Free Willy (1993)

Director:

Simon Wincer

Writers (WGA):

Keith Walker (story)
Keith Walker (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

16 July 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

A 12 year old street kid. A 3 ton orca whale. A friendship you could never imagine. An adventure you'll never forget.

Plot:

When a boy learns that a beloved killer whale is to be killed by the aquarium owners, the boy risks everything to free the whale.

Plot Keywords:

Whale | Marina | Social Worker | Aquarium | Killer Whale

Awards:

7 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Jason James Richter	...	Jesse
Lori Petty	...	Rae Lindley
Jayne Atkinson	...	Annie Greenwood
August Schellenberg	...	Randolph Johnson
Michael Madsen	...	Glen Greenwood
Michael Ironside	...	Dial
Richard Riehle	...	Wade
Mykelti Williamson	...	Dwight Mercer
Michael Bacall	...	Perry
Danielle Harris	...	Gwenie
Isaiah Malone	...	Vector
Betsy Toll	...	Passerby #1
Rob Sample	...	Passerby #2
Merrilyn Jones	...	Passerby #3
Mickey Gaines	...	Waiter
Justin R. Hall	...	Fish Thrower
Robert M. Duque	...	Fish Thrower
Sam Samson	...	Fish Thrower
Willis Van Dusen	...	Willis Van Dusen
Tom Lasswell	...	Brody
Moultrie Patten	...	Homeless Man
Ed Murphy	...	Homeless Man
Jim Michaels	...	Announcer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Keiko	...	Willy (uncredited)
Erik L. Nelson	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Simon Wincer

Writing credits (WGA)
Keith Walker		(story) (as Keith A. Walker)
Keith Walker		(screenplay) (as Keith A. Walker) and
Corey Blechman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Richard Donner	....	executive producer
Penelope L. Foster	....	co-producer
Jennie Lew Tugend	....	producer
Mark Marshall	....	associate producer
Douglas C. Merrifield	....	associate producer
Arnon Milchan	....	executive producer
Lauren Shuler Donner	....	producer (as Lauren Shuler-Donner)
Richard Solomon	....	co-producer
Jim Van Wyck	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Basil Poledouris

Cinematography by
Robbie Greenberg		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
O. Nicholas Brown

Casting by
Lynda Gordon
Judy Taylor

Production Design by
Charles Rosen

Art Direction by
Diane Yates

Costume Design by
April Ferry

Makeup Department
Whitney James	....	key makeup artist
Cheri Ruff	....	hair stylist
Pamela S. Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Héctor López	....	unit production manager
Charles Skouras III	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mark Cotone	....	second assistant director
Lisa C. Satriano	....	second second assistant director
Alisa Statman	....	second second assistant director
Jim Van Wyck	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Christopher Amy	....	first assistant property master
Charles A. Carlsen	....	propmaker
Hugh Conlon	....	construction general foreman
Bruce J. Gfeller	....	construction coordinator
Mark Knapton	....	foreman
Sherman Labby	....	production illustrator
René Marquéz	....	assistant property master
Erik L. Nelson	....	property master
Michael Ruby	....	painter
Michael Ruby	....	signwriter
David Russell	....	storyboard artist
Sean Skelding	....	set dressing
Daniel Turk	....	foreman
Taylor Yingling	....	carpenter
Ken Erck	....	paint foreman (uncredited)
Benjamin Hayden	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Tim Chau	....	sound designer
Tim Chau	....	supervising sound editor
Jeff Clark	....	sound editor
Jim Hilton	....	sound mixer
William Jacobs	....	sound editor
Nils C. Jensen	....	sound editor
Mary Jo Lang	....	foley mixer
John Roesch	....	foley artist
Greg P. Russell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Charles Ewing Smith	....	sound editor
Alicia Stevenson	....	foley artist
Elliot Tyson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bernard Weiser	....	sound effects editor
David Behle	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ty Boyce	....	animatronic whales
Ty Boyce	....	electrical/hydraulic designer
Walt Conti	....	effects supervisor: Whale
Pieter Folkens	....	killer whale designer/sculptor
Thomas R. Ward	....	special effects (as Tom Ward)

Visual Effects by
Tim Donahue	....	matte painter
Paul Lewis	....	digital effects artist
Rick Rische	....	matte painter
David Stump	....	effects director of photography
John C. Wash	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Jake Lombard	....	stunt performer
Dennis Scott	....	stunt coordinator
Eric Sugden	....	stunt performer
Debi Derryberry	....	stunt performer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Matthew E. Alper	....	first assistant camera (as Matthew Alper)
Ron Batzdorff	....	still photographer
R. Michael De Chellis	....	rigging gaffer
Scott Fieldsteel	....	best boy
Daniel C. Gold	....	first assistant camera
Lisa Guerriero	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Conrad W. Hall	....	camera operator
Wes Houle	....	set electrician
Sunny Johnson	....	grip
Robin P. Knight	....	key grip (as Robin Knight)
Kyle T. MacDowell	....	electrician
John T. Martin	....	grip
Larry McConkey	....	Steadicam operator
James Plannette	....	gaffer
Cynthia Pusheck	....	assistant camera
Dennis Smith	....	Steadicam operator
Daryl Steinkopf	....	grip
Bob Talbot	....	cinematographer: wildlife
Neil Toussaint	....	second assistant camera
Karl Linde	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Megann Ratzow	....	casting: Portland (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Brett Carroll	....	assistant editor
Bryan H. Carroll	....	assistant editor
Robert W. Hedland	....	first assistant editor
David Orr	....	color timer

