Hollywood movies get a lot of things wrong: Midwesterners, marriage, transforming robots. But Last Vegas reminds us that they’re also terrible at depicting old age.

See the article here:
Geezer Minstrelsy. Last Vegas, Reviewed.

Morgan Freeman

Oscar Winner

Dolphin Tale

 

An Interview with MORGAN FREEMAN

 By John Delia

I recently had an opportunity to sit down with Morgan Freeman and chat about his new movie Dolphin Tale in which he plays a prosthesis designer Dr. Cameron McCarthy. Most of you know Morgan and his nearly 100 films that embody his career.  I can easily mention a number of big box office hits including his recent role as Nelson Mandela in Invictus for which he received an Oscar nomination.  He won an Academy Award for his work in Million Dollar Baby.

 

Your character in Dolphin Tale is Dr. Cameron McCarthy the person who made the prosthesis for Winter the dolphin who had his tail amputated.  Is he based on an actual person?

 

“This whole story is based on a true incident.  My character is kind of based on the real guy in other words he did it, but I don’t look like him, sound like him, feel like him, there is nothing between us that matches.  But my character is based on the real guy. I met him, but I took character traits right off the script. I wasn’t necessarily playing a real person, just the fact that a real person actually did this.”

 

What is the joy of acting in a movie where you are going to be upstaged by a Dolphin?

 

“I think the joy of doing anything is getting paid. Good enough answer right?”

 

What was your reason for taking this role in Dolphin Tale?

 

“Well I thought it was a good story. It is really good family fare. No crashes, no chases, no sex just a good story that is very kid friendly.  I like the idea as I have young grandchildren and great grandchildren. So the idea of them being able to go and see something like Dolphin Tale and get a little bit of a boost in some of the values that are out there to learn in life, that’s a good reason to be involved.”

 

So what was it like working in Florida on this film?

 

“You are asking the wrong person and I’m going to tell you why.  I don’t do anything. I go to work, I get up in the morning, I go to the set, and in the evening I go back to the hotel.  I would generally find a nice restaurant and go and eat and then go home. I don’t sight see and I don’t tour around. Primarily because it’s a little difficult to move around I’m kind of high profile. People come chasing you with cameras and stuff so I can’t even go to the museums, not even in LA or New York.”

 

Your character made the apparatus to help the dolphin. Can you give your feelings on how the dolphin is inspirational to disabled veterans and children for instance?

 

“I think my character’s whole challenge was not seeing how this dolphin was inspirational, but he was inspired to get the job done. This was like a challenge. These inventors are people who create ways for people to function. I now a guy his name is Dean Camon and he’s an inventor. And he’s worked on prosthesis for the arm that fits you if you are amputated above your elbow. And it can make you useful. It’s just a challenge for these guys of solving a problem and it becomes his problem. You wake up in the middle of the night and you have an idea, he gets up and that’s paramount”.

 

What was it like working with director Charles Martin Smith on Dolphin Tale?

 

“This was my first time working with Charles and he was terrific. You always have fun with the director who knows what he is doing, what he wants, has big ears (meaning he can listen) and a sort of a stand away attitude. I don’t much like being directed”.

 

You are nearing a hundred film and TV productions in you career. What’s the impetus to keep going in acting since you have already accomplished a great feat?

 

“You know you’ve asked a loaded question.  What is the impetus to get out of bed in the morning? Those two things are tied together. I’m not dead and until then I expect to work. If I can get out of bed I am going to go to work”.

 

So you have been very busy filming The Dark Knight Rises and Summer At Dog Dave’s is this a usual work schedule for you?

 

“I have been a little busy yes. It happens in spurts like that. Months and Months you don’t do anything and then all of a sudden you don’t have time to turn around. Not having anything to do is not my choice, but when it gets busy then it’s my choice”.

 

What is the weirdest encounter you have had with a fan?

 

“I remember once in Ireland I was going back to the hotel from a pub and I heard this chop chop chop chop running behind me and someone threw their arms around me from behind. It scared the daylights out of me. And it was this young woman.  She was saying Morgan Freeman; and this was in Ireland in 1996. Goodness child you scared the daylights out of me. She was saying I just love you, I just love you, I just love you. Morgan asked the fan: How old are you?” 

 

Do you think fans just do it to get a photo or shake your hand or get an autograph?

 

“That seems to be it. I used to think it was simply because of my good looks.”

 

Are fans generally well behaved?

 

“They are well behaved.  Going across the lobby of a hotel is sort of a gauntlet sometimes because everybody has a cell phone with a camera and they want pictures. So you have to say no don’t take pictures and then you have to explain why you don’t want them to take pictures because the minute you stop anywhere and someone points a camera at you that is were you are going to be because now everybody is there saying ‘take my picture, come on take my picture’.” 

 

Did you always want to be as famous as you are right now?

 

“I couldn’t wait till the time I would get out of a limousine with all the cameras flashing and that’s great, but the camera wants to keep going.  When you start this process of becoming an actor its all you want. Once you get there, you are there. (Is it once you are there you don’t want it?) It’s not that you don’t want it.  It’s like you want to sit down and eat a good meal, how many times can you do it? (Every night.) No you can’t, not that meal.  You can eat a good meal but it has to be different. Know what I am saying? You can’t eat ice cream all day.

