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There’s nothing like a film set on the Gulf Coast of Florida to remind you that September is here and summer is drawing to a close.
But with “Dolphin Tale 2,” it’s easy to forget that inconvenient truth and fall into the not-so-fictional world of the group at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
Based on a true story, the film picks up a couple of years after the first “Dolphin Tale” left off, although it’s not imperative to watch the first film before seeing the sequel. Winter, a dolphin with a prosthetic tail, was previously rescued by the crew at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, including Dr. Clay Haskett (Harry Connick, Jr.), Sawyer Nelson (Nathan Gamble) and Hazel Haskett (Cozi Zuehlsdorff).
Starring: Nathan Gamble, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Harry Connick Jr., Morgan Freeman.
Rating: PG for some mild thematic elements.
Winter is thriving in her home at the aquarium, but when her surrogate mother dies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture warns that the aquarium needs to find a new companion for Winter in 30 days, or they’ll take her away. Meanwhile, high school-aged Sawyer is faced with a decision to accept an offer to study abroad at sea with college students and leave his home and life at the aquarium for a year. The clouds draw in, and the crew at the aquarium contemplates life without Winter and maybe without Sawyer.
Enter Hope, a tiny dolphin who may be able to save the day.
If it weren’t based on a true story, the film would be overly dramatic, contrived and maybe a little predictable. But its nonfictional background gives the film a whole new dynamic and turns it into an inspirational tale fit for the entire family.
The movie even inserts some real-life clips of the real Hope and company that make all the difference. Writer and director Charles Martin Smith does a fine job adapting a real-life tale for the big screen, and Rachel Portman’s score doesn’t overshadow the film.
The movie is kept afloat (pun intended) by quite a strong ensemble, and the younger actors are just as good as their seasoned counterparts. A bow tie-clad Morgan Freeman does not disappoint, offering one-liners that break up the more dramatic moments in the film. Even the animals have unique characteristics and good comedic timing.
The film offers inspiration, humor and hope set against the idyllic background of the sandy beaches of the Gulf of Mexico as the sun sets on this summer.
Kate Mishkin is a former Post-Gazette intern.
First Published: September 12, 2014, 4:00 a.m.