Andre

"Andre" is a predictable girl-and-her-seal picture, the true story of a youngster who becomes attached to a seal, teaches it some remarkable tricks and then finds that the darn thing won't go back to live in the sea.

The story is set in 1962, as a Maine harbor master (Keith Carradine) comes across an injured baby seal that has been caught in a fisherman's net. Carradine and his daughter (young Tina Majorino) nurse the seal (actually played by a sea lion) back to health, name him "Andre" and teach him all sorts of clever routines - from dancing the twist to playing catch. Andre is such a natural showman that he eventually becomes a national celebrity.

The villain of the piece is a surly fisherman who feels the local fishing business has dropped because of seals in the area, and he's determined to do Andre in. Fortunately, there is a terrible storm in the end - which is, of course, just the thing to bond together families, neighbors and seal-haters.

Aside from the enjoyable oldies soundtrack score, "Andre" is merely an undistinguished "Free Willy" knockoff. But it's pleasant enough for children, and Majorino is an excellent little actress (she also co-stars in the upcoming "Corrina, Corrina").

"Andre" is rated PG for some mild vulgarity and violence.