Big Miracle (2012)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Thanks for the memories!

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

1988 Barrow Point, Alaska.This film is based on a true story and includes news feeds from that era. Three migrating whales are trapped in the ice due to early freezing. It was a fluke they were reported on in the first place. Once attention grew, unlikely forces and alliances came together to save the whales. This included an oil company, Greenpeace, US and Soviet governments, the military, Eskimos, the community, private entrepreneurs, and a Barbie reporter. That was the Big Miracle.The film contains the right mix of drama and comedy in this heart warming tale on what people can accomplish when they come together.The end of the film shows a clip of Sarah Palin, then Heath, as a sportscaster.Family safe.

I expected to really dig this one as I am a 'animal-lover' (even though I think that term is corny) and a Drew Barrymore-lover alike (nothing corny about that term though).But this movie was way too cheesy at times for me, like randomly showing a bunch of American TV-viewers (ridicolously fraudulent) reactions to the news- stories about the whales being trapped and dropping absolutely everything just to tune in, as if nothing in else in their life mattered to them.And occasionally giving full focus on supporting characters that don't push the movie forward one bit and just take up running-time like colonel Boyer (played by Dermot Mulroney) and Kelly Meyers (played by Vinessa Shaw) instead of focusing on the main characters... and the whales of course.Not completely awful but we've seen the story before but in different settings or animals, not that all movies have to be original but it would have been nice if they'd cut out the cheese a bit from this one at least and focused on the things that mattered more and fleshed out the characters a bit.

With absolutely no idea what this movie was going to be about it soon became a great movie with the basic theme that we are all animal lovers at heart. Its a shame that people cannot come to the aid of our own fellow human beings when the need arises. The devastating Tsunami in Indonesia saw millions in aid from Australia but when we cry out to the Indonesians to spare the lives of two of our own for being drug smugglers they turn a blind eye. Sure Drug smugglers and dealers are the worst but these two have done their time in Jail and show remorse for their actions. We need to treat each other the same way we would some stranded whales. Some reviewers have stated that Barrymore's character was a one sided character with little if any knowledge of these great animals but it only goes to show that she played the part well and made it seem all the more realistic. Worth seeing at least once.

The second grade Open Court textbook includes "The Story of the Three Whales." I thought I would show this movie as we read the story. I was dismayed to find that there were several uses of profanity in this movie, which I would rather not have when I am showing a movie to my students. Teachers should watch the movie first and decide if you want to show it.Further, there are, of course, many scenes that are not part of the story in the textbook, so you could skip over those if you decide to show it. It does carry a disclaimer about being inspired by a true story, so the movie never claims to be historically accurate.