Plot.
Poster of Free Willy

Free Willy

1993 · Film · 112 min

  • Family
  • Adventure
  • Drama

Plot

When maladjusted orphan Jesse vandalizes a theme park, he is placed with foster parents and must work at the park to make amends. There he meets Willy, a young Orca whale who has been separated from his family. Sensing kinship, they form a bond and, with the help of kindly whale trainer Rae Lindley, develop a routine of tricks. However, greedy park owner Dial soon catches wind of the duo and makes plans to profit from them.

About Free Willy

Free Willy is a 1993 American family drama film, directed by Simon Wincer, produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Jennie Lew Tugend, written by Keith Walker and Corey Blechman from a story by Walker and distributed by Warner Bros. under their Family Entertainment label. The film stars Jason James Richter in his film debut, Lori Petty, Jayne Atkinson, August Schellenberg, and Michael Madsen with the eponymous character, Willy, played by Keiko. The story is about a 12-year-old orphaned boy named Jesse who befriends a captive orca, Willy, at an ailing amusement park. When he discovers that the park owner has been planning to dispose of Willy, he hatches a scheme to break Willy out of captivity. Released on July 16, 1993, the film received positive attention from critics and was a commercial success, grossing $153.7 million from a $20 million budget. It grew into a small franchise, including an animated television series, two sequels, and a direct-to-video reboot in addition to inspiring the rehabilitation and release of Keiko. The film marked Keith Walker's only film as screenwriter, and last project before his death on December 30, 1996.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Cast

  • Jason James RichterJesse
  • KeikoWilly
  • Lori PettyRae Lindley
  • August SchellenbergRandolph Johnson
  • Michael MadsenGlen Greenwood
  • Jayne AtkinsonAnnie Greenwood
  • Michael IronsideDial
  • Richard RiehleWade
Images