The Ryan children, Kevin and Holly, are passionate about Marineland. Not only does their father serve as the head of marketing, but they get to track Bernie the dolphin and his pod, assist dolphin trainers with Bernie and his marine friends, and grow Bernie’s local popularity.
This sounds like the perfect way to spend the summer—until Winston Mills is ordered to serve his 30-day community service at Marineland. Mills has a past with an illegal chemical plant and a few rough friends who plan to recruit Mills to help them kidnap Bernie and sell him off to a veterinary clinic in South America.
The Ryan family is scared to trust Mills to work at Marineland—except for Kevin and Holly’s mom, who reminds them that forgiveness and second chances are always important. And just as it seems that the skepticism is worthwhile, Mills befriends a rebellious dolphin named Rascal and learns to appreciate the Marineland community, second-guessing his opportunity to work with the bad guys.
While Mills is judged and treated rough in the beginning, forgiveness and second chances win in the end. Additional film elements include friendship, bravery, and always keeping the faith when times get hard, earning Bernie the Dolphin 2 Dove approval for All Ages.
The Dove Take:
When an ex-convict is ordered to work at Marineland, the Ryan family must learn what it means to forgive others.
