Though not so recentl
y let out, the film Mr. Popper’s Penguins, which was released June 17, 2011, is supposedly based on the chapter book Mr. Popper’s Penguins written by Richard and Florence Atwater, originally published in 1938. The movie surprising, not necessarily in a good or bad way, just suprising.
The only similar thing between the movie and book would probably be the title and the incorporation of penguins into the plot. Directors had taken the original plot of Mr. Popper’s Penguins – which told the story of a housepainter, Mr. Popper and the Popper family, who struggle to accommodate the penguins’ demanding many needs. They eventually learn that their special pets can perform, and thus is born “Popper’s Performing Penguins”. They travel nationally to perform and life is good, until they get thrown in jail for various reasons. In the end, Mr. Popper leaves his family to travel to the North Pole with his penguins, promising to visit his family soon.
The film doesn’t follow this plot so strictly. The Mr. Popper’s Penguins movie stars the comedian-actor Jim Carrey. The movie starts out with a little boy, the main character, whose father travels the globe, and never spends quality time with his kid, thus traumatizing him for life. The little boy grows up to become a divorced realtor (with a very quirky assistant) – Thomas (Tom) Popper Jr. As he is trying to make his way into a large realty firm he is told he must buy Tavern on the Green, an extremely old and sentimental restaurant in the hopes of tearing it down to build a new development. However, the owner only hopes to sell to the “greasy salesmen” that she deems has genuine value and family morals.
One day, he receives a gift from his newly deceased father and what he believes at first is a stuffed penguin – a real Gentoo penguin. After a miscommunication where he receives five more penguins, and after (of course) his kids miraculously start loving him again, Tom decides to keep the penguins who happen to be infatuated with TV. He turns his home upside down, giving it up to the cold, snowy New York City weather. And of course the neighbors, zookeepers, and front desk stream in, only to be kicked out with denial and bribes. The penguins soon lay three eggs, two of which hatch. As Tom cannot get the third to hatch, he loses hope and donates the penguins to the coveting zookeeper. After bouts of guilt-tripping from his kids (who don’t visit him anymore), he decides to go get his penguins back from the zoo, winning back his wife in the process. In the end, Tom gains the Tavern on the Green, only to keep it as it is. Oh, and he and his family also take a trip to Antarctica to free their temporary pets to their homes and ultimately, families.
As mentioned, this is a very loose and modern interpretation of the book. However the new plot was enjoyable, and as always Jim Carrey was stunning. The opening scene with Tom Jr. as a 5-year-old radioing his explorer father is sweet and funny, and as he grows older, he becomes a man lost in the aspects of family. Some parts were predictable, including the ending where Tom ultimately wins the Tavern on the Green. The refreshing difference between movie and book though has become the center of attention for critics. As the book was published in 1938, people feel, the book was ruined by the movie and the true story was not able to shine, but Hollywood had glamorized it, even almost completely erasing anything about the penguins performing which was a majority of the book’s plot.
All in all, it was a good, family fun movie, though it shouldn’t be considered a “based-on-a-novel movie”. The actors did a great job and the story was fun and heart-warming.
