Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Free Willy 2:The Adventure Home |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Dwight Little |
| Produced by | Lauren Shuler Donner Jennie Lew Tugend |
| Written by | Karen Janszen Corey Blechman John Mattson |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Basil Poledouris |
| Cinematography | László Kovács |
| Editing by | Robert Brown Dallas Puett |
| Studio | Le Studio Canal+ Regency Enterprises Alcor Films Shuler-Donner/Donner |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | July 19, 1995 |
| Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $31 million |
| Money made | $30 million |
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home is an exciting family movie from 1995. It was directed by Dwight Little and released by Warner Bros.. This film is a sequel to the popular 1993 movie Free Willy. It continues the story of Jesse and his amazing orca friend, Willy. The main actors, Jason James Richter and August Schellenberg, returned for this adventure. Even though the real orca Keiko played Willy in the first movie, a robotic whale was used in this film. This was because the Free Willy Keiko Foundation was working to help Keiko get better at the Oregon Coast Aquarium.
Contents
Plot Summary
A New Adventure Begins
It's been two years since Jesse (Jason James Richter) helped his orca friend, Willy, become free. Jesse is now 14 years old and has been adopted by his loving foster parents, Glen (Michael Madsen) and Annie Greenwood (Jayne Atkinson). They are all getting ready for a fun family camping trip to the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
Before they leave, Jesse gets some surprising news. His former social worker, Dwight (Mykelti Williamson), tells him that his biological mother has passed away. She left behind another son, Jesse's younger half-brother named Elvis (Francis Capra). Jesse is sad about this news, but he talks to Glen and starts to understand. Elvis is a bit grumpy and likes to tell tall tales, which sometimes annoys Jesse. But he's invited on their trip to San Juan Island so the brothers can get to know each other.
Reunion and New Friends
At an environmental institute, Jesse meets up with his old Native American friend, Randolph Johnson (August Schellenberg). Jesse first met Randolph at the aquatic park where he found Willy years ago. Jesse also quickly becomes interested in Randolph's kind goddaughter, Nadine (Mary Kate Schellhardt).
One night, Jesse finds Willy again! He slowly starts to show Nadine how special Willy is. As the two teenagers get closer, Jesse helps Nadine become friends with Willy and his orca siblings, Luna and Littlespot. Elvis secretly watches them and forms his own bond with the playful young Littlespot.
Trouble in the Ocean
While everyone is enjoying their camping trip, a big problem happens. An oil tanker crashes and spills oil into the ocean. This oil traps the three young killer whales in a small cove. Soon, news spreads that the orcas are stuck, and Luna is getting very sick from the oil.
John Milner (Jon Tenney), the boss of the oil company, arrives. He says he plans to move the orcas to a safe place where they can get better. But his real plan is to sell them to marine mammal parks! Elvis, who ran away because he felt Jesse was more important, overhears Milner talking about his secret plan. Elvis rushes back to warn everyone.
The Big Rescue
Luna's condition gets worse, but Randolph and Jesse use an old Native American remedy to help her, and she starts to recover. Soon, the oil spill gets dangerously close to the cove. The oil company and some whalers try to block off the cove and start taking the whales. Jesse, Randolph, and Nadine try to stop them.
Elvis returns just in time to warn Jesse. Together, the brothers expose Milner's sneaky plan. Jesse and Elvis create a distraction, and Willy manages to save his little brother by tipping over the whaler's boat. Milner and his men are then arrested for trying to sell the whales.
With time running out before the oil reaches the cove, Jesse, Elvis, and Nadine take Glen's boat to lead the whales to safety. Willy breaks through the barrier and leads his siblings out of the cove. But then, the tanker explodes, and the oil in the water catches fire! Even with the danger, the three whales swim safely under the flames.
Jesse, Nadine, and Elvis follow the whales to make sure they are safe. But their boat hits a rock and starts to sink, trapping them in another cove with flames all around. Glen, Annie, and Randolph search for them. Randolph sends a distress signal for help. A rescue helicopter finds the three, and Elvis and Nadine are pulled to safety. But the boat sinks completely, and Jesse falls back into the oily water. The helicopter has to leave because of smoke. Jesse almost drowns, but Willy returns and saves his friend! Willy carries Jesse safely under the fire to Randolph's boat, where Glen and Annie pull him to safety. Jesse says goodbye to Willy, who then goes back to his family.
Later, the Coastal Marine Patrol brings Nadine and Elvis to Randolph's boat. Elvis gives Jesse an old picture of him and their mother. He explains that he had ripped it up but taped it back together for Jesse. He also tells Jesse that their mother always talked about him and felt bad about leaving him. Jesse thanks him and hugs him, finally feeling at peace about his past. Glen and Annie decide to adopt Elvis so the brothers can stay together. Jesse tells Elvis that Willy and his siblings are back with their mom. He then says a special Haida prayer, knowing they are all free.
Sometime later, after the oil spill is cleaned up, Willy, Luna, and Littlespot reunite with Catspaw and the other orcas. They are shown swimming happily in the ocean near the coast of the Pacific Northwest.
Meet the Cast
Here are some of the actors who brought this story to life:
- Jason James Richter as Jesse
- August Schellenberg as Randolph Johnson
- Jayne Atkinson as Annie Greenwood
- Jon Tenney as John Milner
- Elizabeth Peña as Dr. Kate Haley
- Francis Capra as Elvis
- Mary Kate Schellhardt as Nadine
- Mykelti Williamson as Dwight Mercer
- M. Emmet Walsh as Bill Wilcox
- Michael Madsen as Glen Greenwood
Awards and Recognition
While the movie didn't win every award, Willy, the amazing orca, was very popular! He won the award for Favorite Animal Star at the 1996 Kids' Choice Awards.
Movie Music
The music in Free Willy 2 helps tell the story.
- Michael Jackson continued his connection with the Free Willy movies. He produced and sang the song "Childhood" for this film.
- Two versions of Bob Dylan's song "Forever Young" were also heard in the movie. One version was sung by Rebbie Jackson, and another by The Pretenders was played during the end credits.
See also
In Spanish: Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home para niños
