'Soul Surfer' wades in shallow waters
Watching “Soul Surfer,” the story of Bethany Hamilton's comeback after a shark attack, makes you long for a vivid documentary on the subject.
Hamilton's tale is, of course, inspiring. In 2003, when she was just 13 years old, she lost her left arm to a 14-foot tiger shark while surfing near her Hawaiian home. An up-and-comer in the sport, she wanted to get back on her board as soon as possible. A month later, she was in the water again. Now, at 21, she continues to compete professionally.
“Soul Surfer” takes that story of complex emotions, determination and faith and turns it into overly simplistic mush. Director and co-writer Sean McNamara's film is an uncomfortable combination of pat, feel-good platitudes, two-dimensional characters, cheesy special effects and generically idyllic scenery.
The script from McNamara and three other writers, based on Hamilton's own memoir, features obvious establishing voice-over lines like, “Surfing is my passion — my way of life.” After the attack, in case we couldn't figure out for ourselves, a longtime family friend says, “You are incredibly brave, Bethany.”
AnnaSophia Robb, who stars as Hamilton, cuts through some of the gooey tedium with a naturally athletic presence and no-nonsense attitude (and the star does much of her own surfing). But “Soul Surfer” consistently tries to make her transformation as easily digestible as possible.
This is especially true when it comes to Hamilton's faith. In real life, she and her family are devout Christians who relied heavily on their belief in God to provide strength. “Soul Surfer” dips its toe in religion just enough to please the faith-based audience it targets, but not so much as to potentially alienate everyone else. It's a cynical and calculated approach that's actually rather offensive. Either go for it, or don't.
Country star Carrie Underwood bears the brunt of this as Hamilton's youth group leader, who passive-aggressively makes her feel guilty for staying home and training for an upcoming surf competition rather than going on a mission to help feed poor people.
The attack itself is vaguely thrilling, with Hamilton's idealized parents (Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt, miscast as a lifelong, laid-back surfer chick) rushing to her side. But then afterward, the digital effects depicting the severed limb are distractingly inconsistent.
From there, everything is a foregone conclusion: that Hamilton will return to surfing, that she'll compete again, that she'll run into her (fictionalized) nemesis and that, regardless of the outcome, she'll feel like a winner.
A life-altering event shouldn't seem so easy.
<b>“Soul Surfer”</b>
★ ½
<b>Starring: </b>AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, Carrie Underwood
<b>Directed by: </b>Sean McNamara
<b>Other: </b>A TriStar Pictures and Film District release. Rated PG for intense accident sequence and some thematic material. 106 minutes.