When the Whales Came

When the Whales Came

A story so enchanting you'll wish it were real.

1989 · 100 min · ★ 6.4 · Drama

A pair of children befriend an eccentric old man, who lives isolated on the far shore of their island home. But it turns out that the old man knows a terrible secret about the island and the whales who sometimes come. Meanwhile WWI is making life hard in the village.

Directed by Clive Rees · Written by Michael Morpurgo

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Rent or Buy

Amazon Video

Cast

Make it a double feature

3h 13m together

When the Whales Came

The Blockhouse

Both from Clive Rees.

More from Clive ReesSee all →

BBC2 Play of the WeekBBC2 Play of the Week · 1977
BBC2 Play of the Week
★ 7.01977
SeriesDramaComedy
An anthology of plays and novels adapted into feature length TV movies, broadcast on BBC2 from September 1977 to April 1979.
Centre PlayCentre Play · 1973
Centre Play
★ 7.01973
SeriesDrama
Anthology series of half hour plays produced in BBC's Television Centre's studios.
Arnhem: The Story of an EscapeArnhem: The Story of an Escape · 1976
Arnhem: The Story of an Escape
★ 6.51976
MovieWarDrama
Graeme Warrack was Divisional Chief Doctor of the 1st Airborne Division at the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944. With other doctors, medical personnel and padres, he stayed behind with the wounded. The first improvised hospital was a German-occupied Dutch military barracks at Apeldoorn. From here, the wounded were transported to prisoner of war camps in Germany. As the last of the wounded left, Colonel Warrack escaped.
The BlockhouseThe Blockhouse · 1973
The Blockhouse
★ 6.21973
MovieDramaWar
A group of Slave workers, drafted by the Nazis to help construct their coastal defences in 1944, are trapped in an underground bunker when the Allies land at Normandy on D-Day. They find huge stores of food, but not enough candles. The slow dying of the light parallels their increasing boredom, illness, and jealousy during their entrapment. Based on the Novel 'Le Blockhaus' by Jean Paul Clebert
Germany: A Regional GeographyGermany: A Regional Geography · 1964
Germany: A Regional Geography
★ 6.01964
MovieDocumentary
A BAFTA award nominated documentary intended for secondary schools exploring the three distinct geographical regions of Germany from a British perspective.
Thirty-Minute TheatreThirty-Minute Theatre · 1965
Thirty-Minute Theatre
★ 4.21965
SeriesDrama
An anthology of short plays shown on BBC Television between 1965 and 1973, used in part at least as a training ground for new writers, on account of its short length, and which therefore attracted many writers who later became well known.
Body of Influence 2Body of Influence 2 · 1996
Body of Influence 2
★ 2.81996
MovieThriller
The relationship between a psychoanalyst and his seductive, unhappily married patient troubled by psycho-sexual nightmares becomes dangerously intimate as they gradually reveal dark secrets from their pasts.
The Germany of TodayThe Germany of Today · 1967
The Germany of Today
1967
MovieDocumentary
This film surveys the history of Germany's political systems from Charlemagne to modern times, looking at the regional differences that were the inheritance of the independent states of the 18th century and considering the 19th-century wars of unification, World War I, and Nazism.

More Like This

A Tree Grows in BrooklynA Tree Grows in Brooklyn · 1945
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
★ 7.51945
MovieDrama
In Brooklyn circa 1900, the Nolans manage to enjoy life on pennies despite great poverty and Papa's alcoholism. We come to know these people well through big and little troubles: Aunt Sissy's scandalous succession of "husbands"; the removal of the one tree visible from their tenement; and young Francie's desire to transfer to a better school...if irresponsible Papa can get his act together.
So Dear to My HeartSo Dear to My Heart · 1948
So Dear to My Heart
★ 6.61948
MovieDramaFamily
The tale of Jeremiah Kincaid and his quest to raise his 'champion' lamb, Danny. Jeremiah's dream of showing Danny at the Pike County Fair must overcome the obstinate objections of his loving, yet strict, grandmother Granny. Jeremiah's confidant, Uncle Hiram, is the boy's steady ally.
The Good EarthThe Good Earth · 1937
The Good Earth
★ 6.31937
MovieDramaHistory
China, during the rule of the Qing Dynasty. The arranged marriage between Wang Lung, a humble farmer, and O-Lan, a domestic slave, will endure the many hardships of life over the years; but the temptations of a fragile prosperity will endanger their love and the survival of their entire family.
The Children of the MarshlandThe Children of the Marshland · 1999
The Children of the Marshland
★ 7.11999
MovieComedyDrama
The film is set in Marais, a quiet region along the banks of Loire river in 1918. Riton is afflicted with a bad-tempered wife and three unruly children. Garris lives alone with his recollections of World War I trenches. Their daily life consists of seasonal work and visits from their two pals: Tane, the local train conductor and Amédée, a dreamer and voracious reader of classics.
The Last StationThe Last Station · 2009
The Last Station
★ 6.42009
MovieDramaRomance
A historical drama that illustrates Russian author Leo Tolstoy's struggle to balance fame and wealth with his commitment to a life devoid of material things. The Countess Sofya, wife and muse to Leo Tolstoy, uses every trick of seduction on her husband's loyal disciple, whom she believes was the person responsible for Tolstoy signing a new will that leaves his work and property to the Russian people.
I Remember MamaI Remember Mama · 1948
I Remember Mama
★ 7.21948
MovieFamilyDrama
Norwegian immigrant Marta Hanson keeps a firm but loving hand on her household of four children, a devoted husband and a highly-educated lodger who reads great literature to the family every evening. Through financial crises, illnesses and the small triumphs of everyday life, Marta maintains her optimism and sense of humor, traits she passes on to her aspiring-author daughter, Katrin.
A Stolen LifeA Stolen Life · 1946
A Stolen Life
★ 6.41946
MovieDrama
When a woman’s twin sister is drowned, she assumes her identity in order to be close to the man she feels her sister took from her years before.
The Insect WomanThe Insect Woman · 1963
The Insect Woman
★ 7.21963
MovieDrama
A woman, Tome, is born to a lower class family in Japan in 1918. The title refers to an insect, repeating its mistakes, as in an infinite circle. Imamura, with this metaphor, introduces the life of Tome, who keeps trying to change her poor life.
Waterloo BridgeWaterloo Bridge · 1940
Waterloo Bridge
★ 7.51940
MovieDramaRomance
On the eve of World War II, a British officer revisits Waterloo Bridge and recalls the young man he was at the beginning of World War I and the young ballerina he met just before he left for the front.
Soul SurferSoul Surfer · 2011
Soul Surfer
★ 7.02011
MovieFamilyDrama
The true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter