Flipper

The 1963 film that inspired a popular television series about a chatty, lovable dolphin gets a sunny makeover in this 1996 update. Elijah Wood plays Sandy, a bleak adolescent from Chicago struggling with the recent divorce of his parents and wanting only to immerse himself in familiar comforts. Instead, Sandy is sent to Coral Key, an island off Australia, to spend a summer with his Uncle Porter (Paul Hogan), a benevolent old fisherman. The sights and pleasures of the island, including a pretty neighbor named Kim (Jessica Wesson), aren't enough to shake off Sandy's gloomy outlook. But when he meets Flipper while boating with Porter, his morale improves considerably, then gets another boost when Flipper develops a loyal attachment to him. A subplot about a crooked charter-boat company dumping toxic waste off the coast feels like a necessary evil, just to give the screenwriter something to do. Other than that, the film is quite fun and charming, and Hogan is a pleasure to see with his cracker-barrel wisdom. Great fun all around for ages 6 and up. --Tom Keogh