But there’s more to the story…

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Judd remarks, “I didn’t really know anything about Winter before I became involved in the movie, so it was an exciting process of discovery. As soon as I finished the script, I went to seewinter.com to look at her. I couldn’t wait to meet her, and it was even more magical and moving than I anticipated.”

In the film, a young dolphin is caught in a crab trap, severely damaging her tail. She is rescued and transported to the Clearwater Marine Hospital, where she is named Winter. But her fight for survival has just begun. Without a tail, Winter’s prognosis is dire. It will take the expertise of a dedicated marine biologist, the ingenuity of a brilliant prosthetics doctor, and the unwavering devotion of a young boy to bring about a groundbreaking miracle—a miracle that might not only save Winter but could also help scores of people around the world.

Judd plays Lorraine who is worried about her son, Sawyer, until she is introduced to the thing—or rather being—that has altered the course of his life. Judd explains, “Lorraine finds out that Sawyer’s been spending every waking moment at an aquarium and he’s in a whole new dimension about which she knew nothing. She goes from being understandably upset to seeing with her eyes, and feeling with her heart, the profound changes in him that are all happening because of his friendship with Winter.”

“Ashley conveys the warmth and concern of a mother facing the challenges of raising her boy on her own,” director Charles Martin Smith says. “Then when she sees the bond between her son and this dolphin, the look on her face tells you everything. Ashley is really a wonderful actress.”

Judd has equal praise for her director. “Charles Martin Smith is a filmmaker I greatly admire. ‘The Snow Walker’ is one of my all-time favorite movies, so the opportunity to work with him was very appealing. And this film seemed like something I would enjoy doing, as well as a project I will always be grateful to have been a part of. I appreciate the theme that the found family—the chosen family—is an important part of our sense of community. I also like the principles espoused by Clearwater: that an animal should be rescued, rehabilitated and, if appropriate, returned to the wild. That is very congruent with my personal values.”