soul surfer ( film )
a film about her life, entitled soul surfer, will start production in january .
overall, soul surfer manages to entertain while delivering its powerful christian message, propelling soul surfer to the ranks of other powerful christian films like fireproof .
film based on the true story of teen surfer bethany hamilton will be company' s first film .
based on the bethany' s soul surfer autobiography and interviews with the family .
“soul surfer” is the latest film trying to tread the thin line between appealing and pandering to a faith - based audience .
bethany hamilton on the soul surfer set surfer bethany hamilton talks about her extensive involvement on the soul surfer movie set and what it' s like having the real story of her life condensed into an hour and a half .
soul surfer has the girl lose her arm while dolphin tale has the dolphin lose her tail .
' jaws meets job': dennis quaid, helen hunt and annasophia robb in soul surfer .
doctors were not convinced she could recapture her championship form, but she was determined, and now the film soul surfer tells her story .
if you want to answer the questions ,
who starred in the movie soul surfer ?
and
what is the full cast list of soul surfer ?
then this page has got you covered .
this cast list of who was in soul surfer includes both lead and minor roles. (61 items )
soul surfer opens in u. s. theaters on friday, april 8, 2011. view the trailer below :
soul surfer cast list, listed alphabetically with photos when available. this list of soul surfer actors includes any soul surfer actresses and all other actors from the film. you can view additional information about each soul surfer actor on this list, such as when and where they were born. to find out more about a particular actor or actress, click on their name and you' ll be taken to page with even more details about their acting career. the cast members of soul surfer have been in many other movies, so use this list as a starting point to find actors or actresses that you may not be familiar with .
dennis quaid, helen hunt, and annasophia robb, from left, in sean mcnamara' s
soul surfer .
which is what happens in soul surfer, a true story of courage, determination and guts that deserves a more exciting approach. no doubt, the film will reach its target faith - based audience but a wider audience may elude the tristar release. however, if the film’s real - life heroine, bethany hamilton, promotes the film with enough personal appearances, soul surfer may break through to general audiences .
soul surfer is a drama based on the true story of a teenage girl who lost an arm in a shark attack but who went on to realise her dream of becoming a professional surfer .
in september 2010, tristar pictures partnered with upstart company filmdistrict to release soul surfer. filmdistrict' s original commitment was to show soul surfer in 300 theaters, but when executives viewed the final product, they committed to releasing the film in 2, 000 theaters and investing $ 26 million in advertising for the movie .
hit the jump to check out the first image from the movie. soul surfer is slated to open on april 15, 2011 .
director sean mcnamara will be at tower city cinemas today to show the film as the curtain drops on the 35th cleveland international film festival .
soul surfer
is the closing - night film and will be followed by a reception in tower city center. it also opens in theaters nationwide on friday .
based on the true story of professional surfer bethany hamilton, who undergoes massive physical and emotional trauma after suffering from a shark attack, soul surfer is an unapologetic christian film that has the capacity to hold the attention of its moviegoers from beginning to end .
heart of a soul surfer trailer (documentary) watch the heart of a soul surfer movie trailer for the documentary that tells the true story of the real bethany hamilton who lost her arm during a shark attack in 2003. purchase the documentary in the column on the right .
, soul surfer will go out as a wide release via tristar pictures with a broad - based and integrated marketing campaign managed by filmdistrict .
sony pictures has released the first image from the upcoming sports drama soul surfer. the film tells “the true story of competitive teen surfer bethany hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, inspiring millions worldwide through her sheer determination and unwavering faith. ” soul surfer stars dennis quaid, helen hunt, annasophia robb, and carrie underwood .
a “soul surfer” is a person who surfs for the sheer pleasure of it. stunning and compelling documentaries such as dana brown’s 2003 step into liquid, about soul surfer laird hamilton (no relation to bethany), renewed the profile of surfing, raising it to an art form .
the upcoming film “soul surfer, ” slated for release in april, is based on the true story of spirited teen surfer bethany hamilton, who lost her arm in a 2003 shark attack, but courageously returned to her board and become a champion again months later .
but look hard enough and you can still find the odd gem. like soul surfer, for example. on a normal week, the trailer for soul surfer would have been dismissed out of hand. but it actually turns out that soul surfer has the potential to be one of this year' s best films. on the basis of its trailer, it contains something for everyone. let' s comb through it for proof .
bethany’s story hit the silver screen on april 8, 2011 as the feature motion picture “ soul surfer ” starring annasophia robb. the film quickly became the # 1 grossing live action surfing film at the box office and was applauded with several accolades and top ratings .
soul surfer
is the inspiring true story of teen surfer bethany hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith .
