Zoologist George C. Scott, working on a foundation grant to study the behavior of dolphins, has trained two dolphins born in captivity to speak in a parrot-like version of English; after they're stolen, Scott has an idea who's behind it, but not what the ramifications are. Screenwriter Buck Henry (of all people), adapting Robert Merle's novel, doesn't create human characters to interest us, and director Mike Nichols apparently didn't encourage him to do so. What we're left with is beautiful footage of the dolphins (handsomely photographed by cinematographer William A. Fraker) working against a very contrived plot about the inescapable corruption of the species. It might have worked on a "Flipper"/family movie level had Nichols only picked up the pace a bit. The film is curiously austere and blandly smooth, with only a flicker of suspense in its plotting but with no interest coming from the actors. *1/2 from ****
Review of The Day of the Dolphin
