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The Blue Butterfly

  • 2004
  • PG
  • 1h 37m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
1.7K
YOUR RATING
William Hurt and Marc Donato in The Blue Butterfly (2004)
The only way to catch a miracle is to believe in it...
Play trailer2:07
1 Video
23 Photos
AdventureDrama

A dramatic adventure about courage, redemption and love being filmed in the rain forests of Costa Rica, and in Montreal.A dramatic adventure about courage, redemption and love being filmed in the rain forests of Costa Rica, and in Montreal.A dramatic adventure about courage, redemption and love being filmed in the rain forests of Costa Rica, and in Montreal.

  • Director
    • Léa Pool
  • Writer
    • Pete McCormack
  • Stars
    • Marc Donato
    • William Hurt
    • Pascale Bussières
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.2/10
    1.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Léa Pool
    • Writer
      • Pete McCormack
    • Stars
      • Marc Donato
      • William Hurt
      • Pascale Bussières
    • 30User reviews
    • 17Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 6 nominations total

    Videos1

    The Blue Butterfly
    Trailer 2:07
    The Blue Butterfly

    Photos23

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    Top cast18

    Edit
    Marc Donato
    Marc Donato
    • Pete Carlton
    William Hurt
    William Hurt
    • Alan Osborn
    Pascale Bussières
    Pascale Bussières
    • Teresa Carlton
    Raoul Max Trujillo
    Raoul Max Trujillo
    • Alejo
    • (as Raoul Trujillo)
    Marianella Jimenez
    • Yana
    Gerardo Hernández
    • Manolo
    • (as Topo)
    Steve Adams
    Steve Adams
    • Presenter
    Silverio Morales
    • Diego the Shaman
    Samuel Lopez
    • Esteban
    Liz MacRae
    • Press Agent
    Paul Stewart
    • Police Officer
    Isabel Perez
    • Spanish Nurse
    Denis Hylton
    • Doctor
    Sophie Janssens
    • Dancer
    Peter Trosztmer
    • Dancer
    Sarah Williams
    • Dancer
    Jane Mappin
    • Dancer
    Alyssa Fraser
    • Dancer
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Léa Pool
    • Writer
      • Pete McCormack
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews30

    6.21.6K
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    Featured reviews

    9MIbluegal1

    Great family movie

    This was a heartwarming movie that even my "Rambo'lovin husband liked.I will be buying this movie.If you do not care for the story line you will love the scenery.If you have children 6 and older they would really learn from this movie.It really shows the compassion that man can have for one another and actually restores your faith in the human race.The wildlife will really make the young ones stay entertained.Rent or buy this as much for yourself as for your children.You can be assured that this movie will not have any content that will be offensive-in fact they give you two choices-edited content for minor language or non edited.I chose non edited and it was in no way offensive.
    8mrodner-1

    good for kids

    This film is about a 10 year old boy with a terminal brain tumor whose last wish is to catch a blue butterfly that lives in the forests of South and Central America. He and his mother convince a begrudgely naturalist/scientist/insect collector to let them tag along with him on one of his expeditions. They stay in a small village in the jungle, where not only do they encounter all sorts of wildlife, and learn about the culture of the indigenous people, but also learn about each others weaknesses and fears and relationships develop along with a bit of magic. I saw this movie on TV with my 8 year old son, I felt it had a lot of important things to teach him about humanity and nature: wildlife, disease, relationships, other cultures, other perceptions of reality, other lifestyles. It might be a bit corny for adults to watch on their own, but I felt its message was positive and profound for younger people. I also liked its slower pace, which was not boring because of all the beautiful scenery. My recommendation is rent it for your kids.
    10marijanav

    Beautiful, AMAZING, Thrilling Movie

    Blue Butterfly is the best movie i have seen in the last two years.

    It is funny, amazing, and beautiful. You would expect it to be a heartbreaking drama from the synopsis but it is NOT instead it is so much more.

    There are so many thrills in it and i strongly recommend it to anyone to try. If you don't want to see it for the acting, which is EXCELLENT then go see it for the beautiful scenes of the Costa Rican jungle.

    This movie is proof that Canadian movies are just as good if not better than some Hollywood movies.
    7wrlang

    slow in spots but heartwarming

    The Blue Butterfly is based on a true story about a nine year old boy dying of a brain tumor whose last request is to capture the blue butterfly for his collection. He and his mother enlist the help of a renown entomologist to take them into the jungle to find the insect. At first the entomologist refuses, but eventually relents. They spend several days searching for the butterfly and have some dangerous encounters. Everyone learns a lot about life and nature. The scenery is great, but the films moves slowly in many spots. Other than some slow spots it is a relatively heart warming film. Excellent acting and top notch technically.
    6sarastro7

    Beautiful, but too "Disney"

    This movie is not slow-moving at all. Only 10-15 minutes is spent on build-up; then they're in the jungle. If you only like action movies and want things to bleed and blow up all the time, this is simply not the movie for you. It's not slow, it's just different.

    It is a beautiful movie. It held my attention, and it's full of delightful close-up shots of the jungle and its animal (mostly insect) life. If you like nature films, you will definitely enjoy this as a great visual experience.

    William Hurt once again plays a father figure to a troubled little boy (see "Second Best" and "A.I."), and he does it very well. As an honest, well-produced, well-filmed movie, this would earn a 7 out of 10 rating from me. I have to detract one, however, because the actors who play the mother and the brain-tumored kid are sentimental "types" that are obviously designed to evoke excessive pity and compassion in the viewer, Disney-style. This is a bit too much, and mars an otherwise very beautiful little story.

    6 out of 10.

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    Related interests

    Still frame
    Adventure
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Crazy credits
      For Charlotte-Xiao, Marie-Chun, Giulia, David and to all the children of the world: may their lives be always filled with hope and dreams.
    • Connections
      References Dr. Ruth Westheimer (1984)
    • Soundtracks
      The Garden of Mirrors, Part 3: Violeta
      By Stephan Micus

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    FAQ19

    • How long is The Blue Butterfly?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 26, 2004 (Argentina)
    • Countries of origin
      • Canada
      • United States
      • United Kingdom
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
      • French
    • Also known as
      • 藍蝶飛舞
    • Filming locations
      • Insectarium de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Galafilm Productions
      • Global Arts Productions
      • Palpable Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • CA$12,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,755,355
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $228,509
      • Feb 22, 2004
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,775,619
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 37m(97 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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