Dolphin Tale Movie Review

Charles Martin Smith brings his sweet, feel good movie “Dolphin Tale” about a boy, Sawyer Nelson (Nathan Gamble) who is a slight loner stuck inside his own shell. While he is much like boys his age who build models, play video games and avoid the world, he still feels alone. While his father is somewhere off away in no dad land, his mother Lorraine (Ashley Judd) does her very best to be a mother.

One day on his way home from his Florida grade school, he happens to find himself by a dolphin stranded on the beach in the lobster trap. Worried about the dolphin, he skips school and goes along with the local rescue team to the animal hospital. That’s where we meet Hazel Haskett (Cozi Zuehlsdorff) and her father Clay (Harry Connick Jr) and learn more about the rescuers. 

Sawyer is shy and withdrawn as mentioned, but this group helps him become more social by working with the dolphin, now living in a pool. As most heartfelt movies go, the once shy, Sawyer finds himself out of his shell and enthusiastic about working with the animal. During the film Winter, the dolphin, loses ability of it’s tail and it must be amputated. Later, a top prosthetics specialist (Morgan Freeman), comes in to  design an artificial tail. 

As the true story goes, Winter becomes a more prominent dolphin using her new prosthetic tail, the boy gets to be outward and lively, and of course the two families connect together, creating a beautiful and harmonious ending. Kids who love science, will love this movie indeed. 


As a young woman myself who grew up watching Free Willy, I couldn’t help but fall in love with this story of Winter the dolphin, and the entire story behind her. Not only was this film great, but it is very heartwarming. I highly recommend this movie for those who are of any age and looking for a good feel good movie.