Movie Review - "Dolphin Tale" (2011) ***

     I can remember growing up in the 80's and every Sunday night the whole family would gather around the tv to watch the Sunday Night Disney Movie. It was one of the few times that we would all watch the television together. In later years, shows like "E.R." and "Home Improvement" would also become regular family viewing, but they didn't have the memories that the Sunday night movie established. I can still see my mom and dad sitting in their respective recliners, with my sister and I on the floor in our beanbags. Everyone with a bowl of popcorn of course. The reason I bring this up is because some of those memories came back to me while watching Dolphin Tale. It's the perfect example of the type of movie that you would see on those Sunday family movie nights. Usually they are nothing extraordinary but are simply a good watch and appropriate for all ages. There's a place for these movies, especially non-animated ones, at a time when family films seem to be a bit of a dying breed.

     Dolphin Tale is inspired by a true story of a young boy named Sawyer (Nathan Gamble), who happens upon a dolphin that is injured on a Clearwater, Florida beach. The dolphins tale is caught in a crab trap and severly injured during the struggle to free itself. Sawyer cuts the trap away from the dolphin and immediately seems to form a bond with the animal. Dr. Clay Haskett (Harry Connick Jr.), a marine biologist with the Clearwater Marine Hospital arrives with his team to transport the dolphin, which they name Winter, to their facilities for treatment. Sawyer is concerned about Winter and tries to sneak into the facility the next day. He is aided by Clay's young daughter Hazel (Cozi Zuehlsdorff) who understands Sawyer's concern. Clay eventually finds out about Sawyer sneaking around but allows him to stay when Winter shows an attachment to the young kid. Sawyer starts working with the team on a daily basis but Winter starts to take a downturn due to her damaged tail which must be removed. In order to save the animals life, the group comes up with an idea that has never been attempted before; a prosthetic tail. Prosthetics expert Dr. Cameron McCarthy (Morgan Freeman) is the last hope for Winter, but when the dolphin does not respond well to initital treatments, Cameron, Clay and Sawyer wonder if Winter will be able to overcome tragedy against great odds.

     Dolphin Tale as stated earlier, is a perfect family movie for everyone to enjoy. The story is not without flaws as everything is fairly predictable but not all films need to be The Usual Suspects. What makes this stand out from other movies that tend to be "by-the-book" is the surprising cast that was used for this film. Morgan Freeman always bring legitimacy to any project and Ashley Judd has a nice little turn as Sawyer's mom. I have always been a fan of Harry Connick Jr.'s, he just has a likability about him that is refreshing to see. I feel he is underrated as an actor and I will never forget his bone-chilling turn as a serial killer in the highly underrated film Copycat, with Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter. Young Nathan Gamble also turns in a fine performance as Sawyer, a socially awkward kid who seems to find true enjoyment in life for the first time when he starts working with Winter. If you're looking for a nice movie to catch with the kiddos one night, you can do a lot worse than this. Give it a try, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.