Rated PG for mild rude humor and some language.
Starring Jim Carrey, Carla Gugino and Angela Lansbury
Directed by Mark S. Waters (Mean Girls and Freaky Friday)
Simply put, Mr. Popper’s Penguins was the perfect picture for the people in my family.
An adaptation of the beloved 1938 children’s book, about Mr. Popper, a house painter whose dreams of Arctic exploration prompt him to write letters to real explorers. One of them sends him a penguin, which he keeps in the icebox. Before he knows it, the painter has a litter of 12 beaked birds. They eat voraciously, leading him to form Popper’s Performing Penguins, a stage act that goes on tour and creates mayhem at every stop. The film version tells the story of a businessman who begins to change after he inherits six penguins, and as he transforms his apartment into a winter wonderland, his professional side starts to unravel.
I think we need to start with Jim Carey, who was fantastic. There were moments when he was as outrageous as he was in films like Ace Ventura and Dumb and Dumber – and of course he made us all laugh. Then there were moments when he was serious and his words/actions were powerful and moving. I love when a film/actor can do all of that without it feeling forced. A lot of credit must go to the original story in the classic children’s book, but Mark S. Waters was able to harness all of the emotions and deliver a great family movie.
So let’s jump back a little and talk about the story. Tom is a typical workaholic who has alienated his family in pursuit of money. But when the box of penguins arrives he learns what is really important.
There are plenty of emotional scenes throughout the film, but my favorite was when Tom finds a card from his father who tells him to hold on to Janie and Billy for as long as possible and apologizes for leaving him. I know I gave my kids a great big hug after the film was over…Thanks Mr. Popper.
There is plenty to love about Popper and his penguins…so I’m giving it a “Worth Buying.”
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Definitely!!
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
Q: What’s the message/theme of this movie?
A: There were so many great themes or lessons in the film, but overwhelmingly the theme was about love. Mr. Popper discovers the love of his family and of a few unwanted house guests. In one particular scene we are told that when given a choice, the penguins will always choose the person with the sardine over love.
Well as you might expect, in the film the penguins choose love and that gives us a powerful reminder about what is really important to us.
Q: How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
A: We know that 1 Corinthians 13:13 says, “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”
Ask your child/student, “Why do you think love is better than faith and hope?”
Jesus said that, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)
Ask your child/student, “Why do you think Jesus said these two commandments were the greatest?”
Q: How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
A: Without giving away too much, we know that in the film, love is greater than sardines. What are your “sardines?” What are the things that sometimes get in the way of love? Is there stuff in your life that is more important than love?
How could you get rid of some “sardines” in your life?
What are some ways you can improve your love this week?
