Saturday, my daughter and a friend were playing dolphins – but not just your everyday, carefree Flipper-type dolphins. They were dolphins in peril. Dolphins in a polluted sea. Dolphins tangled in nets and trapped by bad guys. Soon I found myself pulled into the game, attaching imaginary prosthetic tails to their imaginary nubs after their imaginary dolphin tales had been chopped off in some horrible accident.

They’d both seen the movie Dolphin Tale, and my daughter has also enjoyed repeat viewings of the wonderful documentary Turtle: The Incredible Journey on Netflix. So when I was looking for something for us to do on the next cold, blustery Sunday, the new movie Big Miracle seemed like a perfect fit.

Big Miracle is based on a true story about a family of whales who become trapped when winter arrives early in Barrow, Alaska. The rapidly thickening ice has blocked the whales from their usual migratory route and will soon cover the water’s surface, leaving them unable to come up for air. It’s a story about volunteers, the Inuit people, reporters, the National Guard, the Soviets, all coming together in an attempt to save the whales.

My daughter loved the whales, and anytime they were on screen we were all captivated. But the story was as much about the human drama on top of the ice as it was about the drama unfolding underwater. During those moments, my 5-year-old did a lot of fidgeting in her seat. I enjoyed the story, but I think much of the tale was lost on my daughter.

Also, I was disappointed by some of the language in the movie. No f-bombs were dropped, but there were several expletives used that just seemed unnecessary.

If you ask my daughter, she says the movie was “awesome,” but I think that’s due in large part to the popcorn and candy she was allowed to consume in the theater. I’d say the movie was about what you’d expect it to be (sweet and sappy, albeit in-your-face with the environmental messaging), but maybe best enjoyed by older children.