Animal movies aren't a big go-to for me. My Grandma, whom I live with, loves them, but unless it's an animated movie like All Dogs Go To Heaven or Lady and the Tramp, movies centered around animals aren't my cup of tea. (Witness my 7/10 review of Zeus and Roxanne.)
That said, I used to watch a Disney show called Stuck In The Middle, which stars actress Jenna Ortega (now known for horror movies like the new Scream films and X), and since she was in this, and I found the DVD unopened at Salvation Army today, I decided to check it out- and I enjoyed it very much.
Saving Flora stars Jenna Ortega as Dawn, a 14-year-old teen who grew up in the circus. Her best friend is an elephant named Flora, who has aged and is facing euthanasia for her arthritis. Desperate to save her friend, Dawn runs away and travels over 300 miles on foot to take Dawn to an elephant preserve where she can live the rest of her days in peace, along with the help of a runaway named Sebastian.
While no one gave an Oscar-worthy performance, Jenna Ortega gave a very special performance as Dawn, knowing how to cry at times and show a range of emotion and character growth. (While I don't care for her Disney show Stuck In The Middle, I am very aware of her talent because of it.)
Her father, played by David Arquette, gives a decent performance as well. Other actors like Tom Arnold and Rhea Perlman (the latter's part being very small), were fine as well.
The movie was also well shot and the story flowed very well. Again, nothing to earn awards, but this is a sweet family film, not an Oscar contender. The message to preserve and value animal life was sweet too and not heavy handed.
Saving Flora is also very family friendly- while I'm not overall prudish, it was nice to see a good movie without swearing, sex, or violence (some gun use is present, but no blood or anything). That was refreshing and nice to see.
I do have some minor flaws- like some cliches (a kid helping with bad intentions and then changing, only to be found out, or butchers being evil without the hand wringing and evil laugh), plus I don't see the Instagram references aging well in 20-30 years, but again- family film, not Oscar-seeking. (Also, over thinking here, but how does an elephant with arthritis walk 300 miles with very little problem?)
Like I said before, animal movies aren't my cup of tea- but I enjoyed Saving Flora very much. My minor flaws aside, if I had the option to see Saving Flora 20 more times vs. Seeing Firehouse Dog once more (see my 7/10 review of that), I would pick the Saving Flora option without thinking twice.
With its sweet story, great message, decent acting, and clean content, Saving Flora is an underrated gem and a family friendly delight, and I highly recommend it.
