Eye of the Dolphin
Alyssa is a troubled 14-year old, suspended from school a year after her mother has drowned. Her grandmother Lucy, at wit's end, decides to take Alyssa to her father, James, whom Alyssa thought was dead for years. He studies dolphin communication at Smith's Point, on the Grand Bahama Island. James has not known of Alyssa's existence and is clueless about parenthood. The women arrive at the same time that James may lose his research operation to a tourist attraction. Father, daughter, dolphins, and town are on a collision course. Alyssa and James get encouragement from James's girlfriend and her father. It's the dolphins who can teach, and Alyssa who discovers how to listen.
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- Cast：
- Carly Schroeder , Adrian Dunbar , George Harris , Katharine Ross , Christine Adams , Jane Lynch , Andrea Bowen
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Reviews
Such a frustrating disappointment
As Good As It Gets
An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
I got the DVD from my public library. Hadn't heard of it before but thought how bad could it be with a dolphin. But the movie is cute and funny in a Disney-like way and I can't think of anything offensive for younger audiences (does show drinking and smoking in a few scenes). The ending is a little sugary sweet for my adult taste but the only part of the film that's overdone.Watching the movie was like taking a mini-vacation away from the freezing Jan. temps outside. After seeing the long slow shots of the turquoise water and coral beach, the brightly painted houses, and hearing the lilt of the local Bahamian supporting cast, you can almost feel the tropical breeze. Makes me want to jump on a plane to the Bahamas right now.This movie is one that the whole family can enjoy-how rare is that!
I suppose this one went directly to DVD and few saw it. I found a copy at my local public library. It is a very enjoyable 90 minutes of viewing. It doesn't break much new ground, but it does what it intends to do very well.It starts off in the US and Carly Schroeder as 14 year old Alyssa is having a rough time. Her mom died recently and she puts on too much makeup, has Ipod buds in her ear all day long, and is about to be suspended from school. She is being cared for by her grandmother, Katharine Ross (of 'The Graduate' fame) as Lucy, who breaks the news to her that she has a father. Mom had always told her that her father was dead, but in fact he lived in the Bahamas and was doing research with Dolphins.Naturally Alyssa isn't too happy about all these developments but she and her grandmother travel to the Bahamas anyway, to look up dad, who is Irishman Adrian Dunbar as Dr. James Hawk. He never knew he had a daughter. Christine Adams is Hawk's girlfriend Tamika, who with her friendly smile gets Alyssa to venture out a bit as they go Conch hunting. Alyssa very gradually warms up to this new environment, but her dad turns out to be a very difficult person.So the story is equally about Alyssa getting to feel good again about herself, and for she and her dad to create some sort of bond. It happens gradually and in a believable manner. Good, clean movie.SPOILERS: There are those who want to shut Hawk down, terming his research as "junk research", and instead turn the Dolphin habitat into a tourist attraction. The fight energizes Alyssa also, and in the end we see her taking a lead role, as she addresses a crowd of visitors, a place where they can interact with the Dolphins in a controlled environment and to learn from each other.
Take your family to see this movie, both girls and boys. It is the story of a troubled teen who eventually learns to communicate, lastly with her father. The main character is portrayed wonderfully by Carly Schroeder and supported by an excellent cast. The cinematography is superb, both above and below water.Although there is substance abuse by the main character/troubled teen, it is completely within context for the character development. In fact, the movie goes to great lengths to properly develop all the characters and give them some depth. As to the substance abuse portrayed, it can be a good way to start conversations (communicate) with your child about what they may have or will likely be exposed to in the course of their travels through the teens.My 14 year old son enjoyed the movie immensely. This is a true family film, not a children's film and should be treated as such. But don't shy away from taking your child, even as young as 8-10 depending on their social development.
To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to this film, but I came away from it really impressed. Even though it's somewhat corny at times, it deals with some fairly complex issues. There was emotion, drama, and even some well-placed humor. The film looks great, and has some impressive performances, especially from some of the more minor characters. Plus, there were the dolphins. Ahhhh, the dolphins. Very cute, and very funny, as always. Granted, it's not my kind of movie, but it's very well made, and definitely enjoyable. I would highly recommend this to anyone into teen/family dramas, or anyone who's a fan of dolphins.