Whale Shark Jack

Story

Marine biologists Marcus (Michael Dorman) and Nita (Abbie Cornish), and their young daughter Sarah (young Sarah – Emmi Williams), are living on a catamaran while researching and trying to protect endangered whale sharks. One day, Sarah finds an injured baby whale shark. That night while her parents are sleeping, Sarah swims out and catches the shark in a big bucket so she can care for it. She names the shark Jack. In the morning, the family sets Jack free, but Sarah is certain she’ll see her friend again.

Later, a much bigger Jack comes back, recognisable by the scar on his fin. The family spends the next few years living an idyllic life on the ocean, researching and tracking the whale sharks, including Jack. One night a wild storm hits and Marcus is swept overboard, ultimately to his death.

Three months later, the boat is locked in a marina, while and Nita and 12-year-old Sarah (Alyla Browne) are adjusting to a new life on land. At school, Sarah makes friends with EJ (Luca Miller), who helps fix her father’s laptop so she can track Jack. But another student, Ashleigh (Giselle Philogene), makes fun of Sarah and mocks her in front of others.

When Sarah voluntarily takes the blame for a fight, Ashleigh’s attitude towards her improves. Sarah, EJ and Ashleigh work together to find out why Jack’s tracking signal has been lost. They find themselves in a race against time and the elements to save Jack and work towards healing from tragedy.

Themes

Natural disasters; death of a parent; grief; healing; environmentalism; conservation

Violence

Whale Shark Jack has some violence. For example:

On her first day at school, Sarah is mocked by another student, Ashleigh, who asks her whether she was ‘home-schooled or boat-schooled’ and whether she studied normal subjects or just fishing. The other students all laugh.
Sarah goes surfing with her mother. Ashleigh is also surfing and drops in on Sarah and then pushes her off her board. Later, Ashleigh says Sarah dropped in on her.
Ashleigh taunts Sarah about people hurting whale sharks, cutting off their fins and eating them. She says she wonders how many kebabs you could make from one whale shark. Sarah knocks Ashleigh’s kebab out of her hand onto the ground. Ashleigh pushes Sarah, and they get into a physical fight, hitting and rolling on top of each other on the ground. The other students all gather around them, shouting, and then a teacher comes and breaks up the fight. The teacher sends the girls to the principal’s office.
Sarah, EJ and Ashleigh break into the marina, and Ashleigh distracts the attendant while the others steal a motorboat. Ashleigh jumps over the attendant on her skateboard, causing the attendant to fall to the floor.

Sexual references

There are no sexual references in Whale Shark Jack.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

There’s no use of substances in Whale Shark Jack.

Nudity and sexual activity

Whale Shark Jack has some nudity. For example:

Marcus sometimes doesn’t wear a top.
Nita wears low-cut bathers when swimming and on the boat.
Sarah wears a bikini when swimming.
EJ doesn’t wear a top when swimming.

Product placement

The following products are displayed or used in Whale Shark Jack:

Just Divine biscuits, made by Belmont
the movie Jaws when EJ says, ‘We need a bigger boat’.

Coarse language

Whale Shark Jack has some mild coarse language and insults, including ‘smarty pants’ (said as a compliment), ‘boat-school’, ‘crikey’, ‘That’s so lame’, ‘loser’, ‘hooligan’ and ‘dorks’.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Whale Shark Jack is a heartfelt Australian movie filmed in and around Exmouth and the beautiful Ningaloo Reef. The movie features stunning cinematography that highlights some spectacular landscapes, both on land and under water. In addition, the puppetry and effects that create the whale sharks are very impressive. Alongside its entertainment value, the movie raises awareness of the plight of whale sharks.

Whale Shark Jack is best suited to families with children aged 7 years and older.

These are the main messages from Whale Shark Jack:

Never think of yourself as too small to make a difference.
Dishonesty has many consequences, so it’s best to be honest and open, especially with people who matter most to you.

Values in Whale Shark Jack that you could reinforce with your children include family, friendship, honesty, persistence and hope.

Whale Shark Jack could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life issues like the following:

Listening to your instincts – Marcus is concerned about some bad weather approaching, but Nita dismisses his concerns. But Marcus is right and is killed during the storm.
Lying – Sarah lies to get on the boat in the marina but then finds out her mother is trying to sell the boat without telling her. Both are being dishonest for different reasons. How could they do things differently?