Title: Soul Surfer
Directed by: Sean McNamara
Starring: AnnaSophia Robb, Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, Ross Thomas, Carrie Underwood, Lorraine Nicholson, Kevin Sorbo, Craig T. Nelson
When depicting a true comeback story, a studio must be mindful of not going overboard in one department…Hollywood scripting. Fictional comeback pieces usually falter because they follow the stereotypical storytelling pattern. So if the producers behind “Soul Surfer” stick to the inspiring Bethany Hamilton tale, then this flick should coast as a rewarding piece of entertainment.
For those do not know, Bethany Hamilton’s story was pasted all over the place back in 2003. A promising young surfer at the age of 13 in Hawaii, Bethany was the victim of a horrendous shark attack that resulted in the loss of her left arm. In 2004 she published a biographical book, which documented her experiences right before the shark attack to when she competed in the national surfing competition just months later. This flick portrays that time period.
Playing the courageous Bethany is AnnaSophia Robb. Her passionate surfing parents are enacted by Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt. The flick has a recurring narration by the Bethany character, as she reflects to the audience on what was going through her mind during a handful of moments. Ranging from how she became enamored with surfing, to where she adopted her competitive spirit – stemming from having two older brothers (Ross Thomas and Chris Brochu).
The majority of the flick shows the tight knit bond that the Hamilton family has within their home – which is the water – and how they share this love with their close friends the Blanchards. Holt Blanchard (Kevin Sorbo) and Tom Hamilton (Quaid) are dear friends and so are their daughters Bethany (AnnaSophia) and Alana (Lorraine Nicholson). Bethany and Alana spend hours in the water surfing to the point where they hone their skills well enough to receive sponsorship. Everything is going to plan until the shark enters Bethany’s world.
After the initial shock wears off, Bethany is determined not to let this situation hamper the rest of her life. She focuses on getting back on the board and riding the waves. What she learns is that this task isn’t going to be easy. She will be tested both mentally and physically. In fact, she begins to have second thoughts on trying to overcome this obstacle that has been bestowed upon her. When the doubts start to overpower her amazing will, she turns to the local youth church leader in Sarah (Carrie Underwood). Sarah takes teenage kids on trips to help the less fortunate. Around this time, the Tsunami has just hit Indonesia. Bethany looks to take her mind off surfing – something that is tough for her father to swallow – and heads over to the distraught country with Sarah and the church group. The events following this journey, motivates Bethany to get back in the water and do what she loves.
If there is any issue to take with this script, it is how it parallels those above mentioned fictional works. You know, character has promise; tragedy happens; a period of second-guessing ones self is present; then the character eventually rises above. So although the pattern will seem Hollywood-esque, just remember that all of this really happened my friends. Other than that FYI, Soul Surfer peaks at all the right moments.
Obviously the audience knows the shark attack is coming. And director Sean McNamara is also aware that people will be curious to see it depicted on-screen. Knowing this, McNamara builds up suspense every time Bethany is in the water prior to the attack. You’ll feel quite tense despite the resort like atmosphere that surrounds the characters. Speaking of the atmosphere, the crew and cast did a magnificent job in capturing the Hawaiian way of life. Sure it was shot on-location, but it is tough to mimic that lifestyle. In this piece, everyone does it effortlessly. All the performances are top-notch as well. Much like Hawaii, all the elements found here just had a nice flow and gave the viewer a unique escapism at the theater.
Overall, Soul Surfer is a fulfilling piece of cinematic entertainment. As Bethany makes strides in regaining her passion, you’ll feel her success and cheer her along.
Technical: B
Acting: B+
Story: B
Overall: B+
By Joe Belcastro
