Dolphin Tale

Seeking to find one of the rare movies that we can watch with our kids without somebody feeling embarrassed we requested this movie from Netflix recently.

The movie had been reviewed quite well and after watching it I give it a thumbs up as well. For those of who grew up with Flipper any movie with a dolphin it has a fair chance of earning our interest and this movie does a good job.

The movie begins with the story of Sawyer, a quiet boy who lives with his Mom. Attending summer school is nothing he is too charged up about, on the way to school he comes across a jogger who has come across an injured dolphin on the seashore. He comforts the dolphin as best he can until the marine veterinarians arrive and transport him away.

The next day Sawyer stops in at the marine hospital. Dr Clay Haskett, played by Harry Connick Jr has taken the dolphin under his care. His daughter Hazel sneaks Sawyer into see the dolphin but rushes him out when her Dad arrives. Evidently he does not like folks near the injured animals. Sawyer returns though and as he sneaks in to check on the dolphin he stumbles and is discovered. As Dr Haskett is about to send him away he notices that the dolphin perks up at the boys voice.

From there the movie proceeds on expected tracks. The boy misses school, Mom finds out. Naomi Judd does a good job as his Mom. Eventually the dolphin learns to maneuver without his tail but in doing so he is damaging his spine.

How this is corrected is the basic thrust of the movie. The cast is strong. Morgan Freeman and Kris Kristofferson offer some experience to the movie. Certainly having such a strong cast helps this movie sell itself to grown ups. The little girl who plays Hazel is cute in a Tom Sawyer movie kind of way and the movie works on many levels. Certainly worth seeing.