Big Miracle Movie Trailer
MPAA Rating: PG, for languageGenre: Rescue adventure
Runtime: 107 minutes
Starring: Drew Barrymore, John Krasinsi, Kristen Bell, Dermot Mulroney, Tim Blake Nelson, Ted Danson
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Ken Kwapis
Release Date: February 3, 2012
Big Miracle - Official Synopsis
Inspired by the true story that captured the hearts of people across the world, the rescue adventure Big Miracle tells the amazing tale of a small town news reporter (John Krasinski) and an animal-loving volunteer (Drew Barrymore) who are joined by rival world superpowers to save a family of majestic gray whales trapped by rapidly forming ice in the Arctic Circle.
Local newsman Adam Carlson (Krasinski) can’t wait to escape the northern tip of Alaska for a bigger market. But just when the story of his career breaks, the world comes chasing it, too. With an oil tycoon, heads of state and hungry journalists descending upon the frigid outpost, the one who worries Adam the most is Rachel Kramer (Barrymore). Not only is she an outspoken environmentalist, she’s also his ex-girlfriend.
With time running out, Rachel and Adam must rally an unlikely coalition of Inuit natives, oil companies and Russian and American military to set aside their differences and free the whales. As the world’s attention turns to the top of the globe, saving these endangered animals becomes a shared cause for nations entrenched against one another and leads to a momentary thaw in the Cold War.
Big Miracle - Fun for Kids
Since Big Miracle is based on a true story, it might be fun for kids to learn more about what actually happened. Tom Rose did write a book on the real life story in 1989 called Freeing the Whales. The book has been updated and now bears the same title as the movie, but being a descriptive and fact-filled tale, it's not a very kid-friendly read. However, you can read online a 1988 article in the L.A. Times reporting on the effort, which was called Operation Breakthrough. The article describes the rescue and gives a glimpse of that period in history with references to President Reagan and the Soviets. Related study subjects could be the Reagan presidency and the Cold War.
Here are some more whale related resources:
- Whale Printables, Activity Sheets and More
- Washcloth Whale Craft
- See whales and other ocean creature in the Disneynature documentary Oceans
- Kids who enjoy Big Miracle may also enjoy the similar movie based on a true story Dolphin Tale
