To save their cash-strapped orphanage, a guardian and his kids partner with a washed-up boat captain for a chance to win a lucrative fishing competition.
Chuck says:
Based on a true story, Julio Quintana’s Blue Miracle is the sort of film you outwardly scoff at but can’t help but be moved by all the same. Anchored by a quiet sincere performance by Jimmy Gonzales, occasionally punctuated by a hammy moment or two provided by Dennis Quaid, the movie has more than its share of cutesy moments and contrived circumstances, but its heart’s in the right place, making it easy to forgive these minor missteps.
Gonzales is Omar, a man haunted by a tragedy in his past who runs an orphanage in Cabo San Lucas. Though he has a big heart, he’s not very good with financial matters, so much so that the threat of foreclosure hangs over the home for boys he oversees. However, a bit of very good luck comes his way when it’s suggested he enter the prestigious Bisbee Black and Blue fishing tournament with former winner Captain Wade (Quaid) as his partner.
You know right where the movie is headed once the first lure hits the water, yet there’s a genuineness in the way it’s acted that you don’t mind going down the underdog trail once more. That this is a fact-based tale only adds to its appeal, as does the fact that on occasion we need to be reminded that good things do happen to good people, a message of hope that’s all too rare these days.
3 Stars
