In the cinemas now, a lovely movie for kids of all ages based on a true story and packed with great Hollywood stars. The story of how a boy saves and helps a dolphin that has lost its tail. Not just about the tail of a dolphin, but literally a true tale of a dolphin.
The dolphin Winter damaged her tail in a crab trap and is unlikely to be able to survive without it. She is found by Sawyer, a boy who rescues her and befriends her when she is brought to the Clearwater Marine Hospital.
There are of course changes from the real story, as Sawyer is a fictional character, but the struggle to save Winter and find a solution for her survival after the amputation of her tail is true.
There are no real frightening parts, but plenty of emotionally loaded scenes. Sawyer's cousin, returns from war, he has lost the use of his legs and refuses to see him and his family while staying in a Veteran's hospital. It is there that Sawyer meets Dr Cameron McCarthy, played by Morgan Freeman, who creates the prosthetic for Winter. The dolphin can swim without its tail, but it distorts the muscles around her spine and will cause her death. The prosthetic tail will allow Winter to swim as a dolphin is meant to and saver her life.
While there is plenty of focus on Winter's tail in the, it is Sawyer's dedication and love for the dolphin that is really moving. His mother Lorraine, played by Ashley Judd, is willing to let him skip school when she sees the happiness caring for the dolphin gives Sawyer and the relationship with the water mammal opens the introverted Sawyer and boosts his confidence.
Winter reaches out to Sawyer and her story is becomes and still is a comfort to many children and adults with prosthetics and physical disabilities.
While younger children will find the dolphin fascinating, to really understand and follow the story well it is more suitable to older school children aged seven and more. It is a heart warming story that will make anyone watching it feel happy that there are people willing to believe and see beyond the impossible.
A little trivia: The real Dr. Cameron McCarthy is a Cork man that has lived and worked in the US for years.
You can see the real Winter live online at SeeWinter.com and the film trailer at Dolphin Tale.
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