Soul Surfer

source: Soul Surfer

Pretty stringently based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton (played here by a charming up-and-comer AnnaSophia Robb) focuses on an ageless plot of courage and will despite adversities. Raised by loving parents surf aficionado Tom (Dennis Quaid) and wave sliding Cheri (Helen Hunt) Bethany is privy to a happy laid-back childhood, more akin to that of a dolphin, than that of a scrawny land-lover. Cutting the waves is second nature and Bethany claims to be one of the top young surfers on Kauai, Hawaii. Additional purpose and love is found in religion, where Sarah Hill (Carrie Underwood) acts as her mentor and role-model. This world, perfect beyond reality, comes to a close due to a random shark attack, which deprives Bethany of one arm and seemingly ends all hopes to fulfilling her surfer dreams... Reminiscent of a cheap TV move with soap opera overdose "Soul Surfer" hold true to exaggerated clichés, unable to let go of its comfort area. Clumsily laid out from the word go with Bethany's sugarcoated queasily perfect life, the movie does admittedly seem to start to catch an emotional engagement with the audience after the ordeal. Nonetheless after these brief scenes dominated by Quaid and Hunt (who nonetheless churn out a relatively weak performance) the overall amateurish drive is reinstated. Largely to blame is an atrocious display of wooden lollipop acting by Underwoord, who remains uneasy, distant and without presence throughout her thankfully limited screen time. Her major input does however coincide with a key cheesy sequence in typhoon-stricken Thailand, which smile-inducingly is presented as Bethany's turning point (as in 'Gee... These poor little infantile third-rate people on the other side of the world have it worse than I do... Oh boy! I'd better start surfing again! That will sure as hell help them!'). Reeking with soap with mild dramatic pull "Soul Surfer" somehow manages to subjugate a decent cast and a terrific story into an annoying teen flick, which aggravates a serious viewer to indifference. Any emotional involvement has more to do with the authenticity of the inspiration, than to actual portrayals on-screen. 3 stars for the true-life Bethany. The movie itself deserves a 1.

I have seen Blue Crush, Open Water, and 127 Hours. All very good movies that involve either surfing, sharks, or a horrible arm losing accident. I generally like movies with either Denis Quaid or Helen Hunt in them. Alas this is not a good movie. The family is presented as having no problems and everyone is sunny and happy. In all scenes that involve teenagers the actors are all constantly holding forced smiles - the kind that stops at their lips and does not make it to the eyes. There are pretty much no Asians which I find really strange in a story based in Hawaii, and the one girl that is "mean" does not have blonde hair. This could have been a great story if the writing was not so stilted, the message of faith felt like something other than "if you love Jesus everything will be OK" and there was a bit more realism with the characters. I am surprised that this made it all the way to the big screen, I would have put this as a Lifetime movie of the week, it has that level of story and acting.

This is one of those kind of movies that you already know how it's gonna end from the get go. There is one big competition and one bigger obstacle-- guess how it's going to end? Director, at many times, seems to rush the scenes in order to hide the actors' skills-- if he does that, probably he doesn't trust in his own cast. But you don't have to be much smart to notice how bad this cast is; most actors have no skills whatsoever and we feel cheated in many scenes-- specially in the restaurant's. Also, it gets extremely irritating to listen to those clichéd religion mentions once you aren't devotee of the religion in question. Since it has a budget of 18 million dollars, which is relatively high, you expect it to be MUCH better both technically and realistic, but "Soul Surfer" fails on both aspects. Also, once you don't buy the plot, the film becomes quite boring and ASKS to be turned off in every 5 minutes-- and that's what I did even before it ended. Don't ask me how I know she won the contest if I didn't make it to the end. In case you do, the answer is: "BECAUSE IT IS EXTREMELY PREDICTABLE!!!"

