Free Willy (1993)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Simon Wincer

Writers (WGA):

Keith Walker (story)
Keith Walker (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

16 July 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

A 12 year old street kid. A 3 ton orca whale. A friendship you could never imagine. An adventure you'll never forget.

Plot:

When a boy learns that a beloved killer whale is to be killed by the aquarium owners, the boy risks everything to free the whale.

Plot Keywords:

Whale | Killer Whale | Social Worker | Ocean | Family Relationships

Awards:

7 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Keiko	...	Willy
Jason James Richter	...	Jesse
Lori Petty	...	Rae Lindley
Jayne Atkinson	...	Annie Greenwood
August Schellenberg	...	Randolph Johnson
Michael Madsen	...	Glen Greenwood
Michael Ironside	...	Dial
Richard Riehle	...	Wade
Mykelti Williamson	...	Dwight Mercer
Michael Bacall	...	Perry
Danielle Harris	...	Gwenie
Isaiah Malone	...	Vector
Betsy Toll	...	Passerby #1
Rob Sample	...	Passerby #2
Merrilyn Jones	...	Passerby #3

Also Known As:

Sauvez Willy (France) (dubbed version)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some mild language.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Philippines:G | Portugal:M/6 | Australia:G | Canada:G | Finland:S | Germany:o.Al. | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:U | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Astoria, Oregon, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Jason James Richter's film debut.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jesse is riding Willy, first he is completely wet and then suddenly his hair is dry while the rest of him is wet.

Quotes:

Randolph: 300 years ago, my people only had to spend one day a week gathering food, and everybody ate like kings.
Jesse: So what'd they do the rest of the time?
Randolph: Told stories, made music, made carvings. Made babies.
Jesse: Sounds good to me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kangaroo Jack (2003)

Soundtrack:

Will You Be There

Glorious Motion Picture; exciting, thrilling, and safe for the entire family!

I absolutely adore Free Willy. It ranks well above any movie about whales or dolphins, even Flipper. Free Willy provides an exciting story about a troubled boy who befriends an orca whose situation is much like his own. And of course, we all love the star of the show, Keiko! Keiko had a life filled with traveling from one theme park to the other, and in a lot of ways he experienced much more that Willy did. Keiko played the part of the whale terrifically! James did a great job too acting as Jesse, and gave the perfect image of a young boy who has lived on the streets. Some people call it the best friendship movie since ET. This movie rocks over ET!, and shows us the true meaning of friendship. We all should learn that caring for another person or animal goes a long way.