Big Miracle (2012)
Average Rating: 6.2/10
Reviews Counted: 97
Fresh: 72 | Rotten: 25
Big Miracle uses real-life events as the basis for a surprisingly satisfying family drama.
Average Rating: 6.5/10
Critic Reviews: 25
Fresh: 19 | Rotten: 6
Big Miracle uses real-life events as the basis for a surprisingly satisfying family drama.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 37,143
Movie Info
Inspired by the true story that captured the hearts of people across the world, the rescue adventure Big Miracle tells the amazing tale of a small town news reporter (John Krasinski) and an animal-loving volunteer (Drew Barrymore) who are joined by rival world superpowers to save a family of majestic gray whales trapped by rapidly forming ice in the Arctic Circle. -- (C) Universal
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Cast
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John Krasinski
Adam Carlson -
Drew Barrymore
Rachel Kramer -
Kristen Bell
Jill Jerard -
Dermot Mulroney
Colonel Scott Boyer -
Tim Blake Nelson
Pat Lafayette -
Vinessa Shaw
Kelly Meyers -
John Pingayak
Malik -
John Chase
Roy -
Ahmaogak Sweeney
Nathan -
Ted Danson
J.W. McGraw -
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Big Miracle Trailer & Photos
All Critics (99) | Top Critics (27) | Fresh (72) | Rotten (25)
Ken Kwapis' 'Big MIracle': Defiantly old-fashioned, in a 1950s way, and impressively untrendy
By-the-book dialogue and lame performances do the film no favours but, hey, worse things happen at sea.
There's something refreshing about a kids' movie that manages to get through its entire length without a poop joke.
If you're looking for a passable film to take the kids to this weekend, Miracle offers a smart enough take on its feel-good plot to keep adult viewers tuned in.
"Big Miracle" might be subtitled, "How Hollywood Turned a Real Story Into Bogus Fiction."
Big Miracle is not one of those whale tales that leaves the audience blubbering, but it's open to the allure of the imposing creatures, which resemble long boulders that have come to life.
There are more subtle movies out there, but few more uplifting.
Big Miracle is invested with solid craftsmanship and a nuanced view of how idealism, pragmatism, and politics intersect.
This is, well, huge.
Political cynicism, media opportunism, dogmatic native traditions, corporate greed and environmentalist stubbornness are each, in turn, dashed against this sunny confection.
funny, tear jerking, smart, and not a little subversive with a few well-place jabs at unexpectedly deserving parties as well as a few kudos in a few surprising places
Genial feelgood story inspired by a true story that made headlines in 1988.
Big Miracle, beyond its bland, nondescript title, delivers exactly what the coming attraction promised, an enjoyable save-the-whales" tale.
The makers attempt to coat their fascinatingly bitter pill with saccharine. They are, however, only partially successful.
[S]urprisingly pleasant... Feel-good hokum is achieved with a minimum of groans induced thanks to director Ken Kwapis' light touch...
Big Miracle has some decent special effects and a young boy will help it to feel more relevant to children.
Ponderously sincere but it does tell a good story.
Krasinski and Barrymore are very likable characters with screen charisma. They seem at ease having previously worked with Kwapis. The movie's other chief strengths are the excellent casting choices, the cinematography and the lifelike animatronic puppets.
It is a laborious, sentimental drama featuring a self-parodic performance from Drew Barrymore, based on a TV news event that briefly gripped the US in 1988.
Inspiring as any family-centric film can be, without being too insipid and manipulative.
A grounding in the real-life story makes this film much less sentimental than it looks.
The whales are so appealing, and the fight to free them from their ice prison so excitingly feel-good, that all cynicism is put aside, making this very decent family entertainment.
Much better than the poster or trailer suggests.
Well made and superbly acted by a strong ensemble cast, this is an enjoyable, warmly written drama that resists the temptation to overdose on sentimentality and delivers a strong message.
Gripping, funny and uplifting with some lively characters...
Audience Reviews for Big Miracle
Super Reviewer
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- Rachel Kramer: Even though they're big and powerful, they're so much like us. We're vulnerable and we get scared. We need help sometimes too.
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- Malik: It's not my first rodeo either.
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- Malik: Holy crap!
- Adam Carlson: Hey. We don't say that kind of- Holy crap!
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- Roy: Are you Mexican? Only at work.
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- Rachel Kramer: The Governor has basically turned his back on the whales.
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- Rachel Kramer: There's always something you can do.
Discussion Forum
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Latest News on Big Miracle
February 3, 2012:
Critics Consensus: The Woman in Black is a Solid Ghost StoryWith awards season in full swing, audiences have plenty to choose from at the multiplex, whether it...
January 31, 2012:
Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski Talk Big MiracleKrasinski also discusses his upcoming Gus Van Sant project.
September 1, 2010:
Ted Danson and Vinessa Shaw Love Ken Kwapis' WhalesTed Danson and Vinessa Shaw have joined John Krasinski and Drew Barrymore in "Everybody Loves...
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Foreign Titles
- Der Ruf der Wale (DE)
- Big Miracle (UK)








Top Critic
It's got a fairly high rating, so perhaps it just me being harsh, but I really did find this ordinary.