Dolphin Tail 20

   Inspired by the true story of Winter, a dolphin who was rescued off the Florida coast after her tail became caught in a crab trap.  She is found by a fisherman and Sawyer, a young boy that Winter bonds with immediately when she senses he is trying to help her.  Without some kind of human intervention, Winter’s chances of survival on her own are slim.  Because of the expertise of a dedicated marine biologist and a brilliant prosthetic doctor plus the devotion of a young boy, Winter has the help she needs.  She is taken to Clearwater Marine Hospital for treatment.  Part of her tail needs to be amputated because ropes cut off the circulation for too long a period.  Also, she has an infection and she must have an amputation.  Sawyer has been struggling with being lonely and friendless.  He believes that Winter would be able to swim normally if she had a prosthetic tail!!  

    This is enjoyable and you are really hoping that Winter will be able to live without part of her tail.  Winter also changes Sawyer’s life.  Before meeting her, he is so shy he can barely talk to anyone.  He bonds with Winter and the people working to help her swim again.  It is very unfortunate that sea animals are killed and injured by fishing practices.  There is no way viewers cannot become involved with Sawyer, Winter and the doctors.  There are messages about courage and survival.  There is also a children’s book about Winter’s rescue and lesson plans for middle school students.   5* (I really liked this movie)  

113 min, Family directed by Charles Martin Smith and written by Karen Janszen and Noam Dromi with Harry Connick, Jr., Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble, Kris Kristofferson, Cozi Zuehisdorff, Morgan Freeman, Austin Stowell, Frances Sternhagen, Austin Highsmith, Betsy Landin, Juliana Harkavy, Megan Lozicki, Jim Fitzpatrick, Kim Ostrenko, Michael Roark.

Note:  Imdb 6.9 out of 10 with 21,648 views, 81% with 112 critics 80% audience with 45,365 ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3*, Common Sense Media Sandie Angulo Chen, age 7+, 2* educational, 4* positive, 4* role models, 1* scariness, 1* consumerism, Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 2,347 ratings, dove.org 1* language, 1* violence, 1* drugs, 1* nudity, Metacritic 64 out of 100 with 31 critics (23 positive 8 mixed) 6.9 user score and 63 ratings (42 positive, 16 mixed, 5 negative), Letterboxd 2.7 out of 10.

Special Note:  There are scenes with Winter swimming around both without and with the prosthetic tail.  Initially, the aquarium had issues with keeping the tail attached to her and still secure and comfortable.  They reached out to a local medical manufacturer, ALPS South located in in St. Petersburg Florida.  They partnered with Hanger Orthopedic Group and developed the liner.  It is specifically designed to comfortably and securely fit Winter’s prosthetic tail.  Dr. Clay Haskett, the prosthetic doctor, carves a dolphin pendent for Sawyer and it doesn’t have a tail just like Winter.  A radio controlled helicopter is used is some scenes and it it real except when filming inside the building.  Then it is computer generated.