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Dolphin Tale

Play trailer Poster for Dolphin Tale PG Released Sep 23, 2011 1h 53m Kids & Family Drama Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
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81% Tomatometer 112 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
While swimming free in the ocean, a young dolphin gets caught in a trap and severely damages her tail. Though she is rescued and transported to Clearwater Marine Hospital, her tail cannot be saved, and the prognosis is dire. What the dolphin, now named Winter, needs is a miracle. She gets that miracle in the form of a marine biologist (Harry Connick Jr.), a prosthetics designer (Morgan Freeman), and a devoted boy (Nathan Gamble), who find a way to help Winter swim again.
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Dolphin Tale

Dolphin Tale

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Critics Consensus

Wisely dialing down the schmaltz, Dolphin Tale is earnest, sweet, and well-told, a rare family film that both kids and parents can enjoy.

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Critics Reviews

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Derek Malcolm London Evening Standard Don't expect miracles but this is about a kind of miracle and doesn't sentimentalise it to death. Rated: 3/5 Oct 14, 2011 Full Review Anthony Quinn Independent (UK) Two hours of redemptive hugs, triumphant whoops and tearful smiles later we learn that pinning a tail on a dolphin is, on the scale of human achievement, not far behind winning the Nobel Peace Prize and discovering a cure for cancer. Rated: 2/5 Oct 14, 2011 Full Review Michael Hann Guardian It's easy to roll one's eyes at Dolphin Tale, which is heavy on swelling music and how children - aw, shucks! - can teach adults a thing or two about holding on to hope. Rated: 3/5 Oct 13, 2011 Full Review Jason Best Movie Talk Director Charles Martin Smith tugs a little too hard on the viewer's heartstrings, but Freeman's shrewd underplaying prevents the film from drowning in schmaltz. Dec 6, 2020 Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com The real message of Dolphin Tale is that families aren't just families of birth but families of choice. Rated: 3.5/4.0 Sep 6, 2020 Full Review Leigh Paatsch Herald Sun (Australia) A nice little outing for young nature enthusiasts, even if the performances are uniformly stilted. Except for the lead role, which, remarkably, is played by the real Winter herself! Rated: 3/5 Apr 17, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jeffrey M Dolphin Tale was an okay movie. I would probably like the movie more if I watched it in my own house. I watched this movie at school so it wasn't really the best place. Dolphin Tale had a wonderful plot and great characters, but the space in between that made the movie to a 4 and a half ⭐s to 3 and a half ⭐s. I give this a 67%. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/22/23 Full Review Rodrigo C this is a great movie and its also a memory for Winter the dolphin (2005-2021) Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/02/23 Full Review Audience Member Nice and pathetic family movie. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member It's a straightforward honest and well told family film that both kids and parents can enjoy. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review robert p A great movie that well deserves four stars rating its full of sentimental fun! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This is awesome. The tale really is very well told. The filming is superior. I recommend my family to see this. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Dolphin Tale

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Cast & Crew

Dolphin Tale 2 66% 72% Dolphin Tale 2 Watchlist Duma 95% 80% Duma Watchlist A Dog's Way Home 59% 71% A Dog's Way Home Watchlist TRAILER for A Dog's Way Home Flicka 54% 82% Flicka Watchlist Mia and the White Lion 88% 51% Mia and the White Lion Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis While swimming free in the ocean, a young dolphin gets caught in a trap and severely damages her tail. Though she is rescued and transported to Clearwater Marine Hospital, her tail cannot be saved, and the prognosis is dire. What the dolphin, now named Winter, needs is a miracle. She gets that miracle in the form of a marine biologist (Harry Connick Jr.), a prosthetics designer (Morgan Freeman), and a devoted boy (Nathan Gamble), who find a way to help Winter swim again.
Director
Charles Martin Smith
Producer
Andrew A. Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Richard Ingber
Screenwriter
Karen Janszen, Noam Dromi
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Alcon Entertainment
Rating
PG (Some Mild Thematic Elements)
Genre
Kids & Family, Drama, Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 23, 2011, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 15, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$72.3M
Runtime
1h 53m
Sound Mix
SDDS, Dolby Digital
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