'Big Miracle' delivers a whale of a failure

By Jenny Sun     2/1/12 6:00pm

Inspired by a true series of events in 1988, Big Miracle tries to be a movie about a host of quirky and dynamic characters that come together in an inspiring moment of universal passion for the environment. Unfortunately, the characters are flat and stereotypical, the plot is predictable and the dialogue is forced beyond belief – leaving the moviegoer bored and wondering what's for dinner.

After a faster-than-expected cold freeze, three gray whales become trapped in the ice off the coast of Point Barrow, Alaska, unable to swim the five miles to open water without drowning. Adam Carlson (John Krasinski, Nobody Walks), an ambitious news reporter stuck covering small stories in the middle of nowhere, chances upon the whales and quickly films a report. His ex-girlfriend Rachel (Drew Barrymore, 50 First Dates), a hippie-esque Greenpeace volunteer, hears about the story and starts mobilizing her resources to save the whales, doggedly calling the National Guard, ambushing politicians and appealing to guilt tactics to get her way.

The whale story goes viral, and soon reporters from all over the country are flying into Barrow to cover the story of the unfortunate whales. One such reporter, Jill (Kristen Bell, Forgetting Sarah Marshall), catches Adam's eye, and they start flirting, much to Rachel's distress. New characters are slowly introduced as the nation turns its eyes on the miracle waiting to happen. A profit-driven oil driller sees the potential of improving his image before the next big contract and offers the use of his hovercraft to break the ice. The president's approval ratings aren't quite as high as desired, so he orders the National Guard to get involved. A ship of Russians is nearby, waiting to offer aid. A couple of slapstick schmoes show up to try to save the day with their homemade de-icing device. Soon, everybody has jumped on the whale-saving bandwagon, putting their differences aside.

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A promising premise for a touching story, Big Miracle fails to deliver as a romantic drama. Adam is slightly too cocky to be likable, and his jokes fall just short of actual humor. Rachel is so stubbornly obstinate and in-your-face that it takes quite some effort not to want to strangle her after she shows up on screen one time too many. Jill plays right into the role of a ditzy wannabe valley girl and, of course, is shown crying at least once, her mascara smeared. J.W. McGraw, the oil driller (Ted Danson, Cheers), is an incredibly stereotypical businessman, thinking only of profits and painted in a selfish, greedy light.

The movie tries to add a human element to the pro-environmental propaganda by adding love stories and having enemies work together (It's for the whales!), but instead, the viewer is just left grimacing from the corny cliches. Additional themes are cliched and hastily pounced upon, such as the typical disconnect between the modern-day "Guns and Roses" Walkman-cassette culture of a grandson and his grandfather's native Inuit traditions. Perhaps the only characters that feel real are the three whales – we see their heads emerge from and submerge into the hole; they feel lifelike; and although the whales in the movie are CGI, the viewer could easily believe that real whales were used, each with its own distinct physical traits.

It's unfortunate that this movie was based on true events, because it in no way does Operation Breakthrough the justice it deserves. If you're looking for a mindless way to spend a lazy afternoon, this movie might not be a complete waste of time. Otherwise, it has turned an emotionally rousing story of international collaboration and an advancement of people's attitudes toward marine wildlife into a cheesy, poorly acted travesty.

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