Plot Issues

When fishermen separate a young orca named Willy from his parents, he ends up in a glorified fishbowl at a marina in the Seattle area. Meanwhile, a street kid named Jesse (Jason James Richter) gets caught vandalizing the marina, but his social worker, Dwight (Mykelti Williamson), helps him avoid legal consequences, provided he cleans up his mess at the marina. While there, Jesse befriends the orca and teaches him tricks, something the trainer, Rae (Lori Petty), had failed to do. However, when Willy is unable to perform effectively in front of the audience, the owner of the marina plans to kill Willy for the insurance money. Thus, Jesse and his friends, including an Indian shaman named Randolph (August Schellenberg), must free Willy.