Flipper (1996 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Flipper |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Alan Shapiro |
| Produced by | James McNamara Perry Katz |
| Screenplay by | Alan Shapiro |
| Story by | Ricou Browning Jack Cowden |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Joel McNeely |
| Cinematography | Bill Butler |
| Editing by | Peck Prior |
| Studio | The Bubble Factory |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | May 17, 1996 |
| Running time | 95 Minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $25 million |
| Money made | $20,080,020 |
Flipper is an exciting American adventure movie from 1996. It's a new version of a classic 1963 film and TV show about a special dolphin. The story follows a boy named Sandy who has to spend his summer with his uncle in sunny Florida.
Sandy expects a boring summer, but then he meets a friendly dolphin. He names the dolphin Flipper. They become great friends and have many adventures together! This movie is not connected to the 1995-2000 Flipper TV series.
Contents
About the Movie
This film was distributed by Universal Pictures. The original Flipper movies and TV shows were made by a different company. This movie brings the beloved dolphin story to a new generation.
Sandy's Summer Adventure
The story begins with Sandy Ricks (Elijah Wood). He is sent to spend the summer with his Uncle Porter (Paul Hogan). Porter lives in a seaside town called Coral Key. Sandy is not happy about this at all. He really wanted to go to a concert instead.
His mood doesn't get better right away. He meets Cathy (Chelsea Field), who runs a local shop. She and his uncle seem to like each other. Sandy also meets Kim (Jessica Wesson), a girl his own age.
A Special Friendship Begins
One day, Sandy and Uncle Porter are out on Porter's fishing boat. They see Porter's enemy, Dirk Moran (Jonathan Banks). A group of bottlenose dolphins are playing near Dirk's boat. Dirk is a big game fisherman. He doesn't like animals that eat fish. He shoots at the dolphins, and one gets badly hurt.
Sandy soon finds a dolphin that escaped Dirk's shooting. Sandy decides to name this dolphin Flipper. The next morning, the sheriff, Buck Cowan (Isaac Hayes), visits them. He explains that they can't keep the dolphin unless it's in a special tank.
That night, Sandy and Kim go out in a small boat. They are looking for Flipper. They don't find the dolphin. But they see Dirk Moran's boat dumping barrels into the water.
The next morning, Kim arrives looking for Sandy. Porter's pet pelican, Pete, acts strangely. Pete leads Kim to Flipper. Flipper is on the shore and very sick. Sandy and Kim manage to help Flipper get better.
Solving a Mystery
Cathy figures out that Flipper was poisoned. It was from toxic waste. This waste was also harming the local fish. The group decides to use Flipper's special ability. Dolphins use echolocation to find things. They attach a camera to Flipper's head.
Flipper helps them find the barrels of toxic waste. He also finds the rest of his dolphin family. Flipper reunites with his pod, but the camera falls off. Porter quickly goes to tell the sheriff about the barrels.
Sandy worries about Flipper. He doesn't tell anyone except Cathy's young son, Marvin (Jason Fuchs). Marvin then takes the small boat to find Flipper.
Danger and Rescue
Sandy barely escapes when Dirk Moran's boat damages his dinghy. He sees a dorsal fin coming closer. He thinks it's Flipper. But it's actually Scar, a huge great hammerhead shark. Scar is known for being dangerous in the island's waters.
Sandy swims as fast as he can towards Dirk's boat. Scar is about to attack Sandy. Suddenly, Flipper appears! He starts hitting the shark with his nose. It's a scary moment, and Scar seems stronger than Flipper. But then, Flipper's dolphin family arrives just in time. They help drive Scar away.
Dirk Moran is then arrested by the sheriff. He is caught for illegally dumping toxic waste. He also caused trouble for Sandy because Sandy saw him that night.
Saying Goodbye
The next morning, Sandy's mom (Mary Jo Faraci) and younger sister (Allison Bertolino) come to pick him up. There is a lot of excitement. It's Flipper! The dolphin has come to say goodbye to Sandy.
Meet the Cast
- Paul Hogan as Porter Ricks
- Elijah Wood as Sandy Ricks
- Jessica Wesson as Kim
- Jonathan Banks as Dirk Moran
- Bill Kelley as Donald
- Chelsea Field as Kathy
- Isaac Hayes as Sheriff Buck Cowan
- Jason Fuchs as Marvin
- Robert Deacon as Bounty Fisherman #1
- Ann Carey as Fisherman's Friend
- Mark Casella as Bounty Fisherman #2
- Luke Halpin as Bounty Fisherman #3
See also
In Spanish: Flipper (película de 1996) para niños
