The Whale (2011 film)

The Whale
Film poster
Directed bySuzanne Chisholm
Michael Parfit
Produced bySuzanne Chisholm
Narrated byRyan Reynolds
CinematographySuzanne Chisholm
Michael Parfit
Edited byMichael Parfit
Music byDavid Parfit
Tobin Stokes
Production
companies
Mountainside Films
Telefilm Canada
Release date
  • September 9, 2011 (2011-09-09) (U.S.)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

The Whale is a 2011 documentary film directed by Suzanne Chisholm and Michael Parfit. Narrated by Ryan Reynolds, it tells the story of Luna, a killer whale (orca) living in Nootka Sound, Canada, who was separated from his pod at a young age.

Production

The Whale was produced by Suzanne Chisholm, with Eric Desatnik, Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds serving as executive producers. It is based on and uses the same footage as Chisholm's and Parfit's 2007 documentary Saving Luna, narrated by Parfit. The reworked version was rewritten to tell the story from a third-person perspective and focuses less on the directors' personal involvement in Luna's life.[1]

Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an 83% rank based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10.[2]

Andy Webster of The New York Times suggested that "A documentary ideal for schoolrooms, family viewing, and discussion",[3] while Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter, called the film "Serious-minded, thought-provoking animal documentary [that] will have a lengthy life, mostly in ancillary markets".[4]

Not everyone from the critics had positive thoughts about the film. Brian Miller of The Village Voice said that "[w]hile they fluff up the conflict between the "no touching" feds and Luna-besotted locals, all parties are simply too polite, decent, and Canadian for any real drama".[5]

Ronnie Scheib of Variety was also not impressed. According to him, "[the] [d]ocu[mentary] dotes on its adorable, highly photogenic star, but nonstop voiceover commentary and exclamations of wonderment tend to lessen rather than enhance its impact".[6]

Awards and nominations

See also

References

  1. ^ Lederman, Marsha (17 November 2011). "A whale of a tale hooks actor Ryan Reynolds". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  2. ^ "The Whale (2011)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  3. ^ Webster, Andy (22 September 2011). "Lost Baby Orca's Rich Social Life". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  4. ^ McCarthy, Todd (22 September 2012). "The Whale: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  5. ^ Miller, Brian (21 September 2011). "You Know How This Ends: Sad Tale of an Orphaned Orca in The Whale". The Village Voice. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  6. ^ Scheib, Ronnie (22 September 2011). "The Whale". Variety.
  7. ^ "2012 Newport Beach Film Festival award winners". Daily Pilot. 7 May 2012. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.


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