Mein Freund, der Delfin

This is the first review I have written, but I feel obligated as this movie was so perfect for its genre. I'm not saying it is an academy award winner, but as far as inspirational, age appropriate and inspiring family movies go, if simply won't get much better than this.

Let me start by saying that I have a child with a physical disability, and during his second surgery, his school class gave him a book about Winter. This was way before the movie, and I had never heard of Winter. My son (age 5), who loves fish and sea life, was instantly taken with the idea of a dolphin that was special like he was. We read the book many times, and even at the hospital we promised that someday he would get to meet Winter.

About six months after his surgery, we traveled to Clearwater from our home on the opposite Florida Coast (4 hour drive). When we arrived we found the aquarium there very sparse and not all that impressive. That said, they were majorly renovating due to the money that they were paid to make this movie even though it still wasn't out yet. That said, Winter was well worth the trip. She is every bit as inspirational and real as what you see in the movie. I'm only bringing this up to focus on my movie review. This is for anyone that thought the movie was over the top sappy or cheesy. I'm sorry, but that part is true and to not make it look that way would be virtually impossible. Winter gives hope to people with special needs. My son even made her a card and got to hold her special tail.

The other features of the movie like the boy finding her and probably many other aspects are creative license. She was actually found by a boat on the East coast of Florida. But, I don't think that really matters. When we went there, even with no movie, and met Winter we knew that she was a movie star.

The movie itself was well produced, well-acted (Morgan Freeman was very good), and took on difficult themes subtly for young children. I guess the best comparison to this would be Free Willy, however that story was pure fantasy and simply not as good of a movie, in any way, to Dolphin Tale.

I highly recommend this movie for any family, especially anyone with a disability. And as far as the barely believable and possibly sappy plot, sometime real life is like that and that is a good thing!

I'm not sure if Dolphins like cheese, but I sure hope you do, if you are going to watch this movie. Seriously though: The movie has quite a few moments that might flip other movies over into complete kitsch. I don't know how they managed, but they stayed on the right side of kitsch if you wanna call it that.

And it is a kids movie after all. While I don't cut them too much slack (remember even if you're a kid watching, in 10-20 years you might wanna re-watch your "favorite" movies again and be bitterly surprised), this one just gets by it. There are a few story points that really are too much, but overall the movie is just too confident. Plus you've got to love Dolphins anyway (well at least I do) and their "tales" ...

Beautiful writing. Wonderful acting (by all species!). Inspirational. I laughed + I cried + It gave me hope = FANTASTIC MOVIE!! My family met Winter at CMA a few years ago. It is truly wonderful to see how Winter's story inspires and gives hope to those facing life's challenges. I am so pleased to see CMA get the recognition they so deserve for all the good work they have done over the years. No doubt they will continue to work miracles as they have done with Winter and her friends!! Don't let the PG rating hold you back from taking the little ones. My two kids (under 7) did just fine. In my opinion could very well be a G rated movie.

This is a nice little inspirational movie that had a relentlessly positive message, and an exuberant talented cast (led by Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, and Harry Connick, Jr.) to boot. While the title and the poster already tells you what to expect, the movie actually had a multi- layered plot, all of these sub-stories drive home the same positive message of hope and redemption in the face of adversity.

The main story of course is that of Winter, a young dolphin whose tail got caught and seriously injured in a crab trap. Sawyer, a young boy with school and father issues, grows very attached to this dolphin that he saved. When Winter's tail was eventually amputated, Sawyer sought the help of the prosthetics expert at the veteran's hospital to come up with a prosthetic tail so the dolphin could swim normally again.

To thicken this simple and straightforward main plot, the script gave us several supporting stories. We get the story of Sawyer's older cousin Kyle, a swimmer who tragically lost his leg in the war. The very marine hospital itself where Winter was confined was in trouble with its sponsors and was threatened with closure. The very community of Clearwater, Florida where the story happened also had to face the wrath of a calamitous cyclone. We get to witness how these "broken" people had the will to rise above their difficulties and move on with their lives.

There was of course no surprises anymore how this will end. However, the story telling was engaging without being too pushy or cheesy with its message. The kid actors were very natural and not annoying, especially the young man who played Sawyer, Nathan Gamble. I think it is a very good family film where important lessons about life can be learned by all. Once in a while it is quite refreshing to watch a happy positive film so reinforce the belief that not all hope is lost in this seemingly sad and cruel world of ours.

"Family is forever."

Although Dolphin Tale is by far not my favorite film of the year, like Midnight in Paris, it is a solid kids' film, an adventure that treats animals and 11 year olds with respect and doesn't demonize adults.

A dolphin, Winter, needs a new tail to survive a crab-trap entanglement, and 11 year old Sawyer Nelson is the new friend to help her through the adjustment. His job: show us that being excited about something worthwhile is the answer to school blues and mother loss. The film is aces at showing that being engaged in helping a living being leads to success and happiness.

A slew of other good-willed people help Winter, from like-minded friends to doctors to grandpas. And that's the sweet point of the film, emblazoned on an all-purpose Swiss Army knife: "Family is Forever." With two crucial families needing a mother in one and a father in the other, "family" extends to the community that nurtures children, adults, and animals. Not only does a Clearwater, Florida, marine rescue hospital need financial support to continue, so also does a crippled soldier and Winter. The figurative connections are obvious but still carefully entered into the drama so as not to heighten the sugar content.

Besides, any movie that includes Kris Kristofferson as a benevolent grandpa and Morgan Freeman as a caring prosthetics doctor can't be all bad. For a supposedly sophisticated film critic, I'm veritably childlike in the presence of these accomplished actors. BTW, Ashley Judd as single mom gets my attention, as she always does.

Yet that Winter, she's all any man could want: smart and silky with mysterious eyes that seem to say, "With our help, you men will make it just fine." No man bashing in this film, just recognition that communal charity and mutual respect will win the day.

Something about this Disneyesque, retro children's adventure makes me happy.