"Michelle Sparck of Bethel was a high school freshman when the rescue of three gray whales near Barrow became a worldwide spectacle. Now her home state, not to mention several friends, are appearing in the Hollywood retelling of that story.

Sparck was among the first to see "Big Miracle" at a test screening Tuesday in New York. So how was it?

In the interest of full disclosure, I’d like to preface this review by admitting that as a resources specialist with an Alaska Native organization that exists primarily to protect Native subsistence rights, I have butted heads and been at odds with national and international environmental groups.

I had a very reputable group’s staffer whom I was working with nicely say to his boss -- right in front of me -- “We’ve got our Native!” in such a way that I almost walked off before a press conference where we were, for once, united in a cause. I also think that the state should be doing a lot more to diversify our economy rather than depend on an industry that is responsible for over 85 percent of the State’s revenues."

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Michelle Sparck: Big Miracle: One Alaskan's review (The Anchorage Daily News 1/27)