When a family vacation takes a tragic turn for the Bloom family no one could have guessed a wounded bird would be just the thing to bring the family back to each other. Penguin Bloom is the beautiful telling of the true story of Sam Bloom and how a sassy magpie reminded her to live again.

On a trip to Thailand, the Blooms’ vacation ends abruptly when Sam Bloom (Naomi Watts), wife and mother to three boys, falls from a balcony, breaking her back and leaving her partially paralyzed. Once an avid surfer and active mother, Sam struggles to come to terms with the life altering effects of the accident. When they return home to Australia, Sam realizes that everything about their home reminds her of the life she will never live again, and she begins to slide into depression.

Sam’s husband, Cameron (Andrew Lincoln), hustles to keep the family functioning. He juggles the physical care of his wife, the day-to-day operations of managing a busy family and his work commitments but, inevitably, things begin to fall through the cracks. To add madness to mayhem, Sam and Cam’s eldest son, Noah, rescues an injured, baby magpie.

While the boys are at school and Cam is at work, Noah asks his mom to take care of the little black and white magpie they named Penguin. The last thing Sam wants to do is take care of an animal. She is consumed with anger and frustration with her situation and grieves the loss of her mobility deeply. In her grief and anger she pushes away her friends and her family. But she cannot escape the little magpie who has become her shadow and constant companion.

As Penguin grows, Sam begins to warm toward the cheeky bird. Soon Sam is laughing at and engaging with Penguin which, in turn, helps her to engage differently with her family. All of that is put at risk when Penguin gets injured by wild birds and goes missing for days. In the aftermath of Penguins disappearance, the Bloom family confronts the unspoken pain of the accident and begins to heal, truly. With healing comes change and a fresh start, for the Blooms and for their quirky little bird friend, Penguin.

Penguin Bloom is one of the sweetest family movies I have seen in a while. Naomi Watts is captivating as Sam Bloom. She portrays the reality of a struggling mother and woman rediscovering herself with authenticity and beauty. And Andrew Lincoln, always a favourite, is heart-breakingly genuine as dad and partner, Cameron. The casting of the three boys, Griffin Murray-Johnston, Felix Cameron and Abe Clifford-Barr is brilliant. The family has a chemistry and rhythm that is entirely believable. Rounding out the cast is Jacki Weaver as Sam’s mother and she is, as always, a wonderful choice.

Based on the book of the same name by Cameron Bloom and Bradley Trevor Grieve, Penguin Bloom was an instant hit in Australia upon its late 2020 release. With its touching storyline, strong cast and funny little bird, it is no wonder. Be sure to check this one out with the whole family!