Warner Bros invited me to the Dolphin Tale 2 press event and covered my expenses. No other compensation was received.
With the upcoming release of Warner Bros. Pictures and Alcon Entertainment’s Dolphin Tale 2, I was invited by Rockin’ Mama to cover the advance screening and press event in Clearwater, Florida. I had seen the first movie and had visited the aquarium a couple of years ago, but this time I was going to interview Harry Connick, Jr, Nathan Gamble, and Cozi Zuehlsdorff, three stars from the movie!
The night before the interviews we were able to screen Dolphin Tale 2. I’ll be posting my thoughts on it soon, but let’s just say you have got to see it with your family. The movie is not just about a dolphin. It’s about life, change, and what you decide to do when it takes a turn you weren’t expecting.
I have to begin by telling you that Harry Connick, Jr., who plays Dr. Clay Haskett, is hilarious! It took a while to get the interviews on track because he is just so funny. The cast is obviously very close, and as Harry said, What you see on the screen is real. They have truly become like family. Nathan was holding his sides he was laughing so hard at one point, and you can see from my expression that Harry was still at it during the photo opp.
These three are among a few other great actors, namely Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, and Kris Kristofferson. But they are really what the story revolves around. Well, them, and the real star, Winter.
Speaking of Morgan Freeman, because, well, it’s Morgan Freeman, I remembered seeing an interview with Nathan Gamble where he talked about the incredible “honor of working with such an icon in the business.” He didn’t have a scene with Freeman in the first movie, and when he got the script, he was nervous just thinking about it. Nathan said that during the scene he kept thinking, “Treasure this moment.” I wanted to know more about that time he spent with Freeman while filming. He shared that one day while he was chatting with Freeman, the wardrobe lady took a picture of them together. She then framed it and gave it to him at the wrap party. He said he keeps that picture by his bed to remind him of the time he was able to spend with Freeman. I guess that sums it up pretty well.
Nathan plays Sawyer Nelson in the movie, the boy who, along with the dedicated team at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, rescued Winter in the first movie, Dolphin Tale. He is several years older, and has grown into such a wonderful young man, both on the screen and off. We had heard that someone said they thought Winter remembered him. Nathan said he’d like to say that yes, Winter did remember him, but you really don’t know. Cozi Zuehlsdorff said it was wonderful to see them together, and in the movie, Winter seems to really take to Nathan. Though you can train a dolphin to do a lot of things, I don’t think acting is one of them. There is clearly a special relationship there.
We asked what it was like being in the water with the dolphins.
Nathan Gamble: Magical, really. They are such gentle, powerful, almost human–like creatures.
Harry Connick, Jr. : Are you talking about me? [laughter] Powerful, human-like…
(Nathan had a hard time getting his thoughts together he was laughing so hard, and yes, they told me Harry is like this all the time!)
Nathan: I say in the movie that their brains are as complex as ours, so you have to treat them like any other person and I do. I treat Winter like I treat a human because she’s so human-like.
Both Nathan and Cozi said it was hard to be in the water for so long. It was cold, you had to have a lot of clothes on (you’ll see what she means when you see the movie) and the water is sea/salt water, which is irritating to the eyes. I’d take the cold and salt any day to be able to swim with Winter like they did!
Cozi played Hazel, Clay Haskett’s daughter, in the film. Someone mentioned that she thought Hazel had a crush on Sawyer.
Cozi: What I love about this movie is that we’ve grown with our audience. If you went to see the first movie when you were 8, you’re going to see it now when you’re 11 or 12. And there’s something for everyone. There really is something for the kids and something for the teens.
Though this film is not about a love interest any more than the first Dolphin Tale was, it is about relationships. It’s also about family.
Harry, in real life, is the dad of teen girls. I asked if having teens had helped him in his role with Cozi and Nathan. He said he thought so, and that being with them was very comfortable for him. He clearly loves being around kids, and you can see they adore him as well.
Clay had a bit of a showdown with his on-screen daughter in the film, and as a mom of teen girls myself, I thought it was beautifully played. Cozi decided that she wanted to be treated with more respect, more like an adult, and confronted her dad. It’s a really great scene for parents and kids to watch together.
I asked Cozi about her scene with Ashley Judd, who pays Sawyer’s mom, Lorriane. In the clip, she’s just chatting with Lorraine about her frustrations with her dad. Lorraine gives her great advice, and it’s very inspiring.
Cozi: You’re starting to see the world through your own eyes rather than through the eyes of your loving parents. There are a lot of hard things in this life. Some things you’re going to disagree with your parents, some things you aren’t. Now you’re becoming an individual. And the movie shows that when you have that conflict you can approach it with respect and really examine your differences and find your similarities in a respectful way that’s full of honor.
Beautifully said. Cozi is wise for her years.
We asked Harry Connick, Jr. what he hoped people would take away from the movie. He shared that he thought everyone would see it from a different angle.
Harry: With any adversity in life, what are you going to do? Are you going to roll up in a ball? My daughters are growing up and presenting me with challenges and alternatives to the way I see things, and that’s what really happens. Things change. How are you going to deal with it?
Winter is a wonderful example of adversity not stopping her. See the movie when it’s released on September 12. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.
The group was kind enough to pose for another photo.
Dolphin Tale 2 is now in theaters nationwide. Be sure to follow the film’s latest by visiting the following social media channels:
Kelly Stilwell is the content creator and manager at Virtually Yours. She’s a wife, a mom, and she’s passionate about traveling, entertainment, great food, and sharing her finds with you! Visit her at http://kellystilwell.com, find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/
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