Story Line: Terminally ill 10-year-old Pete Carlton (Donato) wants to do just one thing before he dies: catch the elusive Blue Morpho, said to be the most beautiful butterfly on Earth. Renowned entomologist Alan Osborne (Hurt) helps grant Pete's wish by bringing the boy on an expedition into the Costa Rica rain forest.
Bottom Line: Beautifully shot on location and imbued with the magical quality of a fairy tale, Blue Butterfly plays like a cross between a National Geographic special and one of those disease-of-the-week TV movies. The film traffics in qualities that make the beginnings of good drama—redemption, courage, love—but doesn't have enough genuine conflict or variety of incident to finish the job. As a result, the film becomes tedious, despite its breathtaking settings. Hurt portrays a jaded scientist with appropriate world-weariness, but Donato's cancer patient is a bit too saintly—even for a film this benign. Regardless, Blue Butterfly should pass muster as a family-friendly attraction. The title has charitable tie-ins with The Children's Cancer Research Fund, Make-A-Wish Foundation and other organizations.
Color, PG (mature themes, mild language), 97 min., DVD only $24.95