Rated PG for language.
Starring Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski, Kristen Bell, Ted Danson, Dermot Mulroney and Tim Blake Nelson
Directed by Ken Kwapis (He’s Just Not That Into You and License to Wed)
This is “little story” about a “big miracle.” The miracle of how so many people with so many different opinions worked together to save three whales.
It’s kind of a miracle in another way, too. It’s a PG-rated movie with a huge cast, a smart script, and no fart jokes. When the credits rolled, I leaned over to my wife and said, “I didn’t know they made movies like that anymore.”
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 a Greenpeace 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 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. 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.
This movie is part-comedy (thanks to John Krasinski), part-drama (thanks to Drew Barrymore) and all heart…and its heart is as big as the whales. The true story and the rest of the huge cast, makes an average movie great.
The only real negative for me was environmental agenda. Everyone has an opinion, but the Greenpeace voice is the one that is heard above all the rest. Maybe I’m being too sensitive, or maybe I’ve been watching too many episodes of Whale Wars, but the life of a few whales cannot be compared to the lives of humans…sorry Greenpeace.
Big Miracle is set in 1988, complete with the real news clips, the cassette tapes and walkmans, but my favorite part was the end credits with all the footage of the real people who lived this adventure.
It’s funny, sweet and its broad appeal makes this a “big movie” – it’s “Theater Worthy.”
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Yes, this one is friendly for the whole family.
Conversation Starter
- Rachel Kramer is just one person, but her persistence makes a “big” impact. What do you think would have happened if she quit when things got tough?
- What lessons can we learn from her example?
- Sometimes we believe that we can’t change anything because “I’m only one person.” Why do you think that’s a lie?
- Read 1 Timothy 4:12
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.What are some ways you can be an example with your speech? With your conduct? With your love? With your faith? With your purity?
- Rachel refused to let a few obstacles stop her from her mission and Jesus used a handful of uneducated men to change the world. So how can you use your life to make an impact?
Jonathan McKee
Jonathan McKee is the author of over twenty books including the brand new The Guy's Guide to FOUR BATTLES Every Young Man Must Face; The Teen’s Guide to Social Media & Mobile Devices; If I Had a Parenting Do Over; and the Amazon Best Seller - The Guy's Guide to God, Girls and the Phone in Your Pocket. He speaks to parents and leaders worldwide, all while providing free resources for youth workers on TheSource4YM.com. Jonathan, his wife Lori, and their three kids live in California.