the first film to be released under the new deal between filmdistrict and sony pictures, soul surfer will go out as a wide release via tristar pictures with a broad - based and integrated marketing campaign managed by filmdistrict .
hamilton' s faith is a key part of her story. (the youth - group leader of her church is played in
soul surfer
by singing star carrie underwood, in her feature - film debut. )
amazingly, the cast and crew of soul surfer met with the real - life bethany hamilton numerous times throughout the making of the film, and have described her passion and faith as inspiring and contagious. knowing that those performing in the film share the very same faith that the film delivers adds greater value to the overall production, at least to this reviewer .
three years later, bethany and filmmaker becky baumgartner produced a documentary entitled “ heart of a soul surfer, ” which revealed bethany’s heart and perspective behind her story .
4) and don' t worry if you' re not into sexy girls in bikinis either, because soul surfer also has a great scene where a bunch of dimwitted boys in big shorts all hoot and bellow at each other while being topless on the beach. yet more evidence that soul surfer has gone the extra mile to please everyone .
soul surfer is the true story of teen surfer bethany hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith. the official version from urltoken on march 13, 2011
what is so impressive about soul surfer is its ability to reach a variety of audiences. the film can be characterized as an underdog sports story, only one that somehow manages to avoid the massive clichés that typically encompass films of that nature. so much more than the average sports story, however, soul surfer is truly about the kind of courage and fortitude that is not typically demanded from athletes, even among professional ones .
soul surfer is the inspiring true story of teen surfer bethany hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through the love of her family, her sheer determination and unwavering faith. the film features an all - star cast, including annasophia robb and helen hunt, with carrie underwood in her film debut, and dennis quaid. directed by sean mcnamara, the screenplay was by mcnamara, deborah schwartz. douglas schwartz and michael berk. soul surfer is based on the book by bethany hamilton, sheryl berk and rick bundschuh. the screen story by sean mcnamara, deborah schwartz, douglas schwartz, michael berk, matt r. allen, caleb wilson and brad gann. soul surfer opens everywhere, april 8th
soul surfer mirrors bethany hamilton’s life, one full of passion for people and god. bethany' s eldest brother, noah hamilton (who is also a producer on the movie) and the rest of the family fought to keep faith in the film .
2) if you like classic surfing movies like point break and blue crush and surf' s up and matthew mcconaughey' s surfer, dude, then you' ll also love soul surfer. because, as you can see, it also has some surfing in it .
last week i attended a pre - screening of soul surfer, the feature film about kauai surfer bethany hamilton, which opens in theatres nationwide on friday, and it elicited in me two diametrically opposed sets of emotions. first, there was the important group of feelings: the set that celebrates bethany hamilton as a beacon of inspiration and triumph in the face of adversity. the second (and exponentially subordinate) set of emotions i suppose any surfer shoulders was an obligation to dissect the film’s continuity as it relates to surfing .
thomas' first role was as the titular character in the 2005 critically acclaimed film what' s bugging seth and, later that year, he starred in the independent dark comedy sissy frenchfry, which was also a film festival winner. this was followed by starring roles in the cutting edge 2: going for the gold, in which he performed many of his stunts, american pie: the naked mile, the award - winning independent film shelter, dance flick, burning palms, and the 2011 film soul surfer .
yes. the soul surfer real story reveals that he did call 911 for an ambulance but did not call her mother as depicted in the soul surfer movie. jeff waba, a family friend who had been at tunnels that morning, called her mom and informed her of the shark attack. a short while later, holt called cheri to tell her the extent of bethany' s injury. -
other movie acting nominees (alpha order): robert amaya (courageous), justin bieber (justin bieber: never say never), jim carrey (mr. popper’s penguins), jessica chastain (the tree of life), sam claflin (pirates of the caribbean: on stranger tides), viola davis (the help), robert duvall (seven days in utopia), nathan gamble (25 hill), anthony hopkins (the rite), dennis quaid (soul surfer), martin sheen (the way), annasophia robb (soul surfer), kevin sorbo (soul surfer) .
russell crowe in the film
noah .
( niko tavernise / paramount pictures )
hollywood, may 8, 2013 (globe newswire) - - stereo vision entertainment inc. (otc: svsn) announced today that' baywatch' creator and' soul surfer' writer michael berk will produce their 3d sci fi feature film and 3d video games series' aubrey blaze' .
