Photo by: mommafindings.com
“Big Miracle” is a tale for dreamers. Based on a real event from 1988 known as Operation Breakthrough, the film brings a real-life miracle to the screen as it portrays the rescue of three gray whales trapped behind a wall of ice separating them from the open sea near Point Barrow, Alaska.
Eskimos, environmentalists, journalists and Soviet seamen alike come together in this inspirational tale to save the trio of helpless sea creatures.
Adam Carlson, played by John Krasinski, popularly known as The Office’s Jim Halpert, is the story’s protagonist. He is a small-town news reporter visiting Point Barrow for a light story on Mexican food. By way of a fluke he falls into the story of the trapped gray whales. As the story becomes more well-known, reporters flock from across the world to the tiny town “at the top of the world” to cover it.
A full-fledged rescue mission is put into motion as the U.S. Coast Guard and Soviet ships become involved, local Eskimos tirelessly dig holes in the ice and even President Ronald Reagan makes a statement pertaining to the issue. The use of actual clips of news footage from the 1980s for these scenes is a welcome touch, adding an undeniable feeling of authenticity.
Alongside the main effort to save three whales, the film also weaves together a confused love-triangle between Adam, Rachel Kramer (Drew Barrymore) and Jill Jerard (Kristen Bell).
Rachel is a stubborn and outspoken Greenpeace activist, who does not shy away from making her conservationist views known. Coincidentally, Rachel is also Adam’s ex-girlfriend.
Jill Jerard is a big-time television reporter from Los Angeles and Adam can hardly take his eyes off her. Throughout the picture, Adam pursues Jill while simultaneously being reminded of what he once had with Rachel by way of her annoying presence in the Arctic. Though onscreen chemistry between Adam and both women is utterly lacking, the side story is amusing at the least.
The film’s tagline, “Inspired by the incredible true story that united the world,” may be overly optimistic. The momentary thawing of relations between the USSR and the United States during the Cold War was no small feat. As it is illustrated in the film, two Soviet ships played an instrumental role in the freeing of the whales. Graciously responding to American requests, they worked through the night to break down the wall of ice, known as a pressure ridge, with their ships.
Despite having a foundation in true events, it is obvious that the producers took a host of liberties. Certain happenings reach beyond the realm of believability and seem to ask a little too much of the audience’s imagination.
Similarly, multiple attempts at humor fall flat. In one desperate attempt to reach the whales, the helicopter pilot’s eye becomes sealed shut due to the extreme cold. Ignoring the protests of the pilot, Adam leans over and, strangely, licks the pilot’s eye. The scene drags on a moment too long and was likely expected to be laugh-out-loud funny, but instead only draws muffled, awkward laughs from the audience.
“Big Miracle” as a whole seems to drag on in parts as well. The main aim of saving the lives of three whales becomes stretched thin as nearly the entirety of the two hours and three minutes are spent documenting the tireless rescue efforts. It reaches the unfortunate point where the viewer begins to question the enormous effort and risk of human life being spent on sea creatures suffering from a natural phenomenon.
Although “Big Miracle” may diverge from the actual events on which it is based, it is a fun and charming flick, which will leave its viewers with a sense of wonderment at the measures determined individuals will take to achieve their ends. “Big Miracle” is quality family entertainment.
