Cinema Therapy — Charlyne Gelt, Ph.D.

Penguin Bloom

Can one rebuild a life after a tragedy has shattered it? If one is struck down by a severe physical limitation and deep depression, is it possible that hope and happiness can ever again enter the picture? This is the question raised midway through the film, Penguin Bloom, based on a true story about a happy, healthy, loving family that experiences a tragedy, which changes everything.

Set in South Wales, Australia, the film tugs at our heartstrings as we follow a couple, “Sam” and Cameron, as they meet on a beach, fall in love, marry, and raise three sons. Without dialogue, the story of their history together, their mutual support and devotion to one another is told through their tender touching, playful moments, and sensitive caring for each other — especially during times of sadness and duress

The family enjoys an exciting life of sports and travel until Sam, a sports enthusiast and surfer, suffers a fall while on a family vacation in Thailand. When a rotted guard rail gives way, Sam plunges off a rooftop. This is a life-changing accident; she ends up with a spinal injury, paralyzed from the waist down, unable to walk, and will be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Sam, a former nurse who nurtured others, sinks into a state of deep depression and retreats from friends and family.

Psychological Implications
How does one deal with such a tragedy — losing both your spirit and the physical mobility of the lower part of your body? What can possibly provide the essential emotional healing Sam needs? The answer comes in the form of an unlikely friendship between Sam and “a kindred spirit,” an injured bird, Penguin. Penguin, a screechy, scene-stealing bird, was rescued by Bloom’s eldest son Noah (Griffin Murray-Johnston), and, like Sam, Penguin has fallen and can’t fly. He is nursed back to health by Sam and the family.

In the process of nurturing Penguin, we are witness to Sam’s struggles with her conflicting emotions over her situation — her hurt and hope; her strength of character and her despair; her outgoing, happy, healthy side — deeply involved with the lifeblood of the family — and the other part of her that wants to give up on everything. At one point, feeling helpless and at her wit’s end over comparing the woman she was before the tragedy to the woman she has become when stripped of her role as wife and mother, she lashes out at her husband.

But, thanks to her bonding with the wounded magpie, Sam begins to open up inside and begins to see that she, too, is desperately wounded and in need of healing. “Peng,” now part of the family, proves the catalyst that begins to improve Sam’s outlook and brings the Blooms closer again. There’s a metaphorical parallel between the wild black-and-white bird, and the disabled Sam: The magpie must learn to fly again, and the once-ebullient Sam must find a way to once again soar. She begins to move from a victim stance into a survivor mentality, which ultimately transforms her anger and depression back into her old resilience.

There’s a moving scene between Sam and her sensitive son, Noah, whom Sam finally confronts about his unspoken pain: he believes he’s to blame for his mother’s tragic accident because he brought her to the spot where she fell. Another resounding truth in this film is how love and support heal the emotional and the physical wounds of those we love.

Encouraged by Cameron, Sam cautiously embarks on a series of kayaking lessons under the tutelage of the tough-love Gaye (Rachel House). The sport becomes a lifeline and game-changer for Sam, who, in real life, goes on to compete in the World Kayaking Championships and later wins two World Adaptive Surfing titles.

What is the film’s vital message? This is a story of grit, despair, longing — and hope — and the bond between humans and nature that can act as a catalyst for change. It is also a family drama that exemplifies the pain and hurt and the strength of a family coming together on behalf of one another. We so often magnify dysfunctional family issues, but here we witness the impact of a family that comes together to support Sam’s emotional and physical survival and spiritual rebirth.

Penguin Bloom is the uplifting story of a woman rising from the deadness of physical and spiritual death, her struggle with pain and hurt and anger. Both Penguin and Sam struggle with being stripped of their identity — Penguin can’t fly and Sam can’t perform the responsibilities as a wife and mother. Together they create a healing bond — a bird that can’t fly becomes the spiritual healer for a woman who can no longer walk, but learns to soar. At the end, just as Penguin learns to take to the skies through trial and error, so too does Sam learn to use her upper body strength to set herself free from the confines of her wheelchair.

Charlyne Gelt, Ph.D. (PSY22909) is a clinical psychologist who practices in Encino. She leads Women's Empowerment Groups that help women learn the tools to move beyond self-destructive relationship patterns. She may be reached at 818.501.4123 or cgelt@earthlink.net. Her office address is 16055 Ventura Blvd. #1129 Encino, CA 91436.