The film is awesome. In dealing with an event that involves going from one of the best situations on earth to one of the worst, this family's story shows what a true foundation can accomplish in dealing with life. Living on beautiful Kauai and enjoying a cool childhood, surfing, friends and family all cool - then bam. Many people would be crushed by her ordeal, but this story is one we all could learn from. With the right perspective nothing is impossible. Excellent surfing photography, the underwater shots were cool. AnnaSophia Robb, Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt were perfect. The family just all worked together, from the brother's concern to the dad's creativity. Craig T Nelson was a cool example of the vibe of the people there, doing their jobs professionally, and being human. I like how the example of the competitive winner of the surf contests ended up being respected by Hamilton, for not 'going easy' on her. It's a cool lesson in not just being a hater, but looking at the bright side of a situation, and it was the beginning of respect shown later between the two. Bet it makes a lot of people think about what foundation Bethany Hamilton had to be such an example. Young or old, we could all learn from the Hamilton's. Thank you, makers of this film, for doing your fine work. Aloha

I was excited to screen soul surfer at the Cinequest film festival and even had the honor of meeting Bethany Hamilton for a minute. Bethany is such an amazing, inspirational human being. This movie is a missed opportunity that may still play well to tweens and maybe a faith based Christian audience that is looking for confirmation of their beliefs. The best part of the movie was the surfing as John Leonetti as DP does have some great moments and captures the waves and natural beauty of Hawaii. The screenplay was written by Bethany and host of others and maybe there were too many cooks in the kitchen. The dialogue is trite and maybe not even up to the level of a Lifetime TV movie. This may be the worst performance of Helen Hunt's career. She isn't believable and is way too perfect as Bethany's mother. Dennis Quaid fares little better as her loving, surfing fanatic father. Their star power actually detracts from this hero's journey type story. I think non A List actors might have fared better as it is hard to forget that Helen and Dennis are the actors on the screen, rather than think of them as Bethany's parents. AnnaSophia Robb is gallant in her attempt to give some depth and believability to Bethany's character, yet she is crippled by the poor dialogue. Oddly enough, I felt Carrie Underwood was the most convincing as a church group leader. Who knows, maybe Carrie really is Christian and was a church group leader in the past so she was able to pull her performance from reality. In fairness, I believe a lot of the non-industry people at Cinequest enjoyed the film although all the industry people I spoke to were very critical and felt it was sappy TV melodrama. This film will need a box office gross of at least $60M to not to be a financial disaster so I will be tracking to see if there are enough tweens and audience looking for an uplifting themed movie even if it has a poor screenplay and bad direction. I predict this film will be thumbs down by 80% of the major film critics in the USA.

Based on the true story of soul surfer Bethany Hamilton, "Soul Surfer" is fairly close to the true story, just exaggerated to make sure we don't miss any subtle points on how perfect everybody is. Wikipedia even defines the term "soul surfer" in case you couldn't catch the meaning that it's about a girl who surfs for the sheer pleasure of surfing. God has put surfing in her soul, if you will. The event that has defined Bethany's life and the plot of this movie, is that at age 13 she was attacked by a shark and lost her arm. To me, and at least to some of the filmmakers, the important point here (and amazing triumph of courage) is how she maintained her composure and paddled herself back to shore. It's the right thing to do and it's what saved her life even though most people probably wouldn't have been able to remain so calm. The other half of the filmmakers, and likely the real people depicted in the film, believe that it was God and her Christian faith that saved her. I probably should have read up on what the real Bethany Hamilton is like in real life as it would have saved me from suffering through all the preachiness. They are so sure of how good they are that the film even saw them jet off to Thailand after the devastating tsunami where, with the love of God and faith in surfing, they saved the entire country from ruin. I would love to know what some of the non-religious-based, third world country charitable organizations think of that. As the old adage says, the best actors are able to make those around them better. That must be true here as young AnnaSophia Robb is best when opposite Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt. The rest of the time she only has to appear beautiful (despite having only one arm) as the character really is just a silver-spoon, privileged mermaid. I, personally, would like to give her more credit, but even the movie tells us, she didn't do anything herself, it was all God's plan.

