Soul Surfer (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.

Director:

Sean McNamara

Writers:

Sean McNamara (screenplay), Deborah Schwartz (screenplay)

Stars:

AnnaSophia Robb, Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt

1 win & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
AnnaSophia Robb	...	Bethany Hamilton
Helen Hunt	...	Cheri Hamilton
Dennis Quaid	...	Tom Hamilton
Carrie Underwood	...	Sarah Hill
Kevin Sorbo	...	Holt Blanchard
Ross Thomas	...	Noah Hamilton
Chris Brochu	...	Timmy Hamilton
Lorraine Nicholson	...	Alana Blanchard
Jeremy Sumpter	...	Byron Blanchard
Sonya Balmores	...	Malina Birch (as Sonya Balmores Chung)
Craig T. Nelson	...	Dr. Rovinsky
Cody Gomes	...	Keoki
Branscombe Richmond	...	Ben Aipa
Titus Kinimaka	...	Titus
John Philbin	...	Fuel TV Reporter #2

Storyline

13 year-old Bethany Hamilton is a champion surfer who was born to be in the water. But after a fun night out night surfing and what should be a fun day in the water, she is attacked by a shark and loses her arm. Rushed to the hospital, she remains calm, and maintains her faith in God. Now she has to re-learn how to do everything with only one arm - including how to surf. It will take her friends, family, and her Christian faith to get her back into the water, but if that is where she is meant to be, she will find a way to get there.

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Plot Keywords:

shark | surfer | christian | surfing | christian film | 

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Taglines:

When you come back from a loss, beat the odds, and never say never, you find a champion.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Family | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for an intense accident sequence and some thematic material

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 April 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bangu medziotoja

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$10,601,862 (USA) (8 April 2011)

Gross:

$43,853,424 (USA) (15 July 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Enticing Entertainment, Island Film Group, Brookwell-McNamara Entertainment

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bethany Hamilton's father said that David Zelon, an executive at Mandalay Pictures, lobbied to reduce the movie's Christian elements so the film could appeal more to non-Christian audiences. This included such elements as having the words "Holy Bible" digitally erased off the cover of a Bible that Dennis Quaid reads from in the movie; and a scripture verse quoted by Carrie Underwood being edited so as not to indicate its Biblical origin. After strong objections from the Hamilton family, these edits were restored.

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Goofs

When Bethany and her Church Youth Group visited Thailand to help the tsunami victims, the victim who talk to Bethany, is speaking in Indonesian language, not Thai language, which is totally different.

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Quotes

[first lines, narrating]
Bethany Hamilton: I was born in Hawaii to two die-hard surfers. How could I not have salt water in my veins. They say home is where the heart is, and for most people that consists of four walls and a welcome mat. But for me, it's the ocean, with the warmth of the sun on my skin. Two brothers, that's my answer when anyone asks why I'm so competitive. And of course, there's my best friend Alana. We spent more time wet than we did dry, my mom was convinced that we were mermaids. From the ...

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Crazy Credits

During the ending credits, videos of the real Bethany Hamilton are shown, many of similar (or possibly the inspiration for) moments in the film.

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Connections

Referenced in Estrenos Críticos: El episodio que va a contrarreloj (2011)

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Soundtracks

Hele On To Kauai
Written by Alfred Nobriga, Jr.

User Reviews

Terrific Film with Terrific Surfing

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.