New review from The Movie Snob
Big Miracle (B-). I caught this little movie at the dollar theater (actually $1.75), and I felt like I got my money’s worth. “Inspired by a true story,” this is the story of three California gray whales that accidentally got trapped under Arctic ice off the coast of northern Alaska in the fall of 1988. (I was in college at the time, which I guess explains why I remember nothing about this incident.) The whales had a small hole in the ice to breathe through, and the hole was way too far from the open ocean for them to swim the distance without drowning. In the movie, a reporter (played by John Krasinski, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi) reports the story, which draws attention back in the lower 48 and triggers a massive rescue effort spearheaded by an amazingly annoying Greenpeace activist (played by Drew Barrymore, Going the Distance). Lots of recognizable stars show up, such as Kristen Bell (When in Rome) as a reporter up from Los Angeles, Ted Danson (Three Men and a Baby) as a wicked oil mogul, and Dermot Mulroney (The Family Stone) as a tough National Guardsman. I liked it well enough, but somehow it just lacked a certain magic about it. Maybe it was that annoying Drew Barrymore character. Anyhoo, it’s basically family friendly, but there is a little swearing, and it does get a little sad at one part.
The Movie Court 