First let me say that even as a Christian I always approach any movie that has Christian overtones or a Christian theme with a ton of hesitation. Most are poorly produced, poorly acted and not terribly entertaining. "Soul Surfer" is NOT a Christian movie per se', but does carry within it the strong thread of the Hamilton family's faith. Fortunately it is tastefully integrated into the storyline and doesn't beat you over the head with it. The true story is, of course, one of astounding courage. If indeed the real Bethany Hamilton's reaction to her ordeal was anything close to how it is portrayed in this film, then all of us can take a huge lesson in courage and strength from this amazing young lady. The first thing my wife and I commented on to each other as we watched the sneak preview was the incredible production value. The cinematography is breathtaking. I had trouble grasping how they managed to film a lot of the in-ocean shots. The editing, pacing and use of music is first-rate. While you become immersed in the story, it's never over-wrought or 'shlocky'. The story is just told; deliberately and tastefully. Even the shark attack is quick and not drawn out. The ensuing moments of getting Bethany to the hospital are truly some of the most realistic and dramatic I have ever seen and kept me on the edge of my seat. In mentioning production values, I am still astounded by what can be accomplished by greenscreens and digital painting nowdays. Not for one single instant did I NOT believe that Anna Sophia Robb hadn't actually lost an arm. It's truly amazing what special effects can accomplish today. It was a delight to see Dennis Quaid back on screen and he and Helen Hunt had a believable chemistry not only between them, but with their on-screen family. Carrie Underwood did a surprisingly good job portraying Bethany's church mentor, Sarah Hill. Her performance was understated, low-key and she seemed quite at ease in her role. My only real qualm with "Soul Surfer" is the character portrayed by the striking Sonya Balmores Chung, Malina Burch. I'm not certain if in real life Bethany had a prototypical nemesis such as Malina, but it did seem a bit contrived, predictable and cliché', especially in the closing competition where Malina shares the trophy with Bethany. Thus my "9" rating instead of a "10". I left the theater exhausted from holding my breath and fighting back tears. I also left uplifted with a profound sense of admiration for Bethany Hamilton AND her family. I immediately wanted to see this movie again and urge every one I know to see it. Filled with stunning photography and vistas, terrific acting, great music and production values and a true story that is timeless, this movie is - to me - a must see, and probably a 'must own'. Kudos to the producers, cast, and crew, but mostly to Bethany.

When a film is based upon such a widely known story it's a real challenge for film makers to do justice to both the original story and to an audience who expect to be entertained. I feel they delivered on both counts. So, thank you. Of course, the core of the story is the terrible shark attack that happened to Bethany Hamilton. That kind of thing is universally thought to be so horrific that merely surviving at all would be a triumph of human will. But Bethany Hamilton transcended that by leaps and bounds to become an international icon for what it means to be courageous in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds. Her courage, strength, perseverance, dedication, work ethic, professionalism and just plain bare faith have become a model for success to a large number of people all over the world. She has justly earned every accolade, every compliment and every success that I feel sure she feels privileged to have received. Oh, and she's gorgeous too. With that incredible young woman's story as the fodder for the film it was a walk in the park for the film makers. All they had to do was tell the truth and let the facts speak for themselves. But that is something Hollywood has a lot of trouble doing. But this simple formula seems to be what they did, and did masterfully. The setting for the film is one of the most breathtaking on earth, so that was easy to enjoy. The cinematography was excellent as was, of course, the special CGI effects. Makeup and costuming didn't have much of a stretch, letting the beauty of the islands, its people and the athleticism, beauty and youth of the principal actors deliver what artificiality never could. The cast was well chosen with the petite AnnaSophia Robb as Bethany Hamilton and Lorraine Nicholson as Bethany's lifelong friend Alana Blanchard. Much of the story centered on these two girls so it was a lot for them to carry. I can imagine how it must have been difficult for Robb to try to give credence to a part depicting someone who is so genuinely bigger than life - even legendary. I think she did a terrific job. I was taken in by watching her nuances of emotion throughout the film. She's no rookie but this was a real challenge that she met with talent and grace. Nicholson was a perfect fit as Hamilton's friend; adding a few smiles to the tension we all certainly felt watching the story unfold. Real friendships should never be underplayed and she came across as a solid, loving friend to Bethany. Then Helen Hunt as Bethany's mother Cheri Hamilton and Dennis Quaid as her father Tom Hamilton both did outstanding work, but that's what I've come to expect from them. I think I'd be genuinely shocked if either of them ever did poorly in any role. They were ably backed by Kevin Sorbo as Alana's father Holt Blanchard and Craig T. Nelson as Dr. Rovinksy, Bethany's attending physician. All of them made the film that much better and I enjoyed every minute each was on screen. Perhaps the most interesting to me is watching Quaid. He's become quite a versatile and talented actor. Last but not least was Carrie Underwood as Sarah Hill. This is the first time I've seen her do any acting and I can say she did a terrific job. I really liked her playing the part of someone who was so important to Bethany's success and she did so with genuine warmth and friendliness. I was very well entertained as was everyone who attended the screening with me. I left the theater with the thought that I wish much success to the film - it's a masterful character tale for all young people the world over - and ever increasing success to Bethany Hamilton herself. She deserves no less. By Bruce L. Jones http://webpages.charter.net/bruce.jones1/