Based on the inspiring TRUE story of 13 year old Bethany Hamilton, who survived a shark attack and the loss of an arm to become one of the top professional surfers in the world, this is a very well made and dare I say, inspirational story.
The cinematography is stunning (although being from Hawaii, I can say there were a few liberties taken with some of the locations, but that’s nit-picking) and really showcase the beauty of the islands and ocean. The directing by Sean McNamara is top notch. Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid give solid performances as the parents, Kevin Sorbo is well cast as a friend of the family, and the other surfers come off like Disney tween show villains. AnnaSophia Robb shines as Bethany, carrying the film one handed (no pun intended.) The only down spot is Carrie Underwood, woefully miscast as a evangelical preacher, and her limited acting ability shows.
If the film falls down, it’s in the message portion. I’m aware that I might receive some flack for this, but it is possible to do an uplifting inspiring movie that happens to put forth a religious agenda, without the agenda. There were many scenes where we moved along nicely and suddenly we were thrown into a “come to Jesus” moment. I don’t have anything against a spiritual slant to a film, but this one didn’t need it. It was well evident from the way it was handled throughout that the family relied on their faith in God to see them through things, and when Bethany has a crisis of “why me” after the attack and her faith is shaken, it’s emotional enough without being hit over the head with the message.
Indeed, when the character goes on a mission trip to a country devastated by a hurricane, and sees first hand how in comparison she hasn’t lost everything, the moment would have been so much more powerful if we hadn’t just had twenty minutes of religion prior to it. Without it, the movie would have been moving and spiritual. With it, it feels like a calculated play for my soul, and while I don’t begrudge anyone for their beliefs (“Just go forward in all your beliefs, and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine” as the Doctor once said) I don’t want to be suckered into church during what was billed as entertainment.
But overall, a well made enjoyable family film.
SOUL SURFER – B
