and Military Wives. The movie stars Steve Coogan as Tom Michell, alongside Jonathan Pryce, Vivian El Jaber, Björn Gustafsson, Alfonsina Carrocio, and David Herrero. The production involved a credited cast of 30 and a crew of 66, with a screenplay written by Jeff Pope.
The film earned 14 million USD at the worldwide box office. It has been received positively by viewers, maintaining a rating of 7.1/10 on IMDb from 11,000 votes and a matching 7.1/10 on TMDB based on 176 votes.
What's left behind the scenes
- The penguin is nicknamed Juan Salvador, which corresponds to the name "Juan Salvador Gaviota," which, in turn, is a Spanish translation of the title of Richard D. Bach's fable "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" (1970). It tells the story of a seagull exiled from the flock who devoted himself entirely to studying flight as an art and way of life, and tirelessly perfected his flying skills.
- During filming, actor Steve Coogan, who played Tom, was 58 years old. In reality, the real Tom was only 23 years old at the time. A storyline about Tom's 13-year-old daughter was invented for the film. This is not the first film about penguins to use such a plot device. In 2024, David Schurmann's adventure family drama "My Penguin," starring Jean Reno as a fisherman who lost a child (hence his attachment to the penguin chick), was released. In addition, the screenwriters also invented 19-year-old Sophia.
Similar movies
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
