By: Daniella Molina
“Blue Miracle” is a Netflix original movie directed by Julio Quintana that is based on the true story of an orphanage on the verge of closing due to lack of finances. The desperate owner Papa Omar and his orphaned boys enter a fishing tournament in hopes of winning the $117,000.00 cash prize. The movie was released on May 27.
The movie takes place in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in 2009. The color blue is highly emphasized throughout the entire movie. The ocean is extremely blue, the orphanage named Casa Hogar is painted blue inside and out. Omar, played by Jimmy Gonzales, has a blue truck and all the actors wear blue clothing.
Although the movie takes place in a Spanish speaking country, the actors speak English and throw around a few Spanish slang words. With the exception of Dennis Quaid, who plays Wade Malloy, dead beat boat captain. Malloy is also strapped for cash and is aiming for the tournament’s cash prize.
The Orphanage crew and the deadbeat captain are paired together by the coordinator of the tournament. Due to the disqualification of Malloy’s local citizenship along with the orphanage’s non-existing fishing experience, the duo are forced into the partnership. It is especially hard for Omar who continues to have horrible flashbacks of his childhood. He lost his father on a fishing trip when he was eight years old and became an orphan himself. This is part of the reason he has so much love in his heart for the sparky little boys of the orphanage.
The grouchy Captain, his first mate Chacho along with the Casa Hogar crew reluctantly set out on a three-day boating experience. It is not much fun for any of them. Malloy’s obsession with catching a blue Marlin leaves him blind to the actions of the bickering boys. Most of them have never been on a boat or even held a fishing rod. So, they are filled with questions and teenage boy aggression. Although they are ignored by Malloy, the boy’s actions never get past Omar.
Omar uses the time to remember his father and find ways into the hardened hearts of the boys. Which proves too much for two of them on that tiny broken-down boat. They start fighting and fall overboard which forces Malloy to jump in after them. They lose Marlin in the process, sparking a loss of hope.
The crew’s integrity comes into question and a show of faith in God is displayed. The boys silently watch as Papa Omar is faced with the decision to go against the moral lessons he has taught them.
This movie is definitely for people who are into fishing. It may be a task to get someone to sit through the end of the movie otherwise. The overuse of the color blue and hard accents become redundant. The same three flashbacks are used over and over. The better part of the movie is the young actors and the credits in which the actual footage and photos of their fishing trip were displayed. Casa Hogar went from a tiny little flooded bunker to a hardy establishment with several acres. All the proceeds from the cash prize were used to rebuild the orphanage and extend its programs.