I just caught up with the film Big Miracle and was totally won over by it. If you have a chance to see it in the theater, do it. If not, make sure to watch it on the small screen. The story is about the 1988 rescue attempt of three whales trapped by ice near Barrow, Alaska.

The screenwriters Jack Amiel and Michael Begler did a fine job of adapting Tom Rose’s non-fiction book Freeing the Whales into a delightful family-friendly movie and special kudos to director Ken Kwapis for creating a superb tonal balance of heartfelt drama and human comedy, never swinging too far one way or the other. He also makes good use of archival footage to blend in with the filmed footage.

Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski are charming - as usual - as a determined Greenpeace activist and struggling TV reporter, respectively. However, the film is expertly acted by the entire cast, with special mention deserved by Ted Danson as an oil tycoon, Tim Blake Nelson as a local environmentalist and Dermot Mulroney as a tough colonel.

It should be mentioned that this Universal Pictures release isn’t without some heavy moments, so some of the drama might be too intense (as in “too sad”) for little kids. Also, the film is “inspired” by a true story, so some liberties have been taken to dramatize the story. However, overall, the movie is a terrific film that will pull at your heartstrings as well as bring a smile to your face – and is there much more that you can ask for from a film?

Michael Berick is calendar editor and movie and music reviewer for L.A. Parent, and blogs at GalooGalee.Wordpress.com.