Island of the Blue Dolphins
Seen it?1964 | 93 min | Adventure, Drama, Family, History
Weeknight Watchearly ratingWhy it’s a Weeknight Watch
With soft box office and little lasting buzz, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Great for anyone who's ever wondered how they'd survive and anyone who's ever talked to their pet. The tension comes from simply getting through the next day. Shelve it next to Lord of the Flies. An animal steals a fair few scenes.
- The mood
- Feel-good.
- The pace
- Lively and easy to follow, at 1 hr 33 min.
- What might put you off
- Made in 1964: an older pace and style.
- Not the one if you want explosions or easy laughs.
Based on the beloved book by Scott O'Dell, this family movie tells the adventures of a young Native American girl. After her father is killed by a malevolent white trapper, Karana joins her community as they leave their island home in the Pacific to live on the mainland. Upon her departure, Karana realizes that her brother has been left behind. She immediately swims back to be with him and the two remain on the abandoned island. Though Karana is able to domesticate a wolf, her brother is not so fortunate with the animals and is killed by a pack of wild dogs. She is left to survive against the odds.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsNot counted
Not enough reviews on record yet
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerBelow par
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 16K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by James B. Clark
- Celia MiliusKarana (as Celia Kaye)
- Larry DomasinRamo
- Ann DanielTutok
- Carlos RomeroChowig
- George KennedyAleut Captain
- Hal Jon NormanKimki
- Julie PayneLurai
- Martín GarralagaThe Priest
- JuniorRontu