Free Willy (Snap Case)

Moving family drama about a troubled 12-year-old boy who gets a job at an adventure park, where he befriends the star attraction, a 7,000-pound killer whale named Willy. When the boy realizes Willy is miserable in captivity, he plans a way to release him to the ocean. Jason James Richter, Michael Madsen and Lori Petty star. 111 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital stereo, French Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; featurettes; game; interviews; music video; theatrical trailer.

Some of us will never understand why this boy-and-his-whale tale became the hit family film of 1993 and one of the bestselling videos of all time. But it is easy to see how clever marketing and a tear-jerking story could touch the hearts of kids and parents the world over, especially because the endangered Orca whale named Willy is such a majestic creature. The story couldn't be more conventional--it's like Old Yeller and The Black Stallion with a big sea mammal--but as the boy who comes to Willy's aid against the whale's exploitative owner, young Jason James Richter gives an appealing performance with which children can readily identify. After two sequels and an animated television series, this popular film also had a happy real-life ending: Keiko the whale (who plays Willy) recovered from failing health and was gradually trained to survive outside of captivity. --Jeff Shannon