Movie #952 "The Soul Surfer" was on my list strictly because Anna Sophia Robb was starring in it (saw her in "Way Way Back" and "Bridges of Terebithia" and wanted to see most of what she has done so far, and this title popped up. I must say, she did not disappoint. The movie was very believable dealing with the loss of her arm. And technically, it was cool to watch. I also applaud the film director for not milking the actual moment too much (although, I read that the real Bethany Hamilton pushed for that!) , and I thought the religious moments( that Bethany and her family again insisted upon) weren't intrusive to the rest of the story, either, and that was another plus. I looked at why the critics gave it only 40%, and it's that "tries to inspire but fails, too maudlin" comment that I hardly ever see in films. I like them to be inspiring, and I embrace sappiness once in a while for the cause of a good story, which this really is. The film got me thinking about how brave this young girl is, how some people are born with talent that with the help of others must get untapped just so they can survive! And the film also explored what your life might be like if something like this happens to you (god forbid!) and you lose an appendage. How you must deal with the daily tasks, how your clothes don't fit the same, and most importantly how others see you differently. At first, when she lost her arm, that's all I could do as a film viewer is to stare at it, wondering how they were doing that, wondering where her real arm went, etc. But then after a while, you get sucked back into her story, and you forget she only has one arm. I liked that about the film because isn't that what it is all about? to try to treat everyone equally, with or without an arm? I recommend the film, esp. to teens. Very inspirational! and beautiful shots of surfing in Hawaii!
Soul Surfer2011PG106 minutes I give this film 4 out of 5 stars.
From director Sean McNamara comes this inspiring film that dramatizes the real-life story of Bethany Hamilton, a Hawaiian teen who bravely returns to competitive surfing after losing her left arm in a vicious shark attack.
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