» according to boxofficemojo. com, the top five “family faith based genre” films of all time are: narnia franchise (3 films), “passion of the christ”, “soul surfer”, “fireproof” and “courageous” .
impressed with the quality of the final product, tristar pictures greenlighted soul surfer to be released in 2, 000 theaters instead of the original 300 the distributor had planned. opening on 8 april 2011, the film was a box office success, earning over $ 43, 000, 000 domestically .
hugo was picked the best movie for families and captain america: the first avenger won the faith & freedom award for promoting american values, but soul surfer took home a best in show award for family movies .
bethany hamilton' s opinion of the movie bethany hamilton and friend alana blanchard share their thoughts on the soul surfer movie, including what it was like hanging out with their onscreen counterparts annasophia robb and lorraine nicholson .
“soul surfer embodies an absolutely amazing story, wonderfully told by the filmmakers, and we’re thrilled to play a part in bringing this story to audiences this spring, ” says bersch, president, sony pictures worldwide acquisitions .
overall, hamilton hopes the film will give people a new perspective on her life. “a lot of people see me as soul surfer or that shark - attack victim, so this is kind of creating a new view for people to see, and hopefully they will be encouraged in their own journeys. ”
the inspiring true story of surfer girl bethany hamilton' s courage and faith after a shark attack .
based on the true story of teen surfer bethany hamilton, the film earned a solid $ 11. 1 million, scoring the best per - theater average ($ 5, 014) of any new wide release. while those sales might pale in comparison to the success of the comparable inspirational sports drama “the blind side” (which earned $ 34. 1 million), the film exceeded expectations. and like last year’s “secretariat, ” “soul surfer” is poised to go the distance in the marketplace .
an inspiring true - life story gets a less - than - inspired film dramatization. twitter
like in the movie, the soul surfer true story confirms that bethany was 13 - years - old on friday, october 31, 2003, when the shark attack occurred at tunnels beach on the north shore of kauai .
yes. as confirmed during our research into the soul surfer true story, the family attends the north shore christian church, which holds outdoor services in a tent. youth counselor sarah hill currently works for this church. -
new york, november 1, 2010 – soul surfer is the true story of competitive teen surfer bethany hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, inspiring millions worldwide through her sheer determination and unwavering faith. coming to theaters nationwide on april 15, 2011, this exciting feature film stars dennis quaid, helen hunt, annasophia robb, and carrie underwood in her film debut. the cast also includes lorraine nicholson, kevin sorbo and jeremy sumpter .
new york, november 1, 2010 – soul surfer is the true story of competitive teen surfer bethany hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, inspiring millions worldwide through her sheer determination and unwavering faith. coming to theaters nationwide on april 15, 2011, this exciting feature film stars dennis quaid, helen hunt, annasophia robb, and carrie underwood in her film debut. the cast also includes lorraine nicholson, kevin sorbo and jeremy sumpter .
. highlights include interviews with bethany shortly after the shark attack, bethany hanging out with the real alana blanchard, video from the set of the soul surfer movie, and her opinion of her onscreen counterpart, actress annasophia robb .
are shown, many of similar (or possibly the inspiration for) moments in the film .
“i came away really interested in using film to explore faith, ” mr. belin said .
a lot has changed for bethany hamilton since the last time her story was told on the big screen in 2011’s soul surfer — but fortunately for her fans, an upcoming documentary is filling in the pieces while reexamining her incredible past .
tom hamilton prayed for the best but expected the worst. he and his family, all devoted christians, thought they had lost their bid to keep an overt reference to the bible in the upcoming film soul surfer, based on the true story of hamilton’s daughter bethany, who, at age 13, had her arm chewed off by a tiger shark in kauai but returned to her board to pursue her dream of becoming a pro surfer .
promotional efforts for “hidden figures” included a free concert by pharrell williams at the toronto international film festival in september. the film has no obvious religious method, but some pastors endorse its inspirational message .
• soul surfer (spring 2011; sean mcnamara films / affirm films / sony pictures). dennis quaid, helen hunt, annasophia robb and carrie underwood star. a teen loses her arm in a shark attack but returns to surfing .
the film was directed by sean mcnamara from a screenplay by mcnamara, michael berk, douglas schwartz, and deborah bonann schwartz, with additional writing by ron bass, jen smolka and kara holden, and is based on bethany hamilton’s memoir “soul surfer: a true story of faith, family and fighting to get back on the board. ”
asked how she sees herself now, she replied :
a happy, little, famous surfer girl .
a shark attacks a young surfer. it happens quickly but ferociously, with lots of blood and some gore .
“to me the phrase ‘soul surfer’ is about finding your path, your walk with god – or your surf with god – and making the best of the ride, ” she said. “in the end, that is the most important. ”
with the headline: film review; a teen - ager who' s clear on her priorities .
biographical dramas about jazz musicians released at film festivals in 2015 and then to wide audiences in 2016 .
