- Film Review
- Reviewed By Dave Aldridge
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3 out of 5
This decent drama tells the true story of Hawaiian teenager Bethany Hamilton (AnnaSophia Robb), a rising surf star who, in 2003, lost her left arm in a shark attack. You can praise or damn a film by describing it as "worthy" or "inspirational", and this certainly falls into both categories. Bethany's faith-fuelled fortitude is slapped on with a trowel as she overcomes adversity to get back on her board, while a sequence charting her humanitarian efforts in the wake of the Phuket tsunami is equally unrestrained. But the surfing scenes are well handled, the CGI effects that transform Robb into an amputee are impressively realistic, while Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid offer assured support as her parents. Sure, the film has its mawkish moments, but it's a remarkable, well-intentioned tale that deserves to ride its wave rather than to wipe out on it.
Plot Summary
A teenage surfer with a bright future is attacked by a shark and loses an arm. She faces a long, hard struggle to learn to cope with her disability, but with the support of her family and her faith, musters the courage to return to the waves and resume her sporting career. Fact-based drama, starring AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Bethany Hamilton
- AnnaSophia Robb
- Cheri Hamilton
- Helen Hunt
- Tom Hamilton
- Dennis Quaid
- Alana Blanchard
- Lorraine Nicholson
- Sarah Hill
- Carrie Underwood
- Dr David Rovinsky
- Craig T Nelson
- Holt Blanchard
- Kevin Sorbo
- Noah Hamilton
- Ross Thomas
- Byron Blanchard
- Jeremy Sumpter
Crew
- Director
- Sean McNamara
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