SOUL SURFER — 3 stars — AnnaSofia Robb, Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, Carrie Underwood PG (for an intense accident sequence and some thematic material) general release April 8
Since 2003, Bethany Hamilton has made headlines as the one-armed surfer girl who survived a shark attack.
We see her as a girl of strength and poise who overcame seemingly insurmountable adversity to end up the victor.
What we don't see, however, is the intimate personal struggle that Bethany experienced as a 13-year-old girl who in an instant had her life forever changed.
"Soul Surfer" explores the aftermath of Hamilton's attack as she struggled to figure out why it happened to her, what her purpose in life is post-attack, and her struggle to learn how to surf again.
All in all, "Soul Surfer" is a great family-friendly film, heavy with value-based messages and a lot of fun surfing.
The film is a great show of a strong family that fortifies itself against adversities using their faith and unity, portraying the Hamiltons as a supportive and fun family that faces their challenges head on.
In real-life, the Hamiltons are strong members of the Christian Fellowship in Hawaii. Although the film has strong faith themes, it presents no single religion, allowing it to appeal to a larger audience.
Showing Bethany running straight from the surf to sitting in church, the film says nothing with subtlety. From sermons to scriptures, the movie walks the audience through its main themes very clearly and repeatedly. This method very effectively gets points across to a family audience and keeps the film straightforward. Character development, however, lags behind.
The all-star cast fills in the gaps of the script, though.
AnnaSofia Robb, who plays Bethany Hamilton, presents an aspect of the young surfer that most viewers don't see via the media. It was nice to see the real side of her struggle as she grappled with doubt and self-pity, but ultimately never gave up thanks to her strong personal faith.
The film gives an in-depth look at the parents' struggle as well. Dennis Quaid plays Bethany's go-get-'em dad alongside Helen Hunt as Bethany's serene mom. Both actors do all of their own surfing and give very convincing performances as they cope with the struggles that face them and their daughter.
Carrie Underwood, in her film debut, gives a pretty good performance, but more than anything else uses her personal values to reflect well on her role choice as Hamilton's youth pastor.
Shot beautifully in Hawaii, "Soul Surfer" shows the idyllic life of a surfer family. The movie portrays the best show of female surfing in films to date, with Hamilton herself doing all of the one-arm surfing stunts.
As a side note, it is amazing how they made Robb's arm disappear (wrapped in green screen and held behind her).
Now, the shark scene: The audience knows the attack is imminent, yet still it comes by surprise. Intense without being graphic, the shark attack will still make audiences squirm in their seats. Kids will need to brave the 10-minute bloody sequence as Bethany and company make the trek to the hospital.
For the most part, the film stays true to real-life events as the Hamiltons had a hand in supervising the script.
A few fictional liberties were taken, such as playing up Bethany's surfing rival Malina (Sonya Balmores) for dramatic effect and portraying her as a villain. It is a decision that ultimately proves to be over the top and clichÉ.
All in all, however, "Soul Surfer" is a great female sports movie that carries a message for anyone who has ever faced adversity.
E-mail: smoreton@desnews.com