Free Willy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Free Willy
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Simon Wincer
Produced by	Lauren Shuler Donner Jennie Lew Tugend
Screenplay by	Keith A. Walker Corey Blechman
Story by	Keith A. Walker
Starring	Jason James Richter Lori Petty Jayne Atkinson August Schellenberg Michael Madsen
Music by	Basil Poledouris
Cinematography	Robbie Greenberg
Editing by	O. Nicholas Brown
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	July 16, 1993 (1993-07-16)
Running time	112 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$20 million
Money made	$153.6 million

Free Willy is a 1993 American family drama film. It was directed by Simon Wincer and produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Jennie Lew Tugend. The movie tells the story of Jesse, a boy who becomes friends with a captive orca named Willy.

The film was made between May and August 1992 and came out on July 16, 1993. Critics liked it, and it made a lot of money. The movie cost $20 million to make but earned $153.6 million worldwide. Free Willy became a popular story, leading to a TV show, two more movies, and a reboot film.

The Story of Free Willy

Willy's Capture

The movie starts near the Pacific Northwest coast. A group of orcas are swimming peacefully. But then, some whalers find them. One of the orcas, named Willy, gets trapped and is taken to the Northwest Adventure Park. His family can't help him escape.

Jesse Meets Willy

Meanwhile, in Portland, Oregon, there's a 12-year-old boy named Jesse. He doesn't have a family home and gets into trouble. One night, he's caught by the police for drawing graffiti at the theme park. During his arrest, he sees Willy. Jesse's social worker helps him. Jesse has to clean up the graffiti as part of his punishment. He also gets to live with kind foster parents, Annie and Glen Greenwood. At first, Jesse is not happy with them.

A Special Friendship Forms

While working at the park, Jesse sees Willy again. The park staff, including Willy's trainer Rae Lindley, think Willy is difficult. But Willy likes Jesse's harmonica playing. One night, Willy even saves Jesse from drowning. They start to form a special bond. Jesse also becomes friends with Randolph Johnson, Willy's keeper. Randolph teaches Jesse about the connection between humans and orcas. Jesse begins to feel more comfortable in his new home and is offered a job at the park.

The Show and a Problem

The owner of the park, Dial, sees how talented Jesse and Willy are together. He plans "The Willy Show" to make money from Willy. But on the day of the first show, children bang on Willy's tank. Willy gets upset and refuses to perform. Jesse feels a lot of pressure and runs off, planning to leave. Willy, stressed, crashes against the tank, damaging it.

Later, Jesse says goodbye to Willy. He then hears Willy's family calling from the ocean. Jesse realizes how sad Willy is being held captive. Soon after, Jesse sees Dial's assistant, Wade, and others secretly damaging the tank even more. They want the water to leak out and kill Willy so they can get money from his insurance.

The Plan to Free Willy

Jesse and Randolph decide to free Willy and get Rae to help. They use park equipment to load Willy onto a trailer. Jesse and Randolph use Glen's truck to pull Willy towards a marina. Wade calls Dial to say Willy is gone. Dial starts a search for them. Jesse, Randolph, and Rae try to stay on small roads, but the truck gets stuck in the mud.

A Race to Freedom

Jesse calls Glen and Annie using a CB radio. Annie and Glen arrive and help free the truck. They continue to the marina to release Willy. But Dial, Wade, and their helpers are blocking the gate. Glen crashes through the gate and backs Willy into the water, even flooding his own truck.

Willy is finally in the water but doesn't move right away. Wade and his group try to stop them, but Jesse and his friends fight back. They try to hold them off so Willy can swim away. Willy finally starts to swim towards the ocean. But then, two of Dial's whaling ships appear, blocking the marina with their nets.

The Big Jump

Jesse runs to the breakwater, a wall of rocks, and calls Willy to follow him. This draws Willy away from the boats. Jesse goes to the edge and tells Willy that if he jumps over the breakwater, he will be free. Jesse says a sad goodbye, then goes back to the top of the breakwater. He says a Haida prayer that Randolph taught him. Then, he gives Willy a signal. Willy makes a huge jump over the breakwater and lands in the ocean on the other side! He is finally free to go back to his family. Jesse goes back to Glen and Annie, who hug him. Willy calls out to Jesse from the distance.

Cast

• Jason James Richter as Jesse
• Lori Petty as Rae Lindley
• Jayne Atkinson as Annie Greenwood
• August Schellenberg as Randolph Johnson
• Michael Madsen as Glen Greenwood
• Michael Ironside as Dial
• Richard Riehle as Wade
• Mykelti Williamson as Dwight Mercer
• Michael Bacall as Perry
• Danielle Harris as Gwenie
• Willis Van Dusen as Fish Vendor
• Jim Michaels as Announcer
• Keiko as Willy

Movie Music

The movie's soundtrack was released on July 13, 1993. It included all the songs from the film. Michael Jackson sang and produced the song "Will You Be There". This song is heard during the end credits of the movie. It became a very popular song, reaching the top 10 on music charts. It also won an MTV Movie Award for Best Song from a Movie. Another popular song from the soundtrack was a remix of SWV's "Right Here". This song used a sample from Michael Jackson's "Human Nature".

Keiko, the Real Willy

The orca who played Willy in the movie was named Keiko. After the movie became a huge success, many people wanted Keiko to be released from his park in Mexico City. This movement was called "Free Keiko." Warner Bros., the movie company, helped with this effort.

Keiko was moved to The Oregon Coast Aquarium in Oregon. He was flown there in a special C-130 cargo plane. In Oregon, he got healthy again. The goal was to help him return to the wild. In 1998, Keiko was moved to Iceland using a US Air Force C-17 plane. There, he learned how to live in the ocean. He was released from a sea pen in the summer of 2002 and swam to Norway. He even followed a group of wild orcas.

However, Keiko later came back to humans for food and company. He couldn't fully join a wild orca group. Scientists later said that the project to release him didn't fully work. Keiko sadly died of pneumonia in a Norwegian bay on December 12, 2003.

In 2013, a video from New York Times looked back at Keiko's release. Reasons why Keiko struggled to adapt included being captured when he was very young. He also spent a long time in captivity and had strong bonds with humans.

See also

In Spanish: Free Willy para niños