Big Miracle
The many faces of motion picture making are constantly in motion. Some films ride the carousel of repetition while other films jump the track onto originality. In the case of director Ken Kwapis ["The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"] and his latest film, "Big Miracle," this is a fresh take on a true-life tale. The storytelling is down to earth, realistically paced and inspiring.
The film looks back to 1988 and the local, national and worldwide human reactions as three California grey whales are trapped inside a small area of water in the Arctic Circle near Point Barrow, Alaska. The ice forms a blockade that prohibits them in making their migration to Baja, CA. Along with the Alaskan natives; leading actors John Krasinski and Drew Barrymore make a formidable screen team in doing their best to help the whales escape peril and possible death. Barrymore is a force of nature herself as a strong-willed and feisty Greenpeace activist. Krasinski, as a local newsman in Anchorage initially discovers the plight of the family of whales.
Several other people in this natural dilemma are only selfishly involved to benefit for either publicity or self-interest. Ted Danson portrays an oil tycoon and Kristen Bell is an egotistical reporter looking for just the right story to further her career. "Big Miracle" is in many moments, a suspenseful story that ends with the cooperation of humanity and the gut feeling of finally doing the right thing to save the whales. The combination Blu-ray, DVD and Digital copy of "Big Miracle" also includes deleted scenes, commentary from the director and a short feature titled "Truth is Stranger than Fiction."
"Big Miracle"
Blu-ray, DVD and Digital
Universal
$34.98
