When the Whales Came
“A story so enchanting you'll wish it were real.”
Synopsis
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.
Top Cast
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Paul Scofield
The Birdman
David Threlfall
Jack Jenkins
Helen Mirren
Clemmie Jenkins
Helen Pearce
Gracie Jenkins
Max Rennie
Daniel Pender
David Suchet
Will
Jeremy Kemp
Mr. Wellbeloved
John Hallam
Treve Pender
Barbara Ewing
Mary Pender
Dexter Fletcher
Big Tim
Nicholas Jones
Vicar
Joanna Bartholemew
Miss Tregarthen
Barbara Jefford
Auntie Mildred
Fergus Rees
The Birdman as a Boy
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Clive Rees
- Screenplay & Story
- Michael Morpurgo
- Original Score
- Christopher Gunning
- Original Title
- When the Whales Came
- Country of Origin
- United Kingdom
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 40m
- Production Studios
- American Continental Corp., Golden Swan, ITV Central
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Clive Rees
Michael Morpurgo
Christopher Gunning
Robert Paynter
Simon Channing Williams
Department Leadership Roster
Clive Rees
Director
Michael Morpurgo
Screenplay
Robert Paynter
Director of Photography
Lindy Hemming
Costume Design
Simon Channing Williams
Producer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for When the Whales Came.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring When the Whales Came.
War: World War I
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
MovieLens[30K:40K]
1989
1989
500 best 89's movies
Helen Mirren
Imported from MDBList
Films [HD]---[W]
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Frequently Asked Questions About When the Whales Came
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is When the Whales Came about?
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.
Who directed When the Whales Came?
When the Whales Came was directed by Clive Rees.
Who stars in When the Whales Came?
The principal cast of When the Whales Came includes Paul Scofield, David Threlfall, Helen Mirren, Helen Pearce, Max Rennie.
When was When the Whales Came released and how long is it?
When the Whales Came was released in 1989 with a total runtime of 1h 40m.
Who composed the musical score for When the Whales Came?
The original motion picture soundtrack for When the Whales Came was composed by Christopher Gunning.
Is When the Whales Came based on a book or true story?
When the Whales Came is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Michael Morpurgo".