 

ABOUT “DOLPHIN TALE”

 

Alcon Entertainment’s “Dolphin Tale” is inspired by the amazing true story of a brave dolphin called Winter and the compassionate people who banded together to save her life. Swimming free, a young dolphin is caught in a crab trap, severely damaging her tail. She is rescued and transported to the Clearwater Marine Hospital, where she gets the name Winter. But her fight for survival has just begun. Losing her tail may cost Winter her life. It will take the expertise of a dedicated marine biologist, the ingenuity of a brilliant prosthetics doctor, and the unwavering devotion of a young boy to bring about a groundbreaking miracle—a miracle that might not only save Winter but could also help thousands of people around the world.

 

The movie opens in theaters  nationwide on September 23^rd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DOLPHIN TALE

FAMILY AQUATIC

ADVENTURE FILM

 

DOLPHIN TALE

 

 

Cast: Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Nathan Gamble, Harry Connick, Jr., Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd

Directed by: Charles Martin Smith

MPAA Rating: PG for mild thematic elements

Genre: Family, Drama, Comedy

Running Time: 1hr 43min

Opening Date: September 23, 2011

Distributed by: Warner Brothers Distribution

 

 

By John Delia

 

The Inspiring, moving, poignant true story Dolphin Tale splashes into theaters this weekend with a family friendly theme that’s sure to touch your heart.  Filmed in Florida where it happened it’s a movie about a dolphin that receives a compassionate helping hand and a strange new lease on life.

 

Riding his bike to summer school Sawyer (Nathan Gamble) comes across a horrible sight, a beached dolphin tangled in ropes and attached to a crab trap.  Using a tender hand and his pocketknife he frees the dolphin from most of the bonds that are strangling it.  Rushing to his aid Dr. Clay Haskett (Harry Connick, Jr.) takes the mammal to the Clearwater Marine Hospital where he finds that its tail has to be removed to save its life. Sawyer and Haskett’s young daughter Hazel (Cozi Zuehlsdorff) become emotionally attached to the aquatic animal. When Sawyer stumbles upon prosthetics doctor Cameron McCarthy (Morgan Freeman), he comes forward with a plan.

 

The acting here is quite good.  Newcomer Zuehlsdorff puts on a very good comical show as the daughter of Dr. Haskett with her continuous jabber about her knowledge of the Marine Hospital and the animals it contains.  She’s a sweet breath of fresh air in a role that seemed to be written for her.  Playing opposite her, Gamble plays it straight working hard to keep Sawyer a key role among the greats like Connick Jr. and Morgan Freeman.  His role doesn’t need much creative acting being a boy who saves Winter from death twice.

 

Freeman draws a walk-on character, the man who develops the prosthetic tail that saves Winter from an untimely death.  There’s not much to his role here, but I am glad they chose him for this family movie as he ups the cast value by a ton.  Connick Jr., best known for his music, plays it safe as the animal doctor who saves Winter from dieing from a gangrene type injury and bringing to light that all mammals are important. His character needed a smooth easygoing kind of actor and Connick Jr. fits perfect.

 

The movie comes together quite well under the direction of Charles Martin Smith although I found the progression of time and events questionable. His best feat comes with the depiction of Hurricane that nearly whipped out the Clearwater Marine Hospital.  Covering his location with debris following simulated damaging winds (and some stock actual footage) being a Florida resident it looked very realistic,

 

 

Keeping the cast from running amuck with their own style, Smith puts on one of the best animal inspirational family films I’ve seen in a decade.  He works his audience with an emotional story putting his characters in a difficult position of possibly having Winter put to death with only blind luck saving the day.  He depicts Florida’s seaside much like the days of old when the television show Flipper made northerners want to move to the state and live the good life.

 

Dolphin Tale is rated PG for mild thematic elements.  The film is perfect for families and offers good values for the youngsters.  Theaters are showing the film in the 3D and 2D format, both are excellent values.

 

 

FINAL ANALYSIS: A kid friendly film that they can flip over.  (B)

 

 

 

 

 

Please direct comments to:

jdelia@yeticket.com

 

Follow us on Twitter/yeticket

And Facebook/yeticket or

yeticket@yeticket.com

 

“BRINGING ORDER TO CHAOS “

Starring: Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon

Directed by: Clint Eastwood

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for brief strong language.

Genre: Historical Drama

Release date: December 2009

By John Delia

There are many true stores portrayed each year by filmmakers, but no one does it quite as good as Clint Eastwood.  His ability to visualize the emotion, excitement, challenges, apprehension and anxieties in his characters has always amazed me and with Invictus he outdoes himself.  Touching and exhilarating Invictus is a must see.

This inspiring true story follows Nelson Mandela (Freeman) being released

from prison and elected to office as President of South Africa.  Not bitter for his long interment for sedition against the white government, he sets out to make his country one that can obtain peace with all races.

Learning that their all white rugby team has not performed well in the past and with the World Cup to be played in his country, Mandela sets out to unite his people though the exciting sport.  After the team manager gets fired, Francois Pienaar (Damon) is urged by Mandela to take over the team and make them a champion.  Fueled with the desire to end apartheid once and for all, Mandela and Pienaar join forces with a try at making it happen.

I can’t say enough about Eastwood’s ability to bring stories like Invictus to the screen.  Setting up the drama of the historical fight to bring order out of chaos in South Africa, Eastwood takes the simple news item and turns it into an important colossal event on the big screen.

But it’s the consummate actor Morgan Freeman who delivers the masterful peacemaker Mandela with heart and strong hand easily handling the task. He even looks like the former President. In support, Damon marvelously provides the

catalyst that Mandela uses to turn the country around.  Both do such a great job that it’s hard to single out which performance is best.

The film is rated PG-13 for brief strong language necessary to the plot, so just make sure you cup your hands over the ears of immature children when you see it coming.

FINAL ANALYSIS: Invictus is another Oscar contender for Eastwood. (5 of 5 Palm Trees)