7) this is also the perfect film for fans of interminable scenes of bleak adolescent post - traumatic despair. there' s plenty of those in soul surfer too. so it' s good for misery fans, but even better for those who like their bleak post - traumatic despair intercut with scenes of dennis quaid whooping with his top off .
when a tiger shark attacked surfer bethany hamilton on a morning jaunt nearly eight years ago, she lost an arm as well as an estimated 60 percent of her blood. remarkably, she survived. the recently released film
soul surfer ,
based on the real - life story of a teenage surfer who had her arm bitten off by a shark, is hoping to attract a young female audience. the movie, which is being distributed by sony pictures’ tristar label and marketed by the studio' s faith - based division affirm films and filmdistrict, was made for $ 18 million .
1) if you like sexy girls in bikinis – albeit sexy girls in bikinis who unfortunately appear to be caught in a perpetual state of mid - blink – who are surrounded by other sexy girls in bikinis, then you' ll love soul surfer .
3) here' s the real money shot, though – dennis quaid whooping with his top off, helen hunt in a nice hat and a younger man who, while clearly trying his hardest to imitate dennis quaid, obviously isn' t dennis quaid. if you like any of those three things, then soul surfer is definitely the film for you .
does bethany hamilton wish the shark attack never happened? a 21 - year - old bethany hamilton is interviewed in 2011 just prior to the release of the soul surfer movie. she discusses whether she wishes the attack never happened. her answer surprises the interviewer .
the best faith - based film ever made, an uplifting, entertaining and wonderfully - acted account of surfer bethany hamilton' s life before and after a shark bit her arm off in the waters off her favorite hawaiian beach .
a month later, she was able to stand up. six months later, she competed in the junior surfing nationals. the following year, she took first place. the remarkable story of how she lived, let alone got back on a surfboard, is the subject of
soul surfer ,
the new film starring annasophia robb, dennis quaid and helen hunt .
before all this happened, hamilton says she would have been comfortable being described as a
happy little surfer girl .
seldom do people actually get their wish of having a hollywood actor portray them on the big screen. in the case of casting soul surfer, the production team needed to find a young actress who could carry the story while staying true to bethany’s passion for the water and love for god. cheri hamilton, bethany’s surfer mom, had a casting epiphany as she watched bridge to terabithia .
soul surfer is the inspiring true story of teen surfer bethany hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith. the film features an all - star cast, including annasophia robb and helen hunt, with carrie underwood in her film debut, and dennis quaid. in the wake of this life - changing event that took her arm and nearly her life, bethany' s feisty determination and steadfast beliefs spur her toward an adventurous comeback that gives her the grit to turn her loss into a gift for others .
soul surfer’s greatest attribute by far is its focus on christian and moral worldviews. throughout the film, god is praised through song, words, and actions, and it is bethany’s deep faith in jesus christ that ultimately sustains her throughout her ordeal. the film does not attempt to mask this deep - rooted faith either. in fact, soul surfer opens with upbeat gospel music being performed in a tent on the beach. likewise, when bethany is rushed to the hospital immediately following the shark attack, all of her loved ones are shown praying for her survival. and the moment in which bethany decides to embark on her life - changing mission trip to thailand, bethany had been grappling with a biblical passage that says god’s followers gain strength through him .
today marks round one of the hockey wilderness best hockey film tournament. we’ve got 12 competitors for the title .
as for her future as a surfer, hamilton said :
i think it doesn' t matter if you are the best surfer in the world. i' m going to try to be the best surfer i can be. it' s not all about competing and being the best. it' s more about having fun and just doing what you love .
i have watched a lot of surfing movies over the years but nothing as captivating as soul surfer. the acting is terrific but the locales make you want to move to hawaii. in most sports based movies you expect the star of the film to win. it is sort of a given. however, this movie expertly sets the viewer up for another kind of win. not just a trophy or a magazine cover but a win that takes the viewer done the road in his or her personal struggles. there is a lot of talk about faith based film but this film isn' t really about faith it is about how to get up when you are down and make a difference. i have always been a big fan of dennis quaid and helen hunt especially her performance in castaway with tom hanks but she plays the mom in this film with perfection and although i never though of dennis as a surfer like patrick swayze he does his part as the girls father and couch perfectly. i went to the film expecting something good but i came away from the film having experienced something great .
soul surfer is the kind of film you want your kids to see. it is bursting with heart, inspiration and positivity, and it evokes a message about faith (not necessarily the religious kind) that anyone - child or adult - would be wise to heed. that the film is also based on a true story should lend more credence to the value of its ideals. by the end, when we see footage of the real - life individuals, some of us may be brought to tears .
