Gracie and the Birdman discover a beached narwhal and attempt to get it back into the sea, but it is too heavy. The other narwhals gather in the bay and the Birdman knows that soon they will come to the beach themselves and then the curse of Samson will begin again on Bryher. Daniel's oldest brother and some local boys set fire to the Birdman's cottage because they think he is signalling to the enemy, but he is actually stopping ships from getting beached on the dangerous rocks or getting caught by the curse. They see the narwhals and go back to the village. Soon the entire island comes to slaughter the whales but Daniel insists that they listen to the Birdman. Mr Woodcock finally tells them the true story of Samson and the islanders work together to get the whales back into the sea and away from the island. Daniel leaves the Birdman watching the sea but returning in the morning he finds him gone, never to be seen again. He takes a boat over to Samson and discovers that the well is full again and that plants have started to grow. Later that day, a naval boat arrives with Jack on board, found at last and not drowned. The curse is lifted by the islanders and Gracie, Jack and Clem return home celebrating their experiences. Cast Reception The film has a 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert awarded it one and a half stars. John Ferguson of Radio Times gave it three stars out of five. The film was released in VHS format and Laserdisc. References External links Films based on children's books 1989 drama films Films set in Cornwall British drama films 20th Century Fox films Films scored by Christopher Gunning Bryher 1980s English-language films 1980s British films Films about disability