

Sandy Ricks is sent by his mom to Coral Key, a rustic island in the Florida keys, to spend the summer with his uncle Porter Ricks. Sandy dislikes everything about his new environment until a new friend comes into his life, a dolphin named Flipper, that brings uncle and nephew together and leads Sandy on the summer adventure of a lifetime.
Acting
Elijah Wood's pre-Frodo earnestness.
Practical Effects
Real dolphins, zero CGI guilt.
Costume
Paul Hogan's endless supply of Hawaiian shirts.
Director
Alan Shapiro
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The dolphin playing Flipper was actually two dolphins, Akeakamai and Phoenix, both research animals from the University of Hawaii.
This was Elijah Wood's blockbuster attempt after The Good Son bombed—he'd retreat to indie films until LOTR saved him.