Vinessa Shaw Talks About Working Alongside TAPS Founder Bonnie Carroll In Big Miracle

It was 1988, and while Americans didn’t know it, we were nearing the end of the Cold War, a 46 year period in history where military and political tensions between the US and the Soviet Union were high.  “Back then we really thought the world was going to end,” states Bonnie Carroll, who was the Reagan Administration aide appointed to oversee Operation Breakthrough, the international effort to rescue three gray whales off the coast of Alaska.  “That’s how intense it was between the Soviet Union and America.”  It was a rare treat last week to sit with Carroll and Vinessa Shaw as we discussed both the rescue effort and Big Miracle, the film which draws inspiration from Tom Rose’s book Freeing the Whales and Operation Breakthrough. The film is a fascinating, inspirational depiction of the great things that can be accomplished when nations unite towards a common goal.

As Vinessa Shaw and Bonnie Carroll sat down together to chat with us for a few moments, I sensed a connection between them…a friendship that extends beyond that which would be required to accurately portray the White House aide’s important role in the effort. When asked whether Shaw found it intimidating to portray a real person (in this instance Bonnie), Shaw explains, “at first, yes, because Bonnie’s life is so amazing and she has a reputation that precedes her.”  It was only after Shaw met the “wonderfully joyful” Carroll that she felt “more relaxed to perhaps try to portray her.”  “It’s been such an honor to do it because I know only a fraction of it is on film” Shaw continues. “Getting to know Bonnie and to know the kind of person she is and what she did after the death of her husband, [taking that] darkness and putting [it] into helping others such as TAPS was just really inspiring.”  As I suspected, the two became close as they spent time together working on the film.  “Here I was just thinking I was doing a role in a film, but then I gained friendship and I gained an understanding,” states Shaw.  The two became so close that Shaw wore Carroll’s hat and coat in the final scenes of the movie.

At first glance, it seems the principle romantic focus is on Alaska newsman Adam Carlson (played by John Krasinski) and animal activist/environmentalist Rachel Kramer (played by Drew Barrymore).  A look deeper into the story reveals a true-to-life romance that budded as a result of this effort.  Carroll and her husband met and wedded as a result of Operation Breakthrough.  As I listened to her recount that moment when she first spoke with her future husband on the phone, I could hear the love in her voice and see the sparkle in her eye.  In the midst of the effort, President Reagan asked her to call someone in The National Guard who might be able to assist and give insight into the effort.  She was up working at two in the morning when the phone rang. “We talked for a few minutes about the whale rescue and how things [were] going, and it just took my breath away” she states.  “And we just stopped, and I just wondered, “Where have you been?” From that moment, the two were inseparable and agreed to be married before they ever met in person.

Photo Credit: Universal Pictures

During the 1988 rescue effort, Carroll felt like her husband truly saw “the bigger picture in the world.” “There were so many things that happened with the Alaska Natives that were not portrayed [in the film] that he was very attuned to,” Carroll states.  “And when he was killed, many of the Native Elders told me he was one of the few white men that could walk in both worlds.”  As a man who was in touch with the Alaska Natives, he was in many ways ahead of this time. Sadly, he died in 1992 in an Army plane crash.

Following the death of her husband, Carroll founded the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors to provide comfort and care to those who have been affected by the loss of a loved one who served in the armed forces.  As she spoke of her late husband, I found myself tearing up at the loss of such a great man and the pain that this inspirational woman endured.  Having undergone training to handle trauma and having served as a leader in the National Guard, she thought, “this horrible thing has happened but I’m going be okay, I’m going to help these other families, I’m going to help my family.”  That lasted 30 seconds, according to Carroll, and “life just stopped.”  And just like those three whales, struggling to survive, all she had “was this tiny little breathing hole, and it’s just all you can do every day to kind of take a breath and gasp for air.”  During her time of grieving and recovery, she found that no support program was in place for military families, thus was born TAPS.  This peer-based support program assists grieving military families with support and resources.  I’m still in awe of this woman who took something so tragic and turned it into something beneficial. As Shaw stated, “I’ve learned since meeting her [Carroll] how you can really take darkness and put it into something great.”

Photo Credit: Universal Pictures

As someone who is passionate about film, I always find it intriguing to get an inside look at the talent, the development of the story and characters, and all the intricate details involved in creating the masterpiece that appears on the big screen.  As we near opening day, I will be sharing exclusive interviews and information on Universal Pictures’ theatrical release of Big Miracle on February 3rd.

You can read my interview with Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski here.

No compensation was received for this post.  I was invited to the Big Miracle Press Junket, courtesy of Universal Pictures.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Caryn Bailey

Caryn is a NICU nurse by day, blogger by night and mom 24/7. She savors the warm Southern California sun and loves to travel, shopping, baking, reading and frequenting her local tea room. Caryn created the column Lavishly Green for Peekaboo Picks Magazine to share her best tips for going green in style, she is the Former editor for Family Review Network, former OC Family Magazine online contributor, former Orange County Moms Blog contributor, former Evenflo Savvy Parent contributor, former member of the Totsy Advisory Board and former freelance writer for CBS Los Angeles.

Latest posts by Caryn Bailey (see all)

• Discover Luxury at Sonesta Irvine: Your Ideal Staycation - August 8, 2024
• CHOC Walk Returns to the Disneyland Resort – Special Events and Ways to Support - June 28, 2023
• Beastly Ball Returns to the Los Angeles Zoo - May 8, 2023