Director:
Michael D. Sellers
Studio/Production Company:
MovieBank
Genre:
Drama
Sub-Genre:
Family
Length:
Feature
Awards Won:
International Family Film Festival:
Best Drama Feature
Best Child Actor - Carly Schroeder
Website:
http://www.theeyeofthedolphin.com
Score:
2.5/5
In 2002 Niki Caro took the world by storm with Whale Rider, a family film with more thought and depth than most adult fair. Anchored by a remarkable lead performance by then first-time actress Keisha Castle-Hughes, Caro was able to craft a near perfect coming-of-age story that reached across borders and cultures - a rare feat. Five years later comes the release of Eye of the Dolphin - another nautically inclined young girl coming-to-age film obviously made in its wake (pardon the pun) but unfortunately devoid of nearly every aspect that made that film an instant classic.
Alyssa (Carly Schroeder) is having a tough year. Having lost her mother in a swimming accident, she has spiraled into a rebellious streak. Once a darling child, her new persona is that of a aloof chain smoking, hard drinking, marijuana smoking, slutty-dressing high school movie cliché. Having been caught ditching class to enjoy a spliff in the little ladies' room for the ump-teenth time she is suspended indefinitely. Her grandmother, now her guardian (and ill prepared at that), comes to the realization that she cannot give Alyssa the help she needs. As a last option she reveals that her "dead" father is indeed very much alive and that perhaps it is time for the two to meet. Alyssa, understandably surprised by the news but never the less ambivalent about the prospect of connecting to the emotional corpse, puts up a half-hearted teenage protest that (shockingly) results in the two heading off to the Bahamas where her father, Dr. James Hawk (Adrian Dunbar) is studying the ecco-location communications of dolphins. Of course he has no clue that he has a daughter and takes the news as any man in his position would - he vomits. They eventually find common ground in his work with a pair of captive dolphins. When his research is threatened by bureaucratic pressure to eschew science for the financial windfall tourism would bring - father and daughter, accompanied by locals and loyal colleagues Daniel (George Harris) and daughter Tamika (Christine Adams), join forces to preserve both their innocent dolphins and their livelihood.
Right from the start the film wastes no time hitting the requisite beats of many family films. We get a narration setting the table for the audience that cribs Morgan Freeman so obviously it's embarrassing. It also doesn't help that it is delivered over what is revealed to be Alyssa's dream - are we meant to believe that she was hearing the voice of Daniel (whom she has yet to even meet) foreshadowing the events of her near future? This lack of thought is indicative of the writing as a whole. Writers Sellers and Morris put together a by-the-numbers screenplay that's missing a few digits. Story and character elements are introduced but rarely explored and function as simple devices to imply depth - but much like the sanctuary the dolphins call home - it's shallow. Take for instance the grandmother Lucy (Katherine Ross), who is introduced as a suspiciously promiscuous old gal yet it is never even mentioned again for the rest of the film. Not only is there no development or payoff on this characteristic - the character is literally written out of the movie when she has served her function of getting Alyssa to her father. Then there is the anonymous "island boy" who spies on Alyssa as she plays with her dolphin friend that goes absolutely no where. In fact none of the characters are really given any room to expand and come off as just caricatures of actual human beings. I understand that family films in general pander to their audience but at least they do it with some tact.
The actors don't help the poor writing, with stilted dialogue delivery being the modus operandi for practically the entire cast. Schroeder, carrying the film on her narrow shoulders, struggles mightily to portray a bratty disaffected youth. Instead of receiving and reacting, she merely delivers her lines creating some unintentionally awkward moments. Dunbar, as her father, doesn't fair any better which is surprising as he is a veteran actor. Indeed the only standout performances are given by...the dolphins.
The film also lacks any visual identity. The imagery is flat and bland - bewildering considering the beautiful locales. The film looks too much like a drama instead of a family dramedy with its muted tones. Sellers' direction is strictly utilitarian moving from beat to beat with as little style as possible. The film looks more like a television movie than a cinema experience. It must also be noted that the film employs an obscene amount of shutter effects that serve absolutely no function - stylistically or narratively. There is a reason why filmmakers outside of Wong Kar-Wai rarely use the technique - very few can pull it off effectively. Sellers rubs us in the face with it every chance he gets, which seems to be whenever he feels like he needs to do something, anything. He even goes so far as to use a lenticular zoom coupled with the shutter effect at one point which is just utter lunacy. The film is also littered with wasted shots and unnecessary inserts that just drag down the quality of the film as a whole.
As a piece of family entertainment the film works but it doesn't shine. There is nothing here that lifts the film above garden-variety. Flipper is a better family film than Eye of the Dolphin because it doesn't pretend to be anything more than it is: an easily digestible piece of fluff. That this film aspires to be more ultimately hurts its central aim - to be a piece of light entertainment cum morality tale. Regardless, the film is enjoyable and easily forgotten like most family films.
