Gibsons – Monday, October 20, 7:30 pm
Sechelt – Thursday, October 23, 2:00 pm
UK 2024, 110 min, Drama/Comedy
Director: Peter Cattaneo
Starring: Steve Coogan
What lessons can be learned from a penguin? Quite a few as it turns out. Set against the backdrop of Argentina’s 1976 military coup, English teacher Tom Michelle arrives to teach unruly students at an exclusive boys school. While vacationing in Uruguay he rescues the lone surviving penguin from an oil- slicked beach and is compelled to take the bird back to school when he refuses to leave him.
What ensues is a heartwarming but also sometimes tragic tale based on a true story. It turns out that Juan Salvador, as the bird is named by Tom, is a skilled listener and an engaging teacher. He has a profound effect on the students and other school staff, but especially on Tom, engagingly played by Steve Coogan and supported by other fine performances, not least of which is Juan Salvador, our scene-stealing penguin.