The movie “Big Miracle” is a solid example of biography-drama films that was launched in 2012 in Kazakhstan. The plot is woven around an interesting event from the small town of Alaska, where a news reporter and his volunteer ex-girlfriend from Greenpeace strive to rescue a family of grey whales stuck in the fast-forming Arctic Circle ice. The film showcases the acting talents of artists such as John Pingayak, Ahmaogak Sweeney, and John Chase, among others.
Where it Filmed?
“Big Miracle” was mainly filmed in several locations across Alaska, USA. These filming sites included Barrow, Fort Richardson, the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, and Anchorage. The filming of this movie was carried out in September 2010.
Cast Details
| Cast Name | Role |
|---|---|
| John Pingayak | Malik |
| Ahmaogak Sweeney | Nathan |
| John Chase | Roy |
| Ishmael Angalook Hope | Bud |
| Othniel ‘Anaqulutuq’ Oomittuk Jr. | Inupiat Whaler |
| John Krasinski | Adam Carlson |
| Thomas R. Daly | Frank |
| Maliaq Kairaiuak | Dana |
| Jeffrey Evan | Arnold |
| Drew Barrymore | Rachel Kramer |
| Ted Danson | J.W. McGraw |
| Randy Eledge | Oil Man |
| Thom Van Dorp | Don Carr |
| Tim Blake Nelson | Pat Lafayette |
| Stephen Root | Governor Haskell |
| Maury Ginsberg | News Producer #1 |
| Kelly Lee Williams | News Producer #2 |
| Megan Baldino | News Producer #3 |
| Kristen Bell | Jill Jerard |
| Kathy Baker | Ruth McGraw |
| Vinessa Shaw | Kelly Meyers |
| Maeve Blake | Shayna Dobler |
| Krista Schwarting | Diane Dobler |
| Liam Boles | Cooper Dobler |
| Opal Sidon | Darcy |
| Michael Gaston | Porter Beckford |
| Ken Smith | Stu |
| Tim Palmer | Lloyd Dobler |
| Wayne Mitchell | News Producer #4 |
| John Michael Higgins | Wes Handrick |
| Dermot Mulroney | Colonel Scott Boyer |
| Gregory Jbara | General Stanton |
| Jessica Tiihonen | Prudhoe Bay Reporter #1 |
| Bruce Altman | Chief of Staff |
| Anthony Fryer | National Guard Co-Pilot |
| Brady Ingledue | Alaskan Northern Oil Worker |
| James Le Gros | Karl Hootkin |
| Rob Riggle | Dean Glowacki |
| Mary Rock | Hotel Clerk #2 |
| Brett Baker | Barrow Street Reporter |
| Shea Whigham | SAR Pilot Conrad |
| Kathryn Harris | Teacher |
| Christine Kim | Prudhoe Bay Reporter #2 |
| R.F. Daley | Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff |
| Stefan Kapicic | Yuri |
| Jackie Purcell | Icebreaker Reporter |
| Mark Ivanir | Dimitri |
| Anju Bhargava | Foreign Reporter #2 |
| Robertus A. Schaaper | Foreign Reporter #3 |
| Michael Miller | Russian #1 |
| Andrey Nikolaev | Russian #2 |
| Sarah Palin | Sarah Palin |
| Teresa Pingayak | Malik’s Wife |
| Robert Forgit | Prudhoe Bay Reporter #3 |
| Kevin T. Bennett | Reporter (uncredited) |
| Jeff Bergman | Ronald Reagan (uncredited) (voice) |
| Stacy Boles | Background Reporter (uncredited) |
| Tom Brokaw | Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage) |
| Rich Capitan | Press – Sound guy (uncredited) |
| Connie Chung | Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage) |
| Rose Davidson | Ice Hole Activist (uncredited) |
| Carla Delaney | News Anchor (uncredited) (voice) |
| Anastasia Foster | News Reporter (uncredited) (voice) |
| Karl Glick | On-Camera Journalist (uncredited) |
| Shanette Harper | Greenpeace Volunteer (uncredited) |
| Peter Jennings | Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage) |
| Spencer Kayden | Lady In Ring (uncredited) |
| Gloria King | Scientist (uncredited) |
| Paul Kirby | News Anchor (uncredited) (voice) |
| Jamie Nelson | Field Reporter (uncredited) |
| Evgueni Petrov | Russian #3 (uncredited) |
| Dan Rather | Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage) |
| Leif Sawyer | Minneapolis News Crew (uncredited) |
| Karen Strassman | Various (uncredited) (voice) |
| David Thomas | Inupiaq Male on Ice (uncredited) |
Trivia and Facts
- The film was directed by Ken Kwapis and written by Jack Amiel, Michael Begler, and Tom Rose.
- Important actors included in the film were John Pingayak, Ahmaogak Sweeney, and John Chase who portrayed the characters of Malik, Nathan, and Roy respectively.
- Other notable characters were Bud, played by Ishmael Angalook Hope; Inupiat Whaler, portrayed by Othniel ‘Anaqulutuq’ Oomittuk Jr., Adam Carlson by John Krasinski and finally, Don Davis played by Andy Daly.
- The film managed to snag a nomination for an award.
- Around 80 users and 68 critics have given their reviews for the film.
Geo Location Details
- Location Name: Barrow, Alaska, USA
- Latitude: 71.29055559999999
- Longitude: -156.7886111
- Place ID: ChIJxW7gHwHYwlARUNjDCRKB1Lk
- Map Link: Google Map
- Place Address: Utqiagvik, AK 99723, USA
- Timezone: America/Anchorage
- Location Name: Alaska SeaLife Center – 301 Railway Ave, Seward, Alaska, USA
- Latitude: 60.0998464
- Longitude: -149.4407078
- Place ID: ChIJiRP0K2Kcx1YRKRVSq2KKWwk
- Map Link: Google Map
- Place Address: 301 Railway Ave, Seward, AK 99664, USA
- Timezone: America/Anchorage
- Location Name: Anchorage, Alaska, USA
- Latitude: 61.2175758
- Longitude: -149.8996785
- Place ID: ChIJQT-zBHaRyFYR42iEp1q6fSU
- Map Link: Google Map
- Place Address: Anchorage, AK, USA
- Timezone: America/Anchorage
- Location Name: Alaska, USA
- Latitude: 63.588753
- Longitude: -154.4930619
- Place ID: ChIJG8CuwJzfAFQRNduKqSde27w
- Map Link: Google Map
- Place Address: Alaska, USA
- Timezone: America/Anchorage
