Free Willy (1993)

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.

Director:

Simon Wincer

Writers:

Keith Walker (story) (as Keith A. Walker), Keith Walker (screenplay) (as Keith A. Walker)

Stars:

Jason James Richter, Lori Petty, Michael Madsen

7 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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
Mickey Gaines	...	Waiter

Storyline

Fishermen separate a young orca whale (Willy) from his parents and he ends up in a fish bowl at a marina. Meanwhile, a street kid runs afoul of the law and gets caught vandalising the marina, but his social worker gets him off the hook (so to speak) provided he cleans up his mess at the marina. While there, he befriends the whale and teaches him tricks, something the trainer hasn't been able to do. But when Willy is a dud in front of the audience, the marina owner plans some bad things, and the boy and his friends must try to (*** MAJOR SPOILERS ***) free Willy.

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Plot Keywords:

whale | killer whale | animal | no opening credits | warner bros. | 

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Taglines:

How far would you go for a friend?

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some mild language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first six weeks of production took place in Mexico before moving to the Pacific Northwest for the remainder of filming.

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Goofs

When Jesse and the other street kids find out they haven't gathered enough money to buy food, Perry says "Shoot, I'm hungry!" But his lips mouth "shit" instead of "shoot".

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Quotes

Jesse: [running] Come on, Willy! Come on, boy! Follow me to the breakwater! Hurry! Go, Willy, go! Get away from those boats. They're dangerous! Swim! Come on! Come to me, Willy! Get away from those net! Over here, boy! Hurry! Over here! Hurry, Willy! Hurry! Come here, boy. Come on!
[Jesse then places his hand in the water]
Jesse: Come on.
[Willy comes up to Jesse]
Jesse: [puts hand in the water again] Come here, boy. Come here.
[Willy squeals]
Jesse: [sobbing] I'll miss you.
[Willy squeals again]
Jesse: [sobbing] Don't forget me, okay? I ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The end credits contained a lot of orca footage.

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Alternate Versions

The first Warner Bros. Family Entertainment fanfare featuring Bugs Bunny spinning the banner appears exclusively in the VHS and 1990's HBO airing.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Wild World of Batwoman (1993)

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Soundtracks

How Can You Leave Me Now
Written by Paul Frazier
Performed by Funky Poets
Courtesy of Epic Records

User Reviews

Whale-shaped place in my heart

5.2 is shameful. I loved this movie. It has all of the elements of a great film; compelling characters, plot, and an end lesson. I think that most family movies these days lack a lot of moral posturing that made films like this one so memorable. I know that I wanted to "Save the Whales" after I saw this movie. Heck, I wanted to be a whale. I don't care how many stars it got, this movie is a childhood treasure for me and I think of it every time I hear the Michael Jackson song, "Will You Be There?" I wish that my younger siblings remembered this movie or the amount of joy it brought us slightly older kids in my family. The sequel certainly left something to be desired, but not the original. Yep, it will hold a special whale-shaped place in my heart.

Details

Country:

USA France Mexico

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 July 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Free Willy

Filming Locations:

San Juan Islands, Washington, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,868,829, 18 July 1993

Gross USA:

$77,698,625

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$153,698,625

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros. Family Entertainment, Warner Bros., Canal+

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1