Dolphin Tale

Not as planned, but this turned out to be inspiration movie week. Now, I realize we've seen films about people who overcome all kinds of tragic obstacles, ("Never Cry Wolf", "127 Hours", "Soul Sufer"), but how many stories have we seen about a dolphin losing its tail and needing a new one to survive? I'd say none, but with "Dolphin Tale", this is what we got.

A lonely and friendless boy, Sawyer Nelson (Nathan Gamble) finds and untangles a hurt dolphin that is caught in a crab trap. An aquatic rescue team headed up by Dr. Clay Haskett (Harry Connick Jr.) and Phoebe (Austin Highsmith), is summoned and they bring the dolphin back to their facility for healing and rehab. After that point, Sawyer becomes very attached to Winter (the dolphin) because she responds possitively toward Sawyer. Sawyer's attachment becomes intensified more when it is learned that her tail must be amputated due to infection in order to save her life. Sawyer believes that Winter would be able to swim normally if it was given a prosthetic tail. As he goes online, he comes across a process that could be a possibility of a tail design.

Meanwhile, Sawyer's cousin, Kyle (Austin Stowell) has been injured in the military in Afghanistan, and when he and his Mom, Lorraine (Ashley Judd) goes to visit Kyle, they come upon one, Dr. Cameron McCarthy (Morgan Freeman) who constructs limbs for amputees. Sawyer gives Dr. McCarthy the business proposition of a lifetime: to design and construct a prosthetic tail for a dolphin.

Others to round out the cast are Kris Kristofferson as Reed Haskett, Clay's Dad, Cozi Zuehlsdorff as Hazel Haskett, Clay's daughter, and Frances Sternhagen as Gloria Forrest.
This was directed with just the right amount of heart by Charles Martin Smith ("Fifty/Fifty" '92, "Boris and Natasha" '92, "Air Bud" '97, "Roughing It" (TV Movie) '02, "The Snow Walker" '03, "Icon" (TV Movie) '05, "Stone of Destiny" '08, and acted in many films). It was well written by Karen Janszen and Noam Dromi based on a true story.

With the exceptions of a few inconsistencies in the script, this movie was actually much better than I thought. It represents a connection between a boy and a dolphin that is simply amazing and it has heart and a story that, for the most severe of cynics, will have you standing up and cheering by the film's end.

Out of 4 stars: 3                     Rated: PG                      113min.