Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Eye of the Dolphin

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Drugs and drinking make waves in family drama.

Movie PG-13 2007 96 minutes
Eye of the Dolphin Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 16+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Kbybee
Kbybee Adult
November 22, 2013
age 18+

Big misses

Pretty big miss to not include "bull----", "what the hell", and the part where the 14-yr old hands her grandma a condom.
MotGK
MotGK Parent of 17-year-old
September 22, 2012
age 18+

You will want an hour and a half of your life back

You will want an hour and a half of your life back. Painfully acted, painfully written and Painfully short of plot

This title has:

Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

EYE OF THE DOLPHIN explores what happens when a troubled 14-year-old girl finds out that her father, whom she long suspected was dead, is actually alive; and what happens when that father learns he has a child. A year after she saw her mom die, Los Angeles teen Alyssa (Carly Schroeder) skips classes and smokes pot in the school bathroom, no longer caring about anything, including herself. Hoping to give the girl a fresh start, Alyssa's grandmother (Katharine Ross) ships her off to live with Hawk (Adrian Dunbar), her father, who studies dolphins in the Bahamas. But the road is rutted with doubt and suspicion; Alyssa doesn't know how to trust anyone anymore, and Hawk has to learn to be a father. He's also fighting a losing battle to keep his dolphin research going. Luckily, that struggle is one Alyssa's willing to join, as she soon discovers she has a special bond with dolphins.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (2 ):

This heartfelt family drama has good intentions but ultimately falls short. The gorgeous Bahamian landscape is well-served by director of photography Guy Livnet. It's rendered in saturated colors, the perfect paradise to soothe Alyssa's unsettled soul. But the action takes a while to pick up, and though the slow pacing might be intentional -- perhaps it's a nod to languid Bahamian life? -- it lacks ample tension for a story with built-in conflicts. It's not until father and daughter finally face off that Eye of the Dolphin finally gets in the swim of things (barely).

On the plus side, Schroeder is inspired as Alyssa, a lost child looking for mooring (she won a Best Child Actor award at the International Family Film Festival). But in the end, the film ultimately stumbles from slack pacing, clichéd setups, and lackluster dialogue.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Alyssa was so troubled. Why did she act the way she did, particularly drinking and taking drugs? What were the consequences of those actions? What might have happened if she hadn't found her dad and the dolphins? Families can also discuss the fact that lots of movies portray animals as soothing creatures that bring peace to troubled souls. Why? Do you think that's true? What is it about animals that brings joy to humans? And what do humans give them in return?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate