Big Miracle :

Whale of a tale

Ruwini JAYAWARDANA

Based on Tom Rose's book Freeing the Whales, which chronicled 1988's Operation Breakthrough, Big Miracle is a heartwarming documentary-type-of movie which emerges out of a human-interest story.

Directed by Ken Kwapis the story rotates around a rescue mission of three gray whales trapped beneath the ice in the Arctic circle near Barrow, Alaska. Only a small hole exists in the ice for them to breath and the ice is freezing at a rapid rate. Thus they are in grave danger of suffocating to death!

The tale runs with a nostalgic note that makes your hearts wrench for the injured family of marine mammals.

However the human characters are less likable since each character has a ulterior motive for helping the whales: Anchorage journalist Adam Carlson hopes that spreading the story will enable big networks to notice him, a Colorado oilman thinks lending his Alaskan resources will get him publicity and Anchorage sportscaster Sarah Palin believes that this will give her the break to make it to the limelight.

For the Inupiat natives it is a matter of saving face because they have been stereotyped as heartless hunters by the public while the White House makes this an opportunity to boost the occurrences in favour of George H W Bush. Even Greenpeace activist Rachel Kramer later manipulates the situation to win over her ex-boyfriend. This adds to the strong cynicism in the film. There are no heroes or heroines, simply more amiable characters than the rest. Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski perform well but their romance seems forcefully scripted into the tale. They generate little heat amid the snow and seem more preoccupied with matters, like Rachel scoring over Sarah at every given opportunity and Adam trying to take situations in hand, than each other. Ahmaogak Sweeney and John Pingayak add some interest as Inupiat whaler Malik and his grandson, Nahtan.

Their relationship mirror that between the whale family.

The story also has too many subplots and characters. Viewers are at times confused on what is taking place and how the last situation ended sine there is so much going on in a disarray.

Laughter is mainly at the expense of the stylish yet mindless Palin. From the minute the action begins Kwapis is determined to dub Big Miracle as a family movie. This is seen from the fact that the three whales too are considered as a family and given names: Fred, Wilma and Bamm-Bamm. The special effects are decently inserted in the proper locations.

This makes us realize that there are some small wonders indeed in Big Miracle and sends the message that you can triumph over all odds.

One of the best and most memorable lines in Big Miracle is when Rachel quotes, "Even though they're big and powerful, they are so much like us. We are vulnerable and we get scared.

We need help sometimes too." This alone scores a plus point with the viewers. The movie embodies a few more touching incidents similar to this to win over the audience's emotions. Though the rescue mission brings a tear to our eyes, these bitter truths of how man wants to gain something for his own benefit even when another life is at stake leaves an unsavory feeling towards the finale.

Yet that is the most realistic feature in Big Miracle which makes it one worth watching. This is no 'Free Willy' but it is a sentimental package which relates a good story.