"Soul Surfer"

"Soul Surfer" is based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton, who was 13 when a shark bit off her left arm while surfing. Not only did she survive this traumatic accident, but she re-learned how to surf with one arm. The film was very inspirational, although a bit sappy, so it may have been better off as a Hallmark or Lifetime TV movie; however, I did enjoy it, for the most part.

Bethany (AnnaSophia Robb, "Race to Witch Mountain") has just won a surfing competition and has qualified for the Nationals. But when a shark bites off her arm while surfing, Bethany must relearn simple things that most of us take for granted, like cutting vegetables, putting her hair up in a ponytail, and learning how to put on a swimsuit. She is adamant, however, that she wants to surf again, and her parents (Helen Hunt, "Then She Found Me," and Dennis Quaid, "Legion") vow to help her succeed. She knows that it is going to take a lot of work on her part, but she is ready and willing to put in the time, as she cannot imagine a life without surfing.

I really enjoyed all of the surfing scenes in this film. The movie takes place in Hawaii and the scenery is gorgeous, so it definitely was easy on the eyes. I thought the shark scene would be hard to watch but the scene itself is not very long; the shark is only shown for a few seconds, and then a pool of blood slowly begins to form in the water. Hamilton herself said that the scene was very accurate, albeit one that she would not care to "watch over and over again." The middle of the movie is very hard to watch, as she is struggling with adjusting to her daily life with only one arm, but the beginning and the end have a lot of really good surfing scenes in it. Carrie Underwood makes her acting debut in this film as well, as a church youth group leader of Hamilton's, but it is my opinion that she should stick to singing; although she did not have a big role in the movie, her performances were overdone, it seemed. I was also surprised that the soundtrack doesn't include any songs by her.

Maybe see this movie. Like I mentioned before, it tended to become very sappy at times, but I did overall like the film, and what's great about it is that it's based on Hamilton's true story. If you enjoy movies about overcoming obstacles, you will find "Soul Surfer" to be interesting, and it's not a bad choice compared to some of the other movies showing right now.

"Soul Surfer" is out in Detroit-area theaters today, April 8th.

Popular Posts

Review: Polar Pizza at Baskin-Robbins

Image
*Disclosure: I received a gift card to try the new Polar Pizza at Baskin-Robbins. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. Baskin-Robbins launched its Polar Pizza last month (July), as I talked about in my recent post about them, and because this past month was crazy busy for me, I didn't get to try the Polar Pizza until this past Sunday. My parents and I went to the combined Dunkin' Donuts / Baskin-Robbins near them, in Novi, MI, to split one of the ice cream pizzas.
Read more

Upcoming and GIVEAWAY: Mamma Mia! at the Fisher Theatre, Detroit, April 23-28 {ends Dec. 12}

Image
*Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with Broadway in Detroit. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. MAMMA MIA! will be playing at the Fisher this April, from April 23-28, and I'm excited to see it—I'm a big fan of the movies but I've never seen the Broadway show. About the show: Since premiering in London in 1999 and on Broadway in 2001, the irresistible musical has captured the hearts of millions around the globe. The sunny, funny tale of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads on a Greek island paradise, all unfolding to the storytelling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs, has now been seen live on stage by 65 million people across the world and turned into two record-breaking movies – MAMMA MIA! The Movie and MAMMA MIA! Here We Go Again. To date, MAMMA MIA! has been seen in 50 productions in 16 different languages grossing more than $4 billion at the box office. MAMMA MIA! opened on Broadway in 2001 where it played for a record-breaking 14 year
Keep reading

GIVEAWAY: Duel in the D, February 10 at Little Caesars Arena, Detroit {ends 1/10}

Image
*Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with 313 Presents. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. I had a great time at Duel in the D last year—I'm a UM alum, but I had only ever seen ONE hockey game in my life at that point, and this was the second one.  I'm looking forward to it again this year, and one of my lucky readers will win a 4-pack of tickets to experience it as well! About the game: The return of college hockey is headed to Little Caesars Arena with the annual “Duel in the D,” presented by Meijer, set for Saturday, February 10 at 8:30 p.m.  The fans of Hockeytown will be treated to one of the most intense and exciting rivalries in college hockey, as the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans men’s ice hockey teams will add another chapter in their storied rivalry and clash for the “Iron D” Trophy.  The “Duel in the D” matchup features the most-played rivalry in college hockey. The game will mark the 346th all-time meeting between the h
Keep reading