Like Apollo 13, you know what’s going to happen, but you enjoy The Blue Miracle ride anyway. An orphanage struggles to survive. A hurricane puts the final nail in its coffin. An international fishing contest offers hope. Except, only the Captain has ever fished before. Based on a true story, this is the longest of long shots. Yet, the fishing gods cooperate and all is well in the end. The orphanage known as Casa Hogar wins $258,325 and not only rebuilds, but is able to expand. But, the magic of The Blue Miracle is how it all unfolds.
In this Netflix feel-good film set in Cabo San Lucas, Omar Venegas and his wife run the orphanage on the thinnest of margins. In fact, the bank gives them 30 days to come up with $117,000 or face foreclosure. Omar know how tough street life can be having lost his father at age eight. As Papa Omar, he promises the boys that he will always be there for them. Drug dealer brother, Hector, offers him a path to easy money, but Omar left that life behind years ago. There must be another way.
Mostly filmed in Santo Domingo, The Blue Miracle provides some quality vistas, along with some fancy boats. Of course, Knot Enough is not one of them. Still, the message of hope and deliverance shines through regardless of a little rust. I give The Blue Miracle 3.5 Gavels and it receives a 60% Rotten Tomatoes rating with an early 6.5/10 IMDb score.
Plot
Omar still has nightmares about the water as he was with him when his father drowned. But, the Bisbee Black and Blue tournament may be his last chance. Young Tweety is certain that God will answer his prayers. After all, that must be why his mother left him. Captain Wade Malloy, down-on-his-luck for years, wants nothing to do with these orphans. Yet, they may be his last opportunity for salvation. Can this odd pairing pull off the impossible?
Actors
If you want “Bull” Halsey in Midway, call Dennis Quaid. Or, if you want a catankerous old coot, call Dennis Quaid. The part of Wade is right in his wheelhouse. If you miss Closer and Major Crimes, Raymond Cruz gets a small part as Hector. Seen in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Jimmy Gonzales plays Omar, pushed to the very edge.
Final Thoughts
Omar continually preaches “do the right thing every chance you get and things will work out.” Entering the final hours of the three day fishing tournament, will Omar be able to resist temptation? Which comes first, the boys or his integrity? Can life ever come with a guarantee?
“Thanks to the taste and shrewd judgment of director Julio Quintana, this funny, heartwarming movie provides just the right combination of adventure, character-driven humor, spiritual depth and inspirational uplift.” Washington Post
“It’s a processed fish stick rather than a blue marlin steak, but it fills you up just the same.” Variety
If you liked Dennis Quaid in A Dog’s Journey and A Dog’s Purpose, think of this as a Blue Marlin’s Purpose. It’s just as manipulative as a “Dennis Quaid helps save the orphanage” movie should be.
