Animals have a powerful ability to impact us and our lives. These animals provide companionship, a listening ear, and a friendship we need, often when we’re at our lowest. And these friendships often come when we least expect it.

That was the case for Tom Mitchell (Steve Coogan). He came to Argentina in 1976 as a means of escape. He’d suffered a loss that had him going through the motions, and it seemed like a fine place to disappear from the world. He was there to teach English. When unrest led to an unexpected break, he used the time to visit Uruguay.

There, on a beach amid an oil spill, his life changed. He found a penguin covered in oil, barely alive. Reluctantly, he took it home and cleaned it up. When he tried to return it to the sea, it wouldn’t leave his side. When he tried to give it away to authorities, they told him to keep it. When he tried to bring it to a zoo, instead, it became his companion.

The penguin not only provided companionship, but it also provided a gateway to a more full life. It helped him connect with colleagues, explore the city, and more effectively reach his students. More importantly, it helped him to open up and move on for the first time since events had caused him to cut off his own life experience.

This new film, which opens Friday, is based on the true story and Mitchell’s own experience, remembered long after the fact. His time with his penguin, named Juan Salvador, was short. But it was impactful on his life and the lives of those he knew. It led him to later write a memoir of the same name about those experience.

The film was written by Jeff Pope, who scripted the Coogan film Philomena, and directed by Peter Cattaneo, who has worked on a number of feel-good films based on true stories. They combine well here with Coogan to tell an engaging and powerful story.

I liked Coogan in the lead role. He has the right amount of pathos to make the film work well. He plays off the penguin and other actors, creating a memorable and engaging story. This is a simple film, but it’s heart-warming and a great time at the theater.

The Penguin Lessons opens wide on Friday, March 28.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.