Soul Surfer--A Movie Review

Soul Surfer
Starring: AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, Carrie Underwood
Rating: PG

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

True passion is something that is not easily found. It usually exists in the moment and then, when another interest becomes more appealing, passion is transferred from one object to the next. Rare is it to find someone that is passionate and driven enough to let it shape their lives; most give up when the going gets tough. But Bethany Hamilton (AnnaSophia Robb) is so passionate and in love with surfing, she is going to let nothing stand in her way.

Living in Hawaii, Bethany’s life is all about the ocean. Her parents (played by Dennis Quaid) and her two brothers, Noah and Timmy, are just as much “fish” as she is. They all play a huge part in getting Bethany sponsored and on to the next level. Days are spent gauging wave charts and attending competitions. It certainly appears as if Bethany and her best friend, Alana Blanchard, are going places…until an early morning surf session turns disastrous. In a remote stretch of beach, Bethany’s left arm is bitten off by a fourteen foot tiger shark; nothing will ever be the same again.

It is a miracle that Bethany lives, but the challenge is yet to come. It takes enough strength to learn how to tie your bathing suit, cut a tomato, or even put your hair up in a pony tail….it is another matter to go back out on the waves again. Like any normal human being, Bethany has her moments of feeling sorry for herself. IN these moments, she turns to her Bible study teacher, Sarah, (Carrie Underwood), who reminds her that something good is going to come out of this. And with her family and friend’s support, Bethany is determined to surf competitively again. However, all good things take a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (and a character lesson or two) in order to reach their full potential.
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I remember reading about Bethany Hamilton’s story—she and I were both the same age and yet, our lives couldn’t be more different. She lived in Hawaii; I didn’t. She had been involved in a shark attack, survived, and yet continued to do so…..I can’t stand to even look at a shark, they give me the creeps. But I remember that I admired her passion, her tenacity, and her strength, so when I heard that they were making a movie, I wondered how it was going to be.

Bethany has said all along that her faith in Jesus Christ is what got her through that really rough time. Believe it or not, the film does not shy away from that. There was much debate when the film was being made about how much religious content was to be in the film, but the Hamilton family, Carrie Underwood, and Dennis Quaid said that the movie needed to remain true to the actual story—bible verses and all. It isn’t preachy, think of it along the lines of “The Blind Side” but only a little more “Facing the Giants”

There is absolutely no content in the film. No language, no sexual elements, you don’t even see much of the shark attack. Because it takes place in Hawaii, bikinis are the common dress code, and I know several people offended by this. You have to make the call on if you are or not. The acting is well done by AnnaSophia in particular, same with Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid. Carrie Underwood can sing, and you hear her do so in a scene, but I am the first to admit that her acting left a little to be desired.

Soul Surfer is a very inspiring movie. It made me think about how passionate I am about my interests and how I use them for God’s glory. Bethany did it right…makes me hope I can say the same.