West Australians should be excited and proud of the latest Stan Original, Whale Shark Jack.
The film has been hailed as a love letter to Western Australia, but it is so much more than that. It is a testament to not just the beauty of WA but the state’s place as a major contender in the film industry. We have the landscapes, resources and skills to produce movies and shows to capture the imagination.
Whale Shark Jack is a visually stunning movie. The panaromic shots of Exmouth’s pristine waters didn’t just make its way to holiday bucket lists, it made us understand our protagonist, Sarah’s attachment to the ocean.
The underwater shots are especially ethereal. Thanks to Sarah’s long hair and long fins, she looks like a mermaid swimming with the whale sharks. The slow, floaty motions make us feel like we’re in a whimsical, under sea wonderland.
Rising star, Alyla Browne plays Sarah… and what a star she is. She isn’t just talented but has the perserverance that is rare in a generation that increasingly favours instant gratification.
Browne spent two years preparing for this role. She is now an accomplished free diver who can hold her breath for over two minutes. The work pays off as she weaves through the water effortlessly. It is not a stretch of imagination to believe that she truly is the ocean girl that Sarah is.
Sarah grew up in a research catamaran called The Playground. Her parents are marine biologists who are tracking the elusive whale sharks. Life is a seemingly endless summer holiday, spent splashing in the ocean in between helping her parents with their research. To make this upbringing even more idyllic, Sarah has a whale shark companion – Jack. Jack was an injured calf which a young Sarah rescued, and became her devoted plus one.
But perfection is not always permanent. When Sarah’s dad (Michael Dorman) dies in a tragic accident at sea, her mum Nita (Abbie Cornish) abandons ship. She decides to firmly lay roots on land, away from the treacherous ocean and close to family.
Sarah is understandably disoriented. However, with help from her friends, she slowly finds her place and her crew. Which comes in handy when Jack goes missing. Terrified by what this could mean, Sarah goes against her mother’s wishes and goes looking for him. While the mum in me can’t fully condone the defiance, you have to admit that it is fantastic watching kids on screen show resourcefulness towards a cause greater than themselves.
And this cause is amply highlighted in Whale Shark Jack – which isn’t a surprise seeing how the movie is also produced by Minderoo Pictures.
As per their website, Minderoo Pictures supports stories that “challenge the status quo, inspire real action, and shape our world”.
Whale Shark Jack would make a great conversation starter with children. It does such a fantastic job of quietly building your attachement to Jack that you don’t realise how invested you are until a gripping final act. I despaired over Jack and was silently egging him on. The movie does not skimp on the feels, even if some parts of the story could have used some fleshing out.
Whale Shark Jack is the first movie to feature Baiyungu characters and it does so beautifully. This isn’t token diversity where we see bursts of performative culture. Instead, we see an Australian family who happens to be Baiyungu. We see parents working hard, we see a brilliant boy who’d rather tinker with computers that catch fish, we see respectful acknowledgment of their heritage.
This is no more evident than in Hazel’s healing song. This original song, created by Associate Producer and Cultural Consultant, Hazel Walgar, undoubtedly anchors the most powerful moment in the movie. The entire cinema was transfixed by this scene and a few people choked up. The soothing humming and the gentle embrace of Ursula Yovich’s Hazel made me want to lean in for a touch of that balm. But more importantly, this scene was a moment of unity that shows regardless of culture, we share the universal human experiences of grief and healing.
Flashes of comic relief help to balance out the sombre elements of the movie. These come in the form of Rosie, the marina guard who tries to do the right thing and Aunty Dot, whose questionable culinary creations raise a few eyebrows. Aunty Dot is also a steady force, a pseudo grandmother who is supportive without being imposing.
Overall, Whale Shark Jack is a fine movie, one worth adding to the family library. Even though there were bits that felt like it needed more detail, the movie does a good job of condensing the essential messages in a tidy ninety minute package.
Whale Shark Jack launches on 2nd April on Stan.