Michael D. Sellers
Studio/Production Company:
MovieBank
Genre:
Drama
Sub-Genre:
Family
Length:
Feature
Awards Won:
International Family Film Festival:
Best Drama Feature
Best Child Actor - Carly Schroeder
Website:
http://www.theeyeofthedolphin.com
Score:
2.5/5
In 2002 Niki Caro took the world by storm with Whale Rider, a family film with more thought and depth than most adult fair. Anchored by a remarkable lead performance by then first-time actress Keisha Castle-Hughes, Caro was able to craft a near perfect coming-of-age story that reached across borders and cultures - a rare feat. Five years later comes the release of Eye of the Dolphin - another nautically inclined young girl coming-to-age film obviously made in its wake (pardon the pun) but unfortunately devoid of nearly every aspect that made that film an instant classic.
Alyssa (Carly Schroeder) is having a tough year. Having lost her mother in a swimming accident, she has spiraled into a rebellious streak. Once a darling child, her new persona is that of a aloof chain smoking, hard drinking, marijuana smoking, slutty-dressing high school movie cliché. Having been caught ditching class to enjoy a spliff in the little ladies' room for the ump-teenth time she is suspended indefinitely. Her grandmother, now her guardian (and ill prepared at that), comes to the realization that she cannot give Alyssa the help she needs. As a last option she reveals that her "dead" father is indeed very much alive and that perhaps it is time for the two to meet. Alyssa, understandably surprised by the news but never the less ambivalent about the prospect of connecting to the emotional corpse, puts up a half-hearted teenage protest that (shockingly) results in the two heading off to the Bahamas where her father, Dr. James Hawk (Adrian Dunbar) is studying the ecco-location communications of dolphins. Of course he has no clue that he has a daughter and takes the news as any man in his position would - he vomits. They eventually find common ground in his work with a pair of captive dolphins. When his research is threatened by bureaucratic pressure to eschew science for the financial windfall tourism would bring - father and daughter, accompanied by locals and loyal colleagues Daniel (George Harris) and daughter Tamika (Christine Adams), join forces to preserve both their innocent dolphins and their livelihood.
Right from the start the film wastes no time hitting the requisite beats of many family films. We get a narration setting the table for the audience that cribs Morgan Freeman so obviously it's embarrassing. It also doesn't help that it is delivered over what is revealed to be Alyssa's dream - are we meant to believe that she was hearing the voice of Daniel (whom she has yet to even meet) foreshadowing the events of her near future? This lack of thought is indicative of the writing as a whole. Writers Sellers and Morris put together a by-the-numbers screenplay that's missing a few digits. Story and character elements are introduced but rarely explored and function as simple devices to imply depth - but much like the sanctuary the dolphins call home - it's shallow. Take for instance the grandmother Lucy (Katherine Ross), who is introduced as a suspiciously promiscuous old gal yet it is never even mentioned again for the rest of the film. Not only is there no development or payoff on this characteristic - the character is literally written out of the movie when she has served her function of getting Alyssa to her father. Then there is the anonymous "island boy" who spies on Alyssa as she plays with her dolphin friend that goes absolutely no where. In fact none of the characters are really given any room to expand and come off as just caricatures of actual human beings. I understand that family films in general pander to their audience but at least they do it with some tact.
The actors don't help the poor writing, with stilted dialogue delivery being the modus operandi for practically the entire cast. Schroeder, carrying the film on her narrow shoulders, struggles mightily to portray a bratty disaffected youth. Instead of receiving and reacting, she merely delivers her lines creating some unintentionally awkward moments. Dunbar, as her father, doesn't fair any better which is surprising as he is a veteran actor. Indeed the only standout performances are given by...the dolphins.
The film also lacks any visual identity. The imagery is flat and bland - bewildering considering the beautiful locales. The film looks too much like a drama instead of a family dramedy with its muted tones. Sellers' direction is strictly utilitarian moving from beat to beat with as little style as possible. The film looks more like a television movie than a cinema experience. It must also be noted that the film employs an obscene amount of shutter effects that serve absolutely no function - stylistically or narratively. There is a reason why filmmakers outside of Wong Kar-Wai rarely use the technique - very few can pull it off effectively. Sellers rubs us in the face with it every chance he gets, which seems to be whenever he feels like he needs to do something, anything. He even goes so far as to use a lenticular zoom coupled with the shutter effect at one point which is just utter lunacy. The film is also littered with wasted shots and unnecessary inserts that just drag down the quality of the film as a whole.
As a piece of family entertainment the film works but it doesn't shine. There is nothing here that lifts the film above garden-variety. Flipper is a better family film than Eye of the Dolphin because it doesn't pretend to be anything more than it is: an easily digestible piece of fluff. That this film aspires to be more ultimately hurts its central aim - to be a piece of light entertainment cum morality tale. Regardless, the film is enjoyable and easily forgotten like most family films.
The wired generation really need such movies.