Dolphin Tale (2011) includes a plot line with Sawyer’s cousin Kyle being injured at war and being inspired by Winter to continue doing what he loves despite now needing a brace for his leg.
The incorporation of Kyle is paired with a scene where a girl who’s an amputee traveled hours to see Winter.
Those characters are stand-ins for the communities touched by Winter’s story. In my opinion, inspirational characters of any minority help children feel seen.
Representation matters. There are so many nuances to the plot lines that impact the communities positively or negatively.
Humanizing an animal with a disability isn’t that difficult for people.
This is because of “cognitive empathy allowing us humans to understand what sorts of limitations another being has simply by seeing them,
as we are immediately able to imagine ourselves” (Taylor, 16).
In Dolphin Tale, it is emphasized through a scene where Sawyer comes to the institute, and everything is quiet. He finds his friend Hazel crying on the floor.
Winter losing her tail means she can never be released and has limited time to live because of her reduced capabilities.
There is a certain amount of uncertainty that occurs with having a disability. There are studies and other literature on conditions and diseases. They show the expected scientific outcome.
But the studies won’t reveal how a person with a disability adapts to their circumstances.
Winter’s fate was uncertain and grim until she was rescued by the aquarium. (fitting into a human savior complex)
At least that’s how the film made me feel. Winter is the center of the film. She inspired many people with disabilities to find hope.
I was 12 when Dolphin Tale came out. I was captured by the story.
There’s nothing wrong with liking the story (especially as a child).
Now, however, I must recognize the drama and projection of disabled stereotypes mixed with my experience.
I am not an amputee, so I can only imagine what that life is like.
Imagination and empathy are excellent but subjective. I remember seeing the scene in Dolphin Tale with the little girl with a limb difference and feeling bad for her.
I use cognitive empathy to imagine my life without one of my limbs and see how hard life would be.
I can’t imagine how the girl could adapt because of my personal way of adapting.
I did pity the girl or at least found it an emotional scene.
It is meant to be inspirational. Interestingly, when the little girl sees Winter and says, “she’s like me,”
I resonate with that sentiment. I even had the same feeling after watching Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon, which features similar plot points.
Sources
Taylor, C. (2020). Animal crips. In S. Jenkins & K. S. Montford (Eds.), Disability and animality:rip perspective in critical animal studies (pp. 13-34). Academia. https://www.academia.edu/45026461/Disability_and_Animality_Crip_Perspectives_in_Critical_Animal_Studies?auto=citations&from=cover_page