Soul Surfer (MPAA rated PG)

Review:

Soul Surfer is based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton, the young surfer who had her arm bitten off by a tiger shark when she was 13,  just as her professional surfing career was looking to take off.  Instead of letting the accident control her future, she rebounded with amazing strength and grace to work her way back into the pro circuit. 

This movie was just as amazing as the story itself.  Bethany is played with a phenomenal intensity by AnnaSophia Robb, who does a fantastic job portraying a strong young woman doing her best to recover what was taken from her.  Her parents, Tom and Cheri Hamilton, were lovingly played by Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt, who gave us beautiful glimpses into the fun, loving, and faithful Hamilton family dynamic.  Kevin Sorbo takes the role of Holt Blanchard, a family friend who was the man responsible for getting Bethany out of the water after the shark attack, and is credited with being the one to save her life. All of these talents, combined with am inspiring story to tell, and a great screenwriter, came together to create an absolute vision.

The movie begins with following Bethany through her daily life, full of happiness, family, friends, church, and, of course, surfing.  It gives us a good, solid understanding of Bethany before the life-changing accident.  Though there is a little bit of suspense, the director giving us lots of "Jaws" shots from under the water as people float along the surface of the waves,  it doesn't go overboard into the realm of "oops, did I mistakenly step into a horror flick?".  The accident itself isn't overdone,  merely shown how I'd imagine it occurred: quick and shocking. 

After a week in the hospital, all Bethany can think of is getting back into the water, and she works hard to heal and to gain strength in order to accomplish this.  With the help of her family and her friends and her youth group leader Sara (played by Carrie Underwood), she gets back up and into the water, entering a competition less than a month after the attack occurred.  When the competition doesn't go well, a despondant and confused Bethany decides to stop surfing, trying to figure out who she is supposed to be if she can't be who she wants to be.

After joining Sara on a trip to help the 2004 Thailand tsunami victims, and in seeing the suffering there, she learns that sometimes surfing isn't the most important thing. 

The trip gives her the courage to continue on, and fight to be the best person that she can be, no matter how much she may have lost. 

I really can't express how much this movie moved me.    There is such a loving, gentle touch to the writing, the acting, and even the locations.  I haven't walked out of a movie feeling this inspired in many years.  I especially love how they portrayed the amazing faith of the whole Hamilton family, and how important their beliefs were in helping with Bethany's rehabilitation.  The touch on religion was important, but not heavy-handed or overdone.  The entire film had a dignity to it that has been so sadly lacking in many movies nowadays.

I give Soul Surfer a SOLID 5 stars out of 5.....and I wish there were a 6th!
*****(*) 

For the Moms:

The only part of this movie that I would warn about would be the shark attack itself.  It is really fast, and done as gently as possible, but it is pretty striking.  It  may be difficult for smaller kids to watch.  There is no gushing blood, or over-filming of the damage on her arm, but the actors are all vastly talented, and the scene is heart-rending.

Girls will like this movie because it is the ultimate girl-power movie, made even cooler because it is true.  The graceful triumph of Bethany Hamilton through all of her obstacles is absolutely wonderful, and shows us how strong girls can be!

Boys will like this movie because it is VERY cool!  There are multitudes of very good surfing scenes, and the family is funny and playful with one another.  They can also see how awesome girls are!

Topics of Discussion:

In the movie, Bethany makes an effort to make sure that the people around her are okay after she has been bitten.  Why does she do this? How do you think worrying about others may have helped her in her own recovery?

Why does Alana not want to see Bethany right after the accident?  Is she right or wrong to react this way?  How do you think you would react in Alana's place?

While working towards getting back into the water, Bethany's father tells her it isn't going to be easy.  Bethany's response is "I never asked for easy, I'm only asking for possible."  What does this say about Bethany?  How can we use this question in our lives to make them better?

How does Bethanys trip to Thailand help her?  How do you feel when you serve others?  Do you think that service is a good way to make your own life better? If so, how?

When Bethany is attacked, her friends know what to do to help her, and stay calm.  How would being prepared for something like this help you even if this never happens to you?

How important is faith to Bethany?  How did their faith give the family the strength to move forward after the accident?  Do you have faith in something that gives you that strength?  How does the faith help you in your life?