I always remembered seeing this film somewhere in the middle, and when I finally watched it from the very beginning, I could see the big deal with it, i.e. the strong friendship with a boy and a whale. It starts with the capture of an innocent young killer whale who is taken away from his family, and he ends up in a tank in a marina. Meanwhile, 12-year-old Jesse (Jason James Richter) is the street kid who has caused trouble for ages, and he is caught vandalising the marina, so he is forced to clean up the mess. As Jesse continues his work, he starts to notice and befriends the killer whale, named Willy (played by Keiko the killer whale), the whale even saves his life. But what is even better is that the staff, including Lori Petty (Rae Lindley) and Randolph Johnson (August Schellenberg) start to notice that Jesse can teach Willy tricks. So they decide to open The Willy Show, with the help of marina owner Dial (Michael Ironside) and Willy's capturers and carers. But unfortunately, it does not go well because of Willy's tank having viewers banging on the glass of the tank, mixed with his missing of his family. So with some help from Lori, Randolph and his carers, Glen (Michael Madsen) and Annie Greenwood (Jayne Atkinson), Jesse and Willy set off towards the ocean to free him. The moment where Willy leaps over the rock wall is obviously the pinnacle of the film, and the end credits feature the great Michael Jackson song, "Will You Be There". Sadly the beloved Keiko died in 2003 of pneumonia, he will be missed by children and adults alike. It was number 74 on The 100 Greatest Family Films. Worth watching!
Review of Free Willy
