“Oh my goodness!” is the first thing I thought as I entered the line for “Dolphin Tale” on Friday, September 23, 2011. The line stretched all the way to the end of the theater. At first I wasn’t sure why it was so long, and then I remembered that most of it had been filmed no more than an hour's drive away. And, like me, all these people were excited to see places they recognized in a movie. I did eventually get into the theater and actually found pretty good seats.
Let me get something straight before I talk about the movie; Dolphin Tale was inspired by a true story, not based off one. That being said, you may read on.
Right when the movie started, I realized that this movie would not be credited for its visual effects. In the opening scene, a group of dolphins are swimming around in the ocean. And right off the back, I was able to tell that they were poorly done computer generated dolphins by their lack in texture and correct shading. Another example would be the hurricane scene. Right when everything seems to be working out for everyone, a dangerous hurricane tears through Clearwater city. Now I’ve seen plenty of hurricanes in my lifetime, and I’m pretty sure that if the branches on a palm tree are about to be ripped off, then it would be bending at least a little.
Another thing that was not taken into account for this movie was how real the plot and script is. Everyone seems to know Sawyer (Nathan Gamble, the protagonist) as a well known friend in about two days. When I saw this I thought “maybe more time has passed than they showed” but I was wrong when the mother discovers that he’d been skipping summer school to go to the Clearwater Marine Hospital for only one week. Plus, I don’t think that two kids running the fundraising for a Marine Hospital is very realistic.
While the visual effects and realistic plot may have needed some work, it was still a nice, heartwarming story that you would definitely go to if you needed some cheering up. It was nice to see how happy a dolphin could make so many people. The bouncy, jingly music adds to the effect every time someone starts swimming, Winter included. This movie really gives hope for people with prosthetic limbs because of Winter's prosthetic tail. Plus, her outgoing love of humans makes her quite hilarious. In one scene, Dr. Cameron McCarthy (Morgan Freeman), the man who designs the prosthetic tail, is splashed in the back by Winter while wearing a nice, expensive looking shirt. In the end, it leaves you with a new hope radiating from your heart.
So overall, while it may not be the best script or have amazing visual effects, t is definitely a touching, gratifying film that will leave with a sense of inspiration.