Soul Surfer (2011)
Certified: U
Duration: 106 minutes
Directed by: Sean McNamara
Starring: Anna Sophia Robb, Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, Carrie Underwood, Lorraine Nicholson, Ross Thomas, Chris Brochu, Craig T. Nelson, Kevin Sorbo, Jeremy Sumpter
KRS release

The Hamiltons are a surfing family. Bethany (Anna Sophia Robb) and her two brothers Noah and Timmy (Ross Thomas and Chris Brochu) seem to have been born on a surf board as are their parents: Tom and Cheri (Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt) who are fixated with the sport.

Bethany especially seems to be a shining star. Along with her best friend Alana Blanchard (Lorraine Nicholson), the two aspire to become professional surfers. This means conflicts and showdowns with their rival Malina Birch (Sonya Balmores).

However, Bethany’s life comes crashing when she ends up losing her left arm while practising her favourite sport. She survives the incident and wants to surf again. She is filled with self-doubt, but with the help of her family, Alana and the pastor Sarah Hill (Carrie Underwood), she not only wants to surf, but also enter competitions.

Anna Sophia Robb from Race To Witch Mountain and Bridge to Terabithia delivers a winning central performance as a teen who goes through such a trauma and has to re-learn how to do everything from combing her hair to surfing. She is the film’s backbone and it’s thanks to her that this film strikes some innings with the audience. Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt know they are there to remain part of the background and they simply have to grin and bear it.

Director Sean McNamara takes a real life story brimming with inspiration and only manages to skim the bare surface of the story. The film gives us a peek into the importance of sport: both as a uniting factor and as a pyshological and physical aid for people who go through such life-altering experiences. It delves into how sport goes beyond being a mere hobby or a pastime, but rather becomes a way of life.

Bethany’s fight to be able to surf once again and compete is not just a tale of courage but also of the will to live. The problem is the film never really shows the pain of what it meant for the real Bethany to pluck up the courage to step back into the water.

Bethany loses her arm through a shark attack – the incident is brought to the screen with a suddenness that makes it even more real. This amplifies the dimension in which the teen’s courage and determination should be viewed. The camerawork in its simplicity is more effective than some of the weighty lines that the characters have to utter or the Hawaiian mystical songs and the other pop tunes of the soundtrack.

The water and surf scenes are simply spectacular. Use is made of computer-generated imagery to make these even more thrilling. John R. Leonetti’s camerawork is at best when water is in the frame, which is most of the time.

While overtly melodramatic, Soul Surfer has an overall winning attitude that along with Ms Robb’s performance keeps the film surfing along.

This is a film with a message that resembles a modern day parable but is delivered in too heavy-handed a manner.

The end credits show footage of the real Bethany and she comes across as a very inspiring youth.

A documentary made up of footage of her with interviews would probably have delivered the message even better.