but soul surfer is a much bigger bet. the poster and the trailer of the movie pitch it as an inspirational sports story for the masses — which it definitely is. but there’s no hint of the christian faith that bethany says was crucial to her recovery and athletic comeback .
as we have mentioned before, true stories should be among the best of christian movies. whether viewers or creators realize it or not, audiences everywhere connect better with a movie that’s about real people like them who experience real stuff. but after experiencing soul surfer, the audience doesn’t really learn anything else about bethany hamilton except that she surfed and stuff. this is no discredit to her as a person, since she is likely a nicer person than we are. but we remain opinionated as always: while still an average movie, soul surfer disappoints expectations .
last october, hamilton released a biography titled
soul surfer .
a movie based on the book starts filming this year. she won the 2004 espy award from espn for best comeback athlete, and janet jackson presented her with a special courage award at the 2004 teen choice awards .
for many in the surfing world, the term “soul surfer” (coined in the 1960s) often refers to someone who doesn’t compete, who surfs simply for the pleasure of surfing. bethany’s dad suggested the term as the title for her book many years ago, and the name stuck .
» “to me the phrase ‘soul surfer’ is about finding your path, your walk with god – or your surf with god – and making the best of the ride, ” she said. “in the end, that is the most important. ” – carrie underwood (plays “sarah” )
annasophia robb, dennis quaid and helen hunt star in director sean mcnamara' s idealized take on one - armed surfer bethany hamilton .
soul surfer is the inspiring true story of teen surfer bethany hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith. the film features an all - star cast, including annasophia robb and helen hunt, with carrie underwood in her film debut, and dennis quaid. in the wake of this life - changing event that took her arm and nearly her life, bethany' s feisty determination and steadfast beliefs spur her toward an adventurous comeback that gives her the grit to turn her loss into a gift for others. © 2011 enticing entertainment llc. all rights reserved .
while she enjoyed the dramatized version of her story in soul surfer, starring annasophia robb as hamilton and helen hunt as her mom, hamilton says the documentary “will be a really cool way for people to see a deeper look at my life and the journey i’ve been through, especially the success i’ve had as a professional surfer, and as a mom and in life — and doing it all at the same time. ”
urltoken - become a fan! urltoken - follow us! soul surfer hits theaters on april 8th, 2011. cast: annasophia robb, dennis quaid, carrie underwood, helen hunt, lorraine nicholson, sean brosnan, kevin sorbo, chris brochu, jeremy sumpter a biopic centers on the surf icon (robb) who defied all odds to compete and win professional championships after losing her arm in a shark attack at age 13. quaid and hunt play hamilton' s parents, and underwood has taken on the role of a church youth leader. soul surfer trailer courtesy tristar pictures .
6) oh, and you' ll also love soul surfer if you can' t get enough of harrowing sequences where young girls are rushed to hospital for an emergency arm amputation following a vicious shark attack. because that happens. but, hey, who doesn' t love that ?
religious leaders screened soul surfer before it was released commercially. the hamilton family protested when executives at mandalay pictures tried to reduce the film' s religious content by digitally removing
holy bible
from the book tom is reading from in the hospital at bethany' s bedside. additionally, the hamiltons wanted it to be known which verse of scripture sarah hill is quoting from when she reads jeremiah 29: 11 .
for me soul surfing is just being passionate about the ocean and surfing. that’s what i am. i’m passionate about being out there and enjoying god’s creation .
sign up: stay on top of the latest breaking film and tv news! sign up for our email newsletters here .
a trailer came out in august. in september, fox staged a publicity stunt at the toronto international film festival, showing 20 minutes of the film followed by a free concert by pharrell williams, who contributed to the score. another trailer followed. ads popped up on tv, billboards, bus shelters, websites. fox, which is releasing the film in 15 cities on christmas day, also lined up a partnership with pepsi and has backed the film with a robust oscar campaign .
“i’m super excited, it’s coming together amazingly, ” hamilton tells people of the film. “we’ve been working on it for the last three or four years, and it’s a raw, real version of my life story, highlighting my surfing career and all the different obstacles that i’ve overcome. i think soul surfer did an amazing job but i think this will be a very different version and it’s actually me. ”
hannah cornett, surfer, triathlete and model, arrives at the 2011 espy awards in los angeles, california, july 13, 2011 .
teenage surfer bethany hamilton overcomes the odds and her own fears of returning to the water after losing her left arm in a shark attack .
most teenagers would give up after a shark attack. but not bethany hamilton she persists on after the shark attack she soon five years later she is a professional surfer and a world surfer champion. thanks to her best friend alana blencha and her faith in god and her family
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans. it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
jim caviezelplayedjesus christ in mel gibson' s 2003 film
the passion of the christ .
