DOLPHIN TALE (PG) Ebert: Users: You: Rate This Movie Right Now

movie reviews

Reviews Great Movies Answer Man People Commentary Festivals Oscars Glossary One-Minute Reviews Letters Roger Ebert's Journal Scanners Store

News Sports Business Entertainment Classifieds Columnists search DOLPHIN TALE (PG) Ebert: Users: You: Rate this movie right now

GO Search powered by YAHOO! Share This WCIU Facebook Page register

You are not logged in.

Subscribe to weekly newsletter » Replay Video times & tickets in theaters Fandango Search movie 50/50 Machine Gun Preacher showtimes and buy Nathan Gamble and Winter. tickets. Munger Road My Afternoons With Marguerite Dolphin Tale Weekend about us more current releases » BY ROGER EBERT / September 21, 2011 About the site » one-minute movie reviews "Dolphin Tale" is a sweet, Site FAQs » feel-good film about a boy still playing who helps save a dolphin, cast & credits Contact us » and how the dolphin then helps save him. When we Sawyer Nathan Gamble Dolphin Tale Email the Movie meet young Sawyer Nelson Dr. Clay Haskett Amigo Another Earth Answer Man » (Nathan Gamble), he has Harry Connick Jr. Attack the Block withdrawn into a shell and Lorraine Ashley Judd Bellflower is a remote loner. He builds Reed Kris Kristofferson A Better Life on sale now models in his workshop, Hazel Cozi Zuehlsdorff Blank City plays video games and Dr. McCarthy Morgan Freeman Brighton Rock avoids interaction with Kyle Austin Stowell Captain America: The First Avenger anyone — even at the The Change-Up going-away party for his Chasing Madoff Warner Bros. presents a film beloved cousin. His father Circumstance left the family without directed by Charles Martin Smith. Conan the Barbarian explanation some years Written by Karen Janszen and Contagion ago, which may account for Noam Dromi. Running time: 112 Cowboys & Aliens his isolation; his mother, minutes. Rated PG (for some mild Crazy, Stupid, Love Lorraine (Ashley Judd), thematic elements). The Debt Buy now » Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame does what she can, but Printer-friendly » The Devil's Double feels closed out. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark E-mail this to a friend » Drive On the way home from his 50/50 Florida grade school, Final Destination 5 Sawyer happens upon a 5 Days of War dolphin stranded on the Friends with Benefits beach, its tail hopelessly twisted in the ropes of a lobster trap. He Fright Night bonds with the creature until a rescue team arrives from a local The Future Buy now » animal hospital. Worried about the dolphin, Sawyer skips school to A Good Old-Fashioned Orgy sneak into the animal hospital, where he's befriended by young Hazel The Guard Haskett (Cozi Zuehlsdorff), whose dad, Clay (Harry Connick Jr.), runs Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 the facility. The Hedgehog The Help Sawyer at first is so shy he can barely speak, but these outgoing Higher Ground Horrible Bosses people encourage him to help with the dolphin, now living in a pool, The Interrupters and soon he breaks out of his seclusion and grows enthusiastic about Killer Elite working with the animal. This involves an attempt to preserve its Life, Above All swimming ability after infection requires its tail to be amputated. A Buy now » A Little Help prosthetics specialist (Morgan Freeman) at the nearby VA hospital littlerock designs artificial tails, finally finding one that will work. A Love Affair of Sorts Love Crime Learning of this story, I thought, aw, come on, give me a break. But it Machine Gun Preacher turns out the story is not only based on fact, but the actual dolphin The Man Who Fell to Earth involved, named Winter, stars in the movie as herself. Her new tail Moneyball functions admirably. Mozart's Sister Munger Road The movie will fascinate kids who love nature, just as "Free Willy" did. My Afternoons With Marguerite Mysteries of Lisbon Buy now » And although the real whale in that film was also seen, the interaction The Names of Love here is more believable; Winter doesn't do anything a real dolphin One Day might not do. The film does get a bit carried away with the One Lucky Elephant assumption that Sawyer and Winter find ways to communicate by Our Idiot Brother clicks, whistles and so on. I know dolphins communicate, I know they Phunny Business: A Black Comedy recognize and respond to humans, and Nelson even cleverly finds a Point Blank web page devoted to the language of their sounds. But the Project Nim anthropomorphism of Winter is carried a shade beyond believability. Rapt Restless There are various uplifting subplots. Sawyer's cousin Kyle (Austin Resurrect Dead: Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles Buy now » Stowell), a champion swimmer, enlists in the Army and returns with a Rise of the Planet of the Apes leg injury that will affect his swimming. He is depressed until he gets Road to Nowhere involved in Winter's recovery. Sawyer's mom and Hazel's dad (Ashley The Robber Sarah's Key Judd and Harry Connick Jr.), both heading single-parent families, Senna seem destined for romance, but perhaps that's being reserved for the Seven Days in Utopia inevitable sequel. Hazel's grandfather (Kris Kristofferson), who Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness presides over the nearby houseboat where they all live, is invaluable Sleep Furiously for moments of wisdom. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Straw Dogs Buy now » The movie was directed by Charles Martin Smith, who starred in one Tabloid of the best of all films about man and nature, "Never Cry Wolf" Terri (1983). He guides his good cast with a firm hand, and steers in the 30 Minutes or Less direction of life-affirming lessons. He has made a pleasant family film The Undefeated with an improbable true story at its heart. Viva Riva! Warrior Weekend The Whistleblower Winnie the Pooh Zookeeper Buy now» Watch TV Free On Your PC more current releases » Watch 3,000+ Channels On Your PC, www.StopPayingCableBills.com on dvd

Local Movie Review new on dvd Find Movie Review Near You. Local.com more new on dvd »

Buy now» Movie Costumes coming on dvd Shop movie theme costumes including www.abcunderwear.com more coming on dvd »

Watch Free Movies Now great movies on dvd Watch Free Movies Now - It's Easy With Movies.alot.com more great movies on dvd » Buy now» Ads by Yahoo!