Throwback Films: Free Willy

On Friday, August 14, 2026 at 1:00PM, Gesa Power House Theatre welcomes film fans of all ages for FREE WILLY as a segment of a four-week family-friendly throwback film series! Join the theater team each week for a nostalgic afternoon of film, friends, and fun! This screening will be sensory friendly – theater lights will be at a half-dim level, and sound volumes slightly lower than usual. Our hearing assistance equipment is available! Our Little Watts series is sponsored by Coldwell Banker Walla Walla and Underriner Honda of Walla Walla. Special sponsorship of our summer throwback series provided by Katherine Nordal and Elaine Eaker making it possible to welcome participants of our local Camp Fire Walla Walla day camp, and YMCA programming!
A troubled young boy named Jesse forms an unlikely bond with a captive orca named Willy at a marine park. Initially rebellious and disconnected, Jesse is assigned community service at the park, where he begins to connect with the intelligent whale. As their relationship deepens, Jesse learns that Willy has been separated from his family and is being exploited for profit by the park’s owners.
When the owners decide Willy is no longer valuable and plan to dispose of him, Jesse and his friends race against time to set the whale free. In a climactic moment, Jesse helps Willy escape back into the ocean, symbolizing both the whale’s return to freedom and Jesse’s own emotional growth and sense of belonging.