( philippe antonello / ap )
nunally johnson immediately bought up the film rights to eve in response to the the bird' s nest' s 1954 success .
one is a french film loosely inspired by her story, while the other is a direct biopic from britain starring meryl streep .
her story has certainly been told repeatedly, including an autobiography and an earlier short doc, heart of a soul surfer, made by her sister - in - law. a lifelong surfer born to a family of hawaiian surfers, she lost her left arm in a 2003 shark attack when she was 13. she returned to surfing a mere month after her harrowing ordeal and continues to compete in contests today, having perfected a one - armed surfing technique .
“putting a movie together is a long and arduous process that consists of many decisions, big and small, made by many people from development through the film’s release. as people who collectively have been involved in making movies for many decades, we are not looking to engage in discussions about the process of the intricate decisions that go into the filmmaking process, but rather have the film judged by what appears on the screen, ” the studio said. “mandalay is extremely proud of ‘soul surfer, ’ and we are excited to share this beautiful and inspiring story with the audience. ”
a teenage surfer from hawaii who lost her left arm in a shark attack made a splash in cornwall when she visited the county to go surfing .
three - time world champion surfer andy irons, who' s been watching hamilton since she was 6, says he' s amazed by her .
as a film, soul surfer borders on cheese. it is so pure and innocent that we sometimes ask ourselves if it’s for real. but then, why can’t it be for real? have we become so cynical we can’t believe loving, church - going families like the hamiltons actually exist? most hollywood movies smother us with conflict and misanthropy but here is one that tries to charm us with optimism. perhaps it does go overboard with its high spirits, cheerfulness and hopeful dialogue, but such exaggeration could be a good thing for the film’s target audience, which is mostly families .
as a critic, i can’t say soul surfer is especially well made. it breathes the same air as a made - for - television drama, only with a bigger budget. but its inherent story makes it worth recommending. i think a documentary would have serviced the material better, evidenced by the engaging home video footage we see at the end, but if giving this story the hollywood treatment inspires kids and adults to be better people, it’s worth it. after seeing soul surfer, viewers are bound to look at the world in a more positive light and bethany is right when she says she embraces us. by the end, we feel it .
soul surfer debuted on april 8, 2011 in 2, 214 theaters across the united states and canada. it ranked fourth at the box office on its opening weekend, grossing $ 10. 6 million. according to sony pictures' statistics, 80% of the audience was female, and 56% were under 25 years old .
on land though, the film suffers from the hollywood - itis those sportswriter so frequently invoke. a fictional villain is created in a rival surfer, played by a perennially scowling sonya balmores, who ridicules and cheats bethany at every opportunity. the film uses a 2004 humanitarian aid trip to thailand by bethany following the devastating tsunami to give its heroine a sentimental shot in the arm to further motivate her to return to competitive surfing .
you wonder why this movie isn' t a documentary, rather than a synthetic feature film with the heroine' s arm digitally removed .
although i may be a sucker for heartfelt true stories, this film truly represents the courage and inspiration that bethany hamilton had not only on her peers, but her inspiration across the entire nation. annasophia robb was a perfect choice as the lead star and the entire cast holds their own as well. this film definitely is filled with hollywood cheese and some of the dialogue might be pretty corny at times, but the story is told so beautifully that the cheesy lines actually sent chills down my spine. the acting may be average, but why does such a moving story need amazing acting, it hides everything and makes you love all the characters. soul surfer is an extremely powerful story and i would really like to call it a great film, but it is not quite that high, because the film revolves around the shark that bit off her arm, which was done kind of poorly in my opinion and nobody reacted the way they were supposed to. overall, this film is very good and i was moved !
127 hours was nominated for six oscars (including best picture and best actor for james franco), and several other awards, but only obtained a modest profit thanks to fox' s mismanagement of the movie. soul surfer, on the other hand, received mixed reception from critics. additionally, while surfer earned much more than hours in the united states, it was invisible outside the states, resulting in a lower international box office than hours. hours is the victor in this one .
in 2004, bethany hamilton published her autobiography “ soul surfer: a true story of faith, family, and fighting to get back on the board, ” in which she tells the moving story of her triumphant return to competitive surfing. the book has since become a # 1 new york times bestseller and continues to inspire readers worldwide .
no. the soul surfer true story reveals that malina birch is a fictional character. she was used to depict a variety of competitors bethany had encountered in her life. actress sonya balmores chung, who played malina, is not only friends with the real bethany hamilton but is also known for being first runner up in miss teen usa 2004 .
