Free Willy (1993)
Genre: Family / Adventure
Duration: 112 minuten
Country:
United States / France
Directed by: Simon Wincer
Stars: Jason James Richter, Lori Petty and Michael Madsen
IMDb score:
6,1 (89.647)
Releasedate: 16 July 1993
Free Willy plot
"How far would you go for a friend?"
Jesse has been placed in foster care, but runs away and defaces the basin of a dolphinarium with spray paint. The police take him back to his foster parents with the order to clean everything. In doing this, he befriends Willy, a stubborn orca who doesn't like people much and has been living in captivity from an early age. It is precisely because they are so similar that the two do match. Jesse will do anything to free Willy.
Actors and actresses
Jesse
Willy
Rae Lindley
Randolph Johnson
Glen Greenwood
Annie Greenwood
Dial
Wade
Dwight Mercer
Perry
Reviews & comments
cucciolo
-
- 491 messages
- 1101 votes
I was happy to see this again! Such an orca is of course beautiful to see, but in reality 'Willy' was not so free at all, but he was captured and never had his freedom back. How ironic..
I found the story around Jesse an added value. Although over-sentimental, it did add something to a youth film.
Translated from Dutch · View original
IH88
-
- 9784 messages
- 3195 votes
“Let's free Willy!”
If there is one film that symbolizes my childhood besides Star Wars, it is Free Willy. The bond between Jesse and Willy, the standard coming of age story, Willy who wants to go back to his family, the wise Schellenberg, the ridiculous yet emotional ending and of course 'Will You Be There' by Michael Jackson. It's pure youth sentiment. Of course I can now see the shortcomings, and the film no longer makes that overwhelming impression. Unfortunately, after documentaries like Blackfish, I also look at the film with different eyes. But it still evokes nostalgia.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Vidi well
-
- 553 messages
- 723 votes
Nice childhood sentiment.
The film is somewhat nostalgic for a youthful generation who mainly played outside (we see skateboards, graffiti and Jesse is completely uninterested in his foster parents' PC). In addition, the wide clothing look and the inevitable Nike Air contribute to the 90's feel of this film.
The film is very tacky, and the acting is mediocre at best. Characters are caricatured and even Michel Madsen plays only mediocre here, while he gave a memorable rendition to Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs a year before.
But all that is in the service of a heartwarming tale of two lonely souls who find each other, regardless of their differences. The desire for freedom is also universal and that is why this film manages to strike a chord. Nice movie to watch again.
3*
Translated from Dutch · View originalPre- and sequels
Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove
2010
Free Willy 3: The Rescue
1997
3 comments
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home
1995
3 comments
Latest News
Casino Scenes in Movies Explained Through Tension, Timing, and Table Play
The Most Famous Casino Ejections in Movie History
What Makes a Video Game Adaptation a Great Movie?
How Serious Film Fans Are Watching in 2026 — And Why the Home Setup Has Never Mattered More
Trending Movies
Trending Shows
Corporate & Media
Realtimes Network
Innovatieweg 20C
7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31(315)-764002
