MERMAID

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: mild language

Rated:

Mermaid is a story that proves dreams can come true... and miracles do happen. Desi (Jodelle Ferland) has lost her father in a hunting accident at Mermaid Lake. The little girl is completely oblivious to the truth -- that her father is dead and will never come back. Her mother Rhonda (Samantha Manthis) doesn't know how to break the news without tearing her daughter's heart in half. And so she drags along until her mother Trish (Ellen Burstyn) informs her that she must tell Desi something. Taking the little girl to the graveyard, they tell her that Daddy was taken away by the angels and can't come back. If Desi ever wants to tell Daddy anything, she can come here and talk to him, but he won't answer, because he's busy in heaven. The audacious five-year-old is pacified... but soon wants to send her Daddy a letter and say goodbye. 

Rhonda is not in favor of this, but her mother believes it will help the little girl vent her pent-up frustration and they sit down and pen out a letter. In the meantime Trish attempts to find her daughter someone to care for and love... and their ranch hand Steve (Peter Flemming) is an ideal prospect. Believing it is too soon after her husband's death, Ronda drags her feet and only wantonly agrees to a "date" when Steve invites herself and Desi to the county fair. Once there, Desi comes across a balloon with a mermaid on it and decides that she wants the mermaid to carry her letter up to the angels... and to Daddy. Once again satisfying the child (with the intention of writing her a letter later in return), Rhonda agrees and the balloon is set free above the graveyard.

Days pass, then weeks. The family slowly moves on with their life... until the balloon is found by a hunter in Mermaid, Prince Edward Island. It has traveled over three thousand miles from Yuma, California, in one piece. The man brings the balloon and somber message home and asks his wife to write a response but she is reluctant to. Her final decision will forever change young Desi's life, as well as enchant, mystify, and touch the hearts of the thousands of Americans that became a part of this mysterious miracle. Mermaid is not a fictional story, but based on a true-life miracle that showcases the very real and lasting power of human angels, those who touch the lives of others along the way. But flesh and blood often needs a little help... and it comes in the form of a real angel who appears now and again to be of help to the family in need. The film moves very slowly in the first twenty minutes but soon the viewer is captivated by the unfolding events. Samantha Mathis plays to her full potential as the stressed, frazzled, and sad Rhonda; the five-year-old Jodelle Ferland is an excellent actress as Desi, and, as usual, Ellen Burstyn and David Kaye turn in praiseworthy performances as the grandparents.

The film makes you laugh and then draws tears, ending on a happy and fulfilled note. The musical score becomes a bit bothersome at times, but the passion of the actors and the beautiful photography make up for it. The only possible problems are some mild language (some misuse of "God" and several profanities, one of which is repeated by Desi as she innocently inquires as to its meaning) and the fact that at times the film seems manipulative. I believed that certain aspects were flashbacks as to what had happened to Desi's father, but was proved wrong. It may have a somber beginning, but it has an uplifting ending. As we got through sobbing with the compassion of well-meaning, good-hearted people, my mother sniffed, "I WANT this movie!" Originally filmed for HBO, it's readily available on VHS and DVD. I stumbled across my copy by accident in the local library, so it probably isn't that hard to find. If you're in the mood for a good family story that will tweak a few tears, pick up Mermaid.