Flipper (1996)

Director:

Alan Shapiro

Writers (WGA):

Ricou Browning (story) and
Jack Cowden (story) ...

Release Date:

17 May 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Adventure

Tagline:

This summer it's finally safe to go back in the water.

Plot:

Sandy Ricks is sent by his mom to Coral Key, a rustic island in the Florida keys, to spend the summer with his uncle Porter Ricks...

Plot Keywords:

Teen Angst | Toxic Waste | Toast | Marine Biology | Pelican

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Elijah Wood	...	Sandy Ricks
Paul Hogan	...	Porter Ricks
Jonathan Banks	...	Dirk Moran
Robert Deacon	...	Bounty Fisherman #1
Ann Carey	...	Fisherman's Wife
Mark Casella	...	Bounty Fisherman #2
Luke Halpin	...	Bounty Fisherman #3
Bill Kelley	...	Tommy
Chelsea Field	...	Cathy
Jason Fuchs	...	Marvin
Lindsay Treco	...	Little Girl
Jessica Wesson	...	Kim
Mal Jones	...	Russ
Louis Seeger Crume	...	Mr. Dunnahy
Bill Nolan	...	Bartender

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | DTS-Stereo (35 mm prints) | DTS (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Brazil:Livre | South Korea:All | USA:PG (certificate #34460) | Finland:S | Germany:6 (w) | Portugal:M/6 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:PG | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas

Company:

American Films

Trivia:

Director Alan Shapiro originally wanted 'an entirely unknown' for the role of 'Kim'. However, felt that most of the girls that screen tested with Elijah Wood were too 'giggly'. He decided to cast someone with more experience.

Goofs:

Continuity: While on board the Reliable searching for toxic waste (potentially for three days), each person's clothing changes at least three times, but Sandy's shirt changes seven times among four different shirts: a Smashing Pumpkins shirt, a DINK shirt, a stag head shirt, and a solid gray shirt.

Quotes:

Sandy Ricks: I've been smoking up a storm. Uncle Porter lets me drink all the beer i want, he also knows a lot of loose women.

Movie Connections:

References Jaws (1975)

A good, heart-warming movie

Flipper is a good movie that you can just sit down and watch with the little ones without having to worry about shielding their eyes at any point during it. Sure it's a bit cheesey at times and the writing is not on scale with an actor of Elijah Wood's caliber, but it is an entertaining film to watch and it's nice to see him playing a somewhat normal teenager. His character Sandy does lean towards the overly obnoxious side of things in the beginning though. So much so that you know if you were in the uncle's place, you'd take him out for a midnight ocean ride and not return with him.