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:

Filmnegah (Persian) Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 April 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Soul Surfer

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,601,862, 10 April 2011, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$43,853,424

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$47,088,990

Company Credits

Production Co:

Enticing Entertainment, Island Film Group, Brookwell-McNamara Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The song that plays when Bethany is heading down to surf before the accident is the same song in Flight Of the Pheonix which also stars Dennis Quaid.

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Goofs

When Bethany first arrives home after the attack, she has a sheet covering her stump from the reporters. When she exits the car, you can see where the actress's actual arm is under the sheet.

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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

References The Endless Summer (1966)

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Soundtracks

Fly High
Written by Abdul Nasser Saleh, Joachim Rygg and Stella Mwangi
Performed by The DNC
Courtesy of Recurrent Records/Position Music

User Reviews

A triumph as a family movie

I went to support a family-valued film. But, I was touched and moved by the honesty and the reality of the events as they occurred.

Some of the special effects with the surf were awesome, wish there had been more.

Anna Sophia Robb stole every scene she was in. Her performance was understated and real.

Soul Surfer is a tear jerker, with an upbeat message, and ultimately makes you feel triumphant. For the Christians, there is a hymn in an outdoor church and a few references to scripture and God.

Some short documentary clips before the end credits were a highlight. Like Bethany surfing, appearances on Late Night talk, and reporters interviews. Makes me think that a biographical documentary about the real heroine, Bethany Hamilton, would be terrific.