from watching hamilton (played by angelic tween annasophia robb) endure the psychological and physical struggle of re - learning to slice an orange (she uses her feet to stabilize the fruit) to choking up as she catches her first wave with her family since the shark attack, her story is unquestionably moving. the guy sitting next to me, who reeked of whiskey and cigarettes (at a soul surfer premiere? c’mon man !), was wiping away tears the whole way through, which is why soul surfer might become the most successful surf film ever made: it’s universally inspiring, and it sticks to an uncomplicated message of resilience and courage (using blonds in bikinis and a katy perry soundtrack shouldn’t hurt either). it’s also based on a true story, which magnifies any allure the ocean already possesses over the uninitiated .
according to hamilton, director sean mcnamara also was integral in keeping faith a focus of the film, as it is in bethany’s personal life .
the promise was financed by the late kirk kerkorian, who wanted to finally make a hollywood film about the armenian genocide; the ottoman lieutenant was financed by the son of turkey' s president erdogan and is seen by many as a film made to counter the promise with genocide denial .
the film was independently financed by enticing entertainment and island film group, and is a production of mandalay vision, brookwell mcnamara entertainment and life’s a beach entertainment. north american and substantial international rights were acquired prior to the commencement of production by the affirm films division of sony pictures worldwide acquisitions .
the dust - up over soul surfer illuminates hollywood’s increasingly awkward dance with the faith - based community. after years of neglecting religious audiences, studios now know that appealing to the christian - values set while also bringing in more secular crowds can lead to an across - the - board blockbuster like blind side (domestic box office: $ 256 million) .
i like how the rottentomatoes consensus put it :
there' s an amazing true story at the heart of soul surfer - - and unfortunately, it' s drowned by waves of hollywood cheese .
yup, with material like this, it' s hard to go wrong, but boy, it was freaking cheesy. i found myself cringing a lot at the laughably and poorly written dialogue, the mediocre acting (sorry carrie underwood, you' re a devout christian and an excellent musician, which is all very inspiring, but acting ain' t your thing), and the poor execution in storytelling .
what' s up, disney channel ?
as a christian, i find myself cringing at the attempt to make an inspiring christian - themed movie, but surprisingly ,
soul surfer
as a christian movie, wasn' t that bad compared to the many other christian movies. let me tell you, there are some horrifyingly, awful christian movies out there. you' ll be pleasantly welcomed by the b - movie feel
soul surfer
has. it' s not preachy or pretentious; deep down, there' s a lot of purity and heart injected into this movie. there' s a particular scene involving the bethany, the main protagonist, that effectively agitates the audience' s emotions, all without a word being said. even the message was good - hearted, pure, and a relief, especially among a movie industry filled with dark and unsettling themes. surprisingly ,
soul surfer
as a christian movie, manages to catch a couple of waves, but that' s where it ends. the movie suffers from horrible pacing issues, mainly due to the fact that the incident that occurs, and the result afterwards are the only solid material
soul surfer
has for its narrative. the spaces in between are nothing more than fillers, and what dull fillers they are. the editing is sporadically all over the place, and the dialogue makes me shudder. phew, this is one big cheeseball. nevertheless, it' s a good movie for children and is a surprisingly effective christian - themed film - - just don' t take your film critique crew to watch this. there is an amazing true story at the heart of soul surfer - - and unfortunately, it' s drowned by waves of hollywood cheese... to the max .
director cary fukunaga’s eventempered film gently turns the spotlight onto jane; after all, it is her story. jamie bell, who danced his soul out in 2000’s billy elliott, is excellent as the unbending young minister. i was moved at the end, but i will not tell you why. you have to see it for yourself .
as in the soul surfer true story movie, in january 2004 she placed fifth in the open women' s divison of the nssa regional competition. a year later, in 2005, she won her first national title by placing first in the explorer women' s division of the 2005 nssa national championships. she went pro in 2007 and still competes today .
however, it appears as though the uplifting story hit a sour note with the film' s producers where the family' s christianity was concerned .
based on a great true story of bethany hamilton, whom we maintain is an excellent christian role model, soul surfer falls short of capturing the depth and meaning of the true story. realistic events obviously happen throughout, but we cannot help but think this movie would have been less realistic were it not bound by real life events. in the midst of hawaiian beaches, surfing lingo, wave scenery, and surfing competitions, the characters are left shallow and wooden. the audience cannot connect with them as real people—they are just characters that are swept along by the plot. dialogue is stiff and procedural, leaving much to be desired. the plot ebbs and flows, sometimes hitting high points and missing them other times. the christian message is vague at first, then becomes very clear and meaningful, and then fades away again. the ending is interesting enough, but it just ends up washing away like the tide (pun intended). the audience is left thinking that they should like the movie because it’s a christian movie based on a true story, but soul surfer is actually quite forgettable and disappointing. true stories are usually undiscovered treasures when it comes to the big screen, but soul surfer is just another average film .
