Approved for 12+

Big Miracle

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 (Krasinski) 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 (Barrymore). 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.
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Negative Rating
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SexLanguageViolenceDrugsNudityOther
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Positive Rating
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FaithIntegrity

Dove Review

“Big Miracle” is a heart-warming family adventure! This is a “feel good” family-friendly movie which shows what can happen when people pull together. The movie is based on the book, “Freeing the Whales”, by Thomas Rose.

It is 1988 and President Reagan is in office. When three gray whales become trapped by ice in the Arctic, a Greenpeace volunteer named Rachel Kramer (Drew Barrymore) gets busy working on doing whatever is necessary to set them free. If that means ruffling the feathers of a governor or a big-time construction owner named J.W. McGraw (Ted Danson) she is willing to do it. She even gets aid from her former boyfriend, Adam Carlson (John Krasinski), a local newsman, who gets on board with her plan and helps in several ways.

The film features historical moments and news casts based on this story inspired by true events, with even President Reagan becoming involved, as well as the Russians. In one funny improbable scene President Reagan gets on the phone to seek help from the Russians as a Soviet ship is needed, and he says, “Hello Gorby, this is Ronny!” It could be it didn’t actually go down that way, but the inspirational scenes of the film, including two men with a de-icing machine traveling to the Arctic all the way from Minnesota, will have you cheering not only for the whales, but for a happy ending for the humans too! Everyone ultimately pulls together in this one, even the locals of Alaska who are not necessarily crazy about the publicity. We are pleased to award this terrific film our Dove “Family-Approved’ Seal. Go experience this “big” miracle with your family.

Dove Rating Details

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Faith

None

0
Integrity

Whalers throw a harpoon toward whale but the impact of the spear is not seen; a ship comes into the ice hard several times to attempt to break up the ice;

1
Sex

A kid says a certain reporter is "hot"; kissing by a couple; an innuendo about a woman having testicles, "a big pair."

2
Language

G/OMG-8; For G*d's Sake-1; "Oh my Lord"-1; H-10; D-6; Holy Crap-2; A-1; SOB is abbreviated but not said-1; Geez-1; Ba**ards-1; "Witch"-1; Freakin-1

1
Violence

Whalers throw a harpoon toward whale but the impact of the spear is not seen; a ship comes into the ice hard several times to attempt to break up the ice;

2
Drugs

Wine is consumed in a few scenes and there are a few other drinking scenes including toasts; a character admits to being drunk in one scene.

0
Nudity

None

1
Other

Political comments including a comment that President Reagan doesn't care about environmental issues and that he needs to step in to help the whales if only for political reasons and one of his aids mentions the booming economy and jobs under the president; an official says he hates a character because she comes on strong to get help for the whales; a news reporter tries to put a journalist off the story because he wants the attention.

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