Family Movie: "Big Miracle", Thurs., 7/12 AND Fri., 7/13

Big Miracle
Rated PG (107 minutes)

Thursday, July 12 @ 5:30 pm AND
Friday, July 13 @ 1 pm

The oil business, politics, Inuit customs, and animal preservation normally don't mix, especially when the press gets involved. But a funny thing happens when Alaska television reporter Adam Carlson (John Krasinski) discovers a trio of gray whales trapped in the ice near the small town of Point Barrow. Adam's report gets national exposure, and his ex-girlfriend and Greenpeace worker Rachel (Drew Barrymore) hears the story, begins lobbying politicians to save the whales, and hops a plane for Alaska. Based on a true story from 1988, the film is a masterful blend of pure entertainment and a sometimes almost documentary style that manages to be quite appealing to both children and adults. The references to '80s culture and politics are spot-on and will inspire more than a few smirks and snickers from adult audience members, and the environmental message of the film is heartening to all ages. But perhaps the most powerful thing about the film is its honest look at what motivates people and how, in America, even the most diametrically opposed factions can occasionally join forces to achieve a common good.--Tami Horiuchi

Admission is FREE. Snacks and drinks are provided courtesy of the Friends of the Lane Memorial Library.