Dolphin Tale
When kids and animals are put together on the big screen in any 'heart-warming' scenario, it's always a concern. Thankfully 'Dolphin Tale' is a genuinely emotional story that captures perfectly the spirit it wants to send out. You'll leave the cinema with a smile on your face, and probably wiping away the odd tear.
The hype...
The 'based on a true story' line seems to be stretched beyond breaking point, with layers of sentimentality poured on by the bucketload. Just as the film will rely on the younger members of the cast to match the heavyweight presence of Morgan Freeman, so will it require something special from the dolphin itself.
The story...
Sawyer (Nathan Gamble) is a quiet young boy who is struggling to make friends at school. The only person he talks to is his cousin, and local swimming champ, Kyle. But he is off to fight in Iraq, so Sawyer's mother, Lorraine (Ashley Judd) is worried.
One morning, on his way to summer school, Sawyer finds a dolphin trapped in a fishing net on the beach. Cutting the animal free, the boy forms a bond with Winter (as the animal becomes known) which is soon noticed by Dr Clay Haskett (Harry Connick Jr.). Unfortunately the injuries suffered by Winter are so severe that her tail has to be amputated and unless she can be trained to swim in a different manner, her prognosis does not look good.
Dr Haskett is himself fighting to keep Winter's home, the Marine Medical Centre, open. As the finances dwindle an unlikely saviour emerges when Sawyer approaches Dr Cameron McCarthy (Morgan Freeman) to build a prosthetic tail for the dolphin, and in the process increase the number of visitors to the centre.
It's soon a desperate race against time on two fronts, with one boy and his fishy friend in the middle of it all.
The breakdown...
'Dolphin Tale' is an animal movie which tugs directly at the heartstrings, and somehow manages to succeed. We're normally immune to this type of blatant emotional blackmailing, but the execution of this family film is so well handled that we didn't mind one bit.
Liberties have been taken with the story on which this film is based, but they all work for the great script that even manages to hold up to close scrutiny. A lot of credit must go the fully committed performances from the adult cast, although the plaudits will rightly go to the youngsters and Winter herself.
There are some predictable shortcuts taken along the way, but Nathan Gamble keeps you fully on side throughout. It would be easy to be dragged out of the story by the layers of emotion being poured on, but Sawyer makes for a great main protagonist. We know exactly what will happen to him, and there is no real jeopardy at play, yet somehow it's all very watchable.
Knowing that Winter is essentially playing herself also adds to the film. The interaction between the human characters and the dolphin is beautifully captured, even in the most confined of spaces.
On paper it might seem too deliberate to get to you, but if you let your guard down for even a moment then you'll be swept away by a fantastic family film.
The verdict...
Not particularly clever, and likely to raise a few questions in the credibility stakes, 'Dolphin Tale' is still a thoroughly enjoyable and surprisingly engrossing film. Great performances from the youngsters involved and a really memorable turn from Winter the dolphin (playing herself) mean only the stoniest of hearts will remain unmoved.
Rating: 4/5
'Dolphin Tale' is due to be released in the UK on 14 October. Certificate: U.
