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When the Whales Came (1989)
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Overview
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Release Date:
20 October 1989 (USA)
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Plot:
A pair of children befriend an accentric old man, who lives isolated on the far shore of their island home...
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Awards:
3 wins
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User Comments:
A glorious fairy tale
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Paul Scofield | ... | The Birdman | |
| David Threlfall | ... | Jack Jenkins | |
| Helen Mirren | ... | Clemmie Jenkins | |
| Helen Pearce | ... | Gracie Jenkins | |
| Max Rennie | ... | Daniel Pender | |
| Jeremy Kemp | ... | Mr. Wellbeloved | |
| John Hallam | ... | Treve Pender | |
| Barbara Ewing | ... | Mary Pender | |
| Dexter Fletcher | ... | Big Tim | |
| Nicholas Jones | ... | Vicar | |
| Joanna Bartholemew | ... | Miss Tregarthen | |
| Barbara Jefford | ... | Auntie Mildred | |
| Irene Wilson | ... | Molly Woodcock | |
| Fergus Rees | ... | The Birdman as a Boy | |
| Kerra Spowart | ... | Margaret Pender |
Additional Details
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Runtime:
100 min
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Color:
Color (Fujicolor)
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This is a superb film, designed for the entire family. A fascinating script, first-rate acting, glorious scenery (shot on location in remote islands off of England), and memorable music help make this film a classic. It is set in 1914, and World War One plays a role in the story. But the time is basically irrelevant; the place is not. The story is about a legendary curse, a man who survived it, and an opportunity to lift it, focusing on the destruction and preservation of an extremely rare form of whale.
At its conclusion, I asked my wife, "How could a film like this be made today?" I still don't know. But let us give thanks that we still have enough imagination and basic decency to film a fairy tale with messages that are eternal. It remains an incredible artistic scandal that a movie of this quality has not appeared on DVD.