Free Willy, directed by Simon Wincer (1993), is a film about a young misguided boy who befriends an orca by the name of Willy. The story is a little more dirty and a lot less wholesome than I remember. The acting was good enough. I can’t say if the Native American portions are disrespectful or not but the mysticism is played up as a undercurrent in the story to connect the boy and the whale. As a kid, I had enjoyed the sassy nature of the boy. As an adult, it was irritating as hell. All in all, it’s a cute story about a boy finding his way through helping this animal that’s suffering.
Watched on hbomax.com
Grizzly Era Studios 