to be honest, soul surfer gets off to an iffy start, full of cheesy shots of beachy fun in the sun. the characters, especially bethany' s parents, seem one - dimensional and unrealistically saintly; they just don’t seem real. but the minute tragedy strikes - - and does it ever - - the movie finds its footing. it roots its way into your conscience with its determined (but not pushy) message about digging into your soul - - could that be the reason for the title? - - for the wherewithal to continue .
while the pg - rated flick was bound to include a few clichés, i honestly think soul surfer did an admirable job honoring a young professional surfer’s unlikely story. aside from the fact that there are enough rip curl logos to fill a decade’s worth of catalogs (a rip curl rash guard actually saves bethany’s life: the ultimate case of product placement or meticulous attention to accuracy? you decide…) and the film portrays the hamilton family’s relationship with the ocean (and each other) with disneyish simplicity, its realism should satisfy the target demographic. more important, it provides a window into some of the intimate moments of bethany’s recovery from the shark attack of oct. 31, 2003 .
hours, from danny boyle, focuses on aron ralston, a hiker who is forced to cut off his own arm to save himself after five days of having his arm trapped by a boulder. surfer, from sean mcnamara (the director of bratz), focuses on bethany hamilton, an evangelical christian surfer who loses an arm from a shark attack. the main difference between these two films is their intended audience: while hours aims for a secular / mainstream audience, surfer is intended for the christian market .
9) if you' re still not convinced about soul surfer, don' t forget that it contains a scene where a woman who once won american idol hamfistedly emotes at an amputee in a vaguely religious way. surely that' s a dealbreaker, isn' t it? isn' t it? anyone? honestly, you people are impossible to please sometimes .
soul surfer reveals bethany’s fight to recover from her ordeal and how she grappled with the question of her future. strengthened by the love of her parents, tom (dennis quaid) and cheri (helen hunt), and supported by her youth group leader sara (carrie underwood), bethany refuses to give in or give up, and begins a bold return to the water .
the film also includes kauaian actress sonya balmores chung, who plays malina birch, a competitive foil to hamilton’s unimpeachable kindness. for all intents and purposes, birch is a heartless saboteur, and although hamilton asserts that her character is entirely fictionalized, a young female surfer might have some bad karma coming her way if that’s not the case.
soul surfer is a 2011 american biographical drama film directed by sean mcnamara , based on the 2004 autobiography soul surfer : a true story of faith , family , and fighting to get back on the board by bethany hamilton about her life as a surfer after a horrific shark attack and her recovery . the film stars annasophia robb , helen hunt , dennis quaid , and lorraine nicholson with carrie underwood , kevin sorbo , sonya balmores , branscombe richmond , and craig t. nelson . filming took place in hawaii in early 2010 , with additional filming taking place in tahiti in august 2010 . soul surfer was released in theaters on april 8 , 2011 in the united states and canada by a partnership between filmdistrict and tristar pictures , and was a commercial success , earning $ 47,088,990 on a $ 18 million budget , but received mixed reviews from critical audiences . 
soul surfer is a 2011 american biographical drama film directed by sean mcnamara, based on the 2004 autobiography soul surfer: a true story of faith, family, and fighting to get back on the board by bethany hamilton about her life as a surfer after a horrific shark attack and her recovery. the film stars annasophia robb, helen hunt, dennis quaid, and lorraine nicholson with carrie underwood, kevin sorbo, sonya balmores, branscombe richmond, and craig t. nelson. filming took place in hawaii in early 2010, with additional filming taking place in tahiti in august 2010. soul surfer was released in theaters on april 8, 2011 in the united states and canada by a partnership between filmdistrict and tristar pictures, and was a commercial success, earning $ 47,088,990 on a $ 18 million budget, but received mixed reviews from critical audiences.
soul surfer is a 2011 american biographical drama film directed by sean mcnamara, based on the 2004 autobiography soul surfer: a true story of faith, family, and fighting to get back on the board by bethany hamilton about her life as a surfer after a horrific shark attack and her recovery. the film stars annasophia robb, helen hunt, dennis quaid, and lorraine nicholson with carrie underwood, kevin sorbo, sonya balmores, branscombe richmond, and craig t. nelson. filming took place in hawaii in early 2010, with additional filming taking place in tahiti in august 2010. soul surfer was released in theaters on april 8, 2011 in the united states and canada by a partnership between filmdistrict and tristar pictures, and was a commercial success, earning $ 47,088,990 on a $ 18 million budget, but received mixed reviews from critical audiences.