Music Department
Tom Boyd	....	musician: oboe and English horn
Tim Boyle	....	score mixer
Greig McRitchie	....	orchestrator
Thomas Milano	....	music editor
Basil Poledouris	....	conductor
James Thatcher	....	musician: French horn
Paul Wertheimer	....	score recordist
Greig McRitchie	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Arturo Curiel	....	transportation captain
Enrique Díaz	....	driver
Ricardo Díaz	....	driver
Alfonso Paredes	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Nina Axelrod	....	talent searcher
Matthew J. Birch	....	assistant: Ms. Shuler-Donner
Tawny Duel	....	assistant production office coordinator
Mike Fantasia	....	location manager
Laura Gary	....	studio teacher
Gary Gillingham	....	production accountant
Stacy Layne Kramer	....	assistant accountant
Jonas C. Matz	....	set medic
Kevin McDermott	....	acting coach
Jason Roberts	....	assistant: Richard Donner
Michael Singer	....	unit publicist
P.R. Tooke	....	script supervisor
Christa Vausbinder	....	production associate
Netta Bank	....	representative: American Humane Association (uncredited)
Bill Daly	....	post-production accountant manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (presents)
• Canal+ (as Le Studio Canal+) (in association with)
• Regency Enterprises
• Alcor Films
• Donner/Shuler-Donner Productions (as A Donner/Shuler-Donner Production)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1993) (USA) (theatrical) (distributed by) (as Warner Bros. A Time Warner Entertainment Company)
• Warner Home Video (1993) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Warner Bros. (1994) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1994) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1994) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1995) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Warner Bros. (1994) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1994) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1994) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (1998) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD) (10th anniversary edition)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD) (included in Free Willy 3-pack)
• Warner Home Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• American Humane Association, The  all scenes involving a live animal were supervised by (as the American Humane Association)
• Epic Soundtrax  soundtrack
• Movie Movers  cast trailers

Also Known As:

"Sauvez Willy" - France (imdb display title)
"¡Liberad a Willy!" - Spain
"Befri Willy" - Denmark (imdb display title)
"Eleftheroste ton Willy" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"Free Willy - Pelastakaa Willy" - Finland (imdb display title)
"Free Willy - Ruf der Freiheit" - Germany
"Free Willy - un amico da salvare" - Italy
"Liberen a Willy" - Mexico
"Libertem Willy" - Portugal
"Mon ami Willy" - Canada (French title)
"Rädda Willy" - Sweden
"Slipp Willy fri" - Norway (imdb display title)
"Szabadítsátok ki Willyt!" - Hungary (imdb display title)
"Uwolnic orke" - Poland
"Willy" - Slovenia
"Zachrante Willyho!" - Czech Republic

MPAA:

Rated PG for some mild language

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Philippines:G | Portugal:M/6 | Canada:F (Ontario) | France:U | Australia:G | Canada:G (British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Finland:S | Germany:o.Al. | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:U | USA:PG (certificate #32315) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Astoria, Oregon, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

When the film was broadcast with a Mexican dub in the United States, it was titled "Libren a Willy," which is grammatically incorrect. The correct Spanish title would have been "Liberen a Willy," or "Liberad a Willy" which is the title used in Spain.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Willy is being brought out of the tank the water level is shown at 8 ft. But in the next shot you see Jessie and Rae getting Willy in the net, the water level is marked off at 11 ft.

Quotes:

Passerby:Nice whale.
Randolph:Thanks.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Due South: Free Willie (#1.1)" (1994)

Soundtrack:

Right Here (Human Nature Remix)

Glorious Motion Picture; exciting, thrilling, and safe for the entire family!

I absolutely adore Free Willy. It ranks well above any movie about whales or dolphins, even Flipper. Free Willy provides an exciting story about a troubled boy who befriends an orca whose situation is much like his own. And of course, we all love the star of the show, Keiko! Keiko had a life filled with traveling from one theme park to the other, and in a lot of ways he experienced much more that Willy did. Keiko played the part of the whale terrifically! James did a great job too acting as Jesse, and gave the perfect image of a young boy who has lived on the streets. Some people call it the best friendship movie since ET. This movie rocks over ET!, and shows us the true meaning of friendship. We all should learn that caring for another person or animal goes a long way.