Movie Review: Dolphin Tale

Some zoos and aquariums are famous for a species or an exhibit, or maybe a celebrity employee or animal.  At the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, that celebrity is Winter, an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin who came to the facility after losing a good portion of her tail and being fitted with a prosthetic one.  Her story is told in the 2011 film, Dolphin Tale.

(I'm slightly disappointed that they missed out on calling it Winter's Tail, but that's the Shakespeare-affacionado in me)

Winter stars as herself in the film, which I guess she would kind of have to, considering the unique nature of her anatomy would make it hard for another dolphin to pass as her.  That being said, dolphins can't talk, so it makes sense that the story largely revolves around the human characters.  The movie focuses on a young man who found the injured Winter and later volunteered at the Aquarium to help nurse her back to health; in the process, his time with Winter helps ease the trouble in his own life.  This is a movie, so of course this is a simplification of the story.  In reality Winter was found on Florida's opposite coast by a fisherman.  Other details of her life - especially relating to her celebrated prothesis - are also somewhat exaggerated in the film.

It's stuff like this that always makes me squirm a little bit at movies based on true stories.  The true story is often too messy, too complicated, with too many characters for a workable movie.  Simplifying it for the movie, while necessary, sometimes makes it seem too fake.  Also, with as much appreciation as possible being shown for Clearwater and it's rehabilitation work, I sometimes worry that popular culture depications of rescue and rehab facilities are too sunshine-and-rainbows.  In truth, there is a lot of loss and a lot of tragedy that often outnumbers the animals saved.  I sometimes wonder how many people burn out as wildlife rescuers because they start it with an unrealistic vision of how it's supposed to go.

Still, Dolphin Tale  is a fun (if a little too kid-friendly) story of how everyday folks can make a major difference in the lives of wild animals, while still stressing the importance of professional care and expertise.  It's also done wonders in sharing the story of a little aquarium and boosting its platform for wildlife rescue and conservation.  And that can only be a good thing.