|
Dolphin Tale
| Released |
14 October 2011 |
| Director |
Charles Martin Smith |
Starring
|
Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Kris Kristofferson |
| Writer(s) |
Karen Janszen, Noam Dromi |
Producer(s)
|
Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove, Richard Ingber |
| Origin |
United States |
| Running Time |
113 minutes |
| Genre |
Drama, family |
| Rating |
G |
|
|
A big splash.
Usually, my tolerance for family films is reserved for lazy Bank Holiday Mondays or during Christmas when I have eaten so much that I can't physically move to grab the remote. It is not that I think they are badly made –well, a lot of them are– but more that I am neither a young kid nor a parent so finding connectivity with the story is sometimes difficult. However, there are then some movies where the predictable good-feel clichés actually work and Dolphin Tale is one of those occasions.
Directed by Charles Martin Smith, Dolphin Tale is inspired by a true story about a bottlenose dolphin that got rescued while injured at sea. The dolphin, named Winter, had to have her tail amputated which resulted in her being unable to swim and led to research into a potential prosthetic tail being conducted.
The film itself mirrors Winter's struggle in real life but obviously does so with typical Hollywood effect. That it was achieved without being too corny is a testament to the cast and crew. Eleven year-old Sawyer, played by Nathan Gamble, is devastated when his hero cousin decides to join the army but dedicates himself for the first time to anything when he forges a unique bond with Winter, as well as the family at the aquarium who look after her.
Much like how the dolphin tries to teach herself how to swim again, the story oscillates with your emotions but the ending is always obvious– it is a family film after all. There are enough neatly placed sub-plots, though, to maintain the interest throughout. In all honesty, the acting is sometimes unbearable and the inclusion of Harry Connick and Austin Stowell doesn't help. That said, the performances of the two youngest stars excel, particularly that of Cozi Zuehlsdorff who portrays Sawyer's friend Hazel.
Movies of this nature are going to have to be stunningly amazing to get a very high score and, to be fair, this wasn't quite that. However, it is a very enjoyable tale that benefits from the fact that the story is in large parts true and that Winter plays herself in the role of the dolphin. Parents and kids, get together and enjoy.
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David Caulfield |
