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Dolphin Tale (2011)

Director: Charles Martin Smith

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From Time Out London

Pack a few discreet hankies for this warm-hearted but schmaltzy family pic. ‘Dolphin Tale’ is based on the story of Winter, a bottlenose dolphin rehabilitated at Florida’s Clearwater Marine Hospital after becoming tangled in a rope at sea. Regrettably, the dolphin has its tail amputated. But, in a rousing case of humanity, Winter’s carers – pulling out all the stops – persuade a prosthetics expert to mould a new tail for the perpetually smiley creature. Before long the mammal has become an inspiration to scores of humans with equally impeding disabilities.
Director Charles Martin Smith and the film’s writers transform the story into a sentimental bonding tale about a withdrawn, fatherless youngster called Sawyer Nelson (Nathan Gamble) whose own demons are exorcised by spending time with the recuperating mammal. Smith’s uneven ‘ET’-like cliché fest comes packaged with all the trappings of the earnest, melodramatic crowd-pleaser – even Morgan Freeman’s there, along with composer Mark Isham’s swooning strings. But as much as it grates, it still manages to warm the cockles.

Author: Derek Adams

Time Out London Issue 2147: 13 – 19 October 2011

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User reviews of this film

Iain Robb said...

Posted on Oct 25 2011 21:15 A likable enough, but somewhat underwhelming film, enlivened by refeshingly normal child characters who are not Hollywood-style precocious, but sunk by a story that would have required more oomph to make it a bit more of interest. About a half-hour too long, it sags especially towards its predictably corny ending, and the result is unnecessarily lacking in drama. It's not a bad film as such, just not a memorably good one. Go see it in 2D if need be, because the 3D is purely ambient and adds almost nothing to the experience. On the upside, though, the dolphin in this acts better than Sigourney Weaver does in Abduction, and has better lines of dialogue as well.

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