'Dolphin Tale'

'Dolphin Tale' (PG) (3 STARS)

Writers: Karen Janszen and Noam Dromi
Director: Charles Martin Smith
Starring: Nathan Gamble, Ashley Judd, Harry Connick Jr., Morgan Freeman, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Austin Stowell, Frances Sternhagen, Kris Kristofferson

"Dolphin Tale" would be such an unabashed load of phony uplift if it weren't a true story. The strength of the movie is that it all comes across as inspiring and uplifting. I am also such a sucker for dolphins which are my favorite animal. I think it has to do with that they are smarter than most humans though cat lovers might think cats are smarter. This movie is based on an incredible true story and it is a great family movie when most family movies these days are a load of crap.

"Dolphin Tale" tells the story of Winter, a dolphin who gets it's tale caught in a crab trap. Winter is found by young Sawyer who follows the dolphin back to an animal hospital. Winter winds up having it's tale cut off to save it's life and Sawyer will get very attached to Winter. Sawyer will strike up a friendship with the dolphin and it is a sweet, touching friendship. Winter has a chance to receive a prosthetic tale with the help of Doctor Cameron McCarthy played by Morgan Freeman.

There is also a nice subplot about Sawyer's friend who is an older boy who gets called to Iraq for duty. That boy will come home damaged and his story will blend in nicely with Winter's plight. This movie has the requisite plot developments like the Mom who has to be convinced that Sawyer has to be a part of Winter's recovery. There is the little girl Sawyer's age, Hazel, who becomes his friend. The acting is very believable here to deepen the characters. Ashley Judd is good as the mother and Cozi Zuehldorff is very good and natural as Hazel. Also good here are Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr. and newcomer Austin Stowell who plays the older boy back from Iraq.

I was with this movie all the way and the movie choked me up a little from time to time especially when Sawyer's friend comes back from Iraq and gets introduced to Winter. Like I said I am a sucker for dolphins and I was sad and moved by Winter's plight. What happens when the doctor makes the prosthetic and what will follow seemed real to me. I was fascinated by how Winter tries to recover and how the prosthetic is fitted to make Winter adjust to it. You have to have a heart of stone not to be moved by this movie. The movie has a natural feel and never gets to be too heavy with sentiment. Nathan Gamble as Sawyer does a very good job here and he gives a relaxed performance and we like him.

"Dolphin Tale" was directed by actor Charles Martin Smith (The Untouchables) who starred in a nature, family movie just like this back in 1983. The movie was "Never Cry Wolf" and it is one of the best movies of it's kind. Smith knows the rythyms of these types of movies and he knows how not to cross the line into hokum. He gets great, natural performances by everyone and especially with the child actors. Smith was in a lot of the old Disney movies when he was a kid and he knows how to make this work. "Dolphin Tale" sounds like it will be a movie that adults will roll their eyes at but as an adult I grew to like it very much. It is an uplifting, inspring and sweet family movie in a good way.