Hollywood Finally Gets it Right With “Soul Surfer”

In 1959, “Gidget” with Sandra Dee laid foundation for what is now known as the “beach party” film genre. Surfing became a glamorization of the Californian and Hawaiian culture. Now most Hollywood-bred surf films tend to follow the same blueprint. Waves. Parties. Itty-bitty bikinis. Ending with some sort of predicable romance or hookup.

Let’s face it. Even today, the mainstream surf industry is highly materialized and definitely incorporates all of those things, but to the people that truly live and breathe surfing, those aspects are miniscule.

“Soul Surfer” is the story of shark-attack survivor and professional surfer Bethany Hamilton, played by AnnaSophia Robb and it really surprised me. It wasn’t just another sensationalist surf-chick flick like “Blue Crush.” It doesn’t glamorize surfing. In fact, it doesn’t emphasize any material aspects of the sport. And the ending romance? It’s with the ocean.

Instead, it illuminates the spirituality and passion Hamilton felt after her attack and her attachment to the ocean. “Soul Surfer” amounted to be an exceedingly inspirational biography of a remarkable young surfer that never even flinched when her future took a drastic turn for the worst. A shark completely ravaged her arm and nearly killed her, but within a month, Hamilton was back in the water.

The film shows Hamilton struggling to compensate for her lost arm and trying to maintain indifference while attempting everyday tasks, such as dressing herself and dicing tomatoes. After finally crumbling from her handicap and quitting surfing, Hamilton embarks on a humanitarian trip with her local church group to aid tsunami victims in Thailand.

This was one of the more reflective sequences in the movie. Among the wreckage, she finds that some people lost entire families and homes. Though losing an arm is nothing to sneeze at, Hamilton realizes there are worse things. She finds a mute, orphaned little boy and teaches him to surf, and exposes his hidden smile. She returns to Hawaii enlightened and ready to challenge her injury on a surfboard.

Some critics denounced the spiritual aspect of the film, saying faith and religion was spoon-fed to the audience the entire film. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said the optimism and spirituality in the film is almost eerie. While I partially agree with that, I have to say that spirituality is a huge part of surfing. The entire experience is spiritual, whether it’s felt within a surfer or with the water. I think filmmaker Sean McNamara wanted to emphasize that aspect of the sport and he succeeded.

With the exception of Carrie Underwood’s mildly annoying performance portraying Hamilton’s church group leader Sarah Hill, the acting was decent. Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt are convincing as Hamilton’s loving and supportive parents and they fulfilled the task of highlighting family values.

The world of surfing gets bigger each day, but it’s still a close-knit family. Unless you’re in the water during a heat, you’re a family, a pack of the same breed. McNamara showed this after Hamilton came back from the hospital. Her family and friends caught the shark that bit her. He also showed how the surf community welcomed her back into the competitive string.

What it comes down to is, this movie wasn’t a Hollywood bastardization of the surf industry or just some trite Roxy-inspired surf chick flick. It’s a story that roots itself in the pure spirituality, love and essence of surfing. I was surprised with it and I would completely recommend it to anyone, not just someone that lives the saltwater life.

If you haven’t yet, watch the trailer below.

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