Review of Soul Surfer (2011) by Lauren S — 29 Aug 2011

I remember hearing about this back when it happened, and a friend of mine said that this movie was really inspirational. Well, I could do with an inspirational movie every now and then, so I gave this one a shot.

Overall, I'm glad I did. AnnaSophia Robb gives her best performance since Bridge to Terabithia, delivering a great performance as Bethany Hamilton. What I thought was impressive was how they digitally made it look like she only had one arm.

A really impressive special effect that looked very real. This is definitely a powerful story, and a story that obviously needs to be told. I was impressed and moved by Bethany's courage and how she never lost her faith.

Struggled, yes, but never lost. The moment when she first surfs again after the accident is in my opinion the most powerful moment of the movie. Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt have really nice chemistry and deliver some nice performances.

Carrie Underwood should probably just stick to singing. She actually wasn't as bad as some singers turned actors, but still, not her strong suit. And at the end, when they showed the picture of the real Bethany with the real youth minister, I was like, yeah.

..that's definitely not Carrie Underwood. Watch it and you'll understand. What I really respect about this movie was how they talked about God. God and the church was obviously a huge part of Bethany's life before and after the accident, and the movie has no problem showing that, but, they don't shove it down the audience's throat, like some movies do.

Instead, they just show an honest portrayal of faith. Very well done. Overall, one of the best inspirational/underdog type stories I have seen in quite some time and is worth a watch.