Big Miracle
In small-town Alaska, a news reporter recruits his Greenpeace-volunteer ex-girlfriend on a campaign to save a family of gray whales trapped by rapidly-forming ice in the Arctic Circle.
Kevin Ward reviewed
July 2, 2025•
A spur of the moment trip to Alaska to see the Northern Lights (photo), had me looking for some “Alaska movies” to watch on the plane. I had never even heard of Big Miracle but it has a ton of stars in it, even beyond Barrymore, Krasinski and Bell. And even though Barrymore gets stop billing, this really is a Krasinski led film. He plays a local news reporter in Alaska that stumbles upon a new story of 3 gray whales stuck in the arctic ice and running out of time as their only access to surface air is beginning to freeze over. The story captures the attention of the entire world as environmentalists, news reporters, indigenous peoples, politicians, oil magnates all work together to save the whales—and perhaps exploit the situation for their own advantage. It’s a solid family movie and has a feel good message of putting differences aside in service of doing something good. The best parts are truly about the whale rescue itself, including the side by side montage at the end that shows real footage of the rescue alongside footage from this film. I may need to seek out a documentary on it. Also has an odd Sarah Palin cameo/shoutout/not sure what to call it.
Kevin Ward reviewed
July 2, 2025•
Big Miracle
A spur of the moment trip to Alaska to see the Northern Lights (photo), had me looking for some “Alaska movies” to watch on the plane. I had never even heard of Big Miracle but it has a ton of stars in it, even beyond Barrymore, Krasinski and Bell. And even though Barrymore gets stop billing, this really is a Krasinski led film. He plays a local news reporter in Alaska that stumbles upon a new story of 3 gray whales stuck in the arctic ice and running out of time as their only access to surface air is beginning to freeze over. The story captures the attention of the entire world as environmentalists, news reporters, indigenous peoples, politicians, oil magnates all work together to save the whales—and perhaps exploit the situation for their own advantage. It’s a solid family movie and has a feel good message of putting differences aside in service of doing something good. The best parts are truly about the whale rescue itself, including the side by side montage at the end that shows real footage of the rescue alongside footage from this film. I may need to seek out a documentary on it. Also has an odd Sarah Palin cameo/shoutout/not sure what to call it.