By Erin Kelley
Assistant Editor
Filled with bravery, humor, and a great cast, the movie “Soul Surfer” left me inspired.
The movie is based on the true story of award winning-surfer Bethany Hamilton. Hamilton lived in Hawaii and was a naturally talented surfer, participating in national surfing competitions from a young age. But one morning changed everything. While surfing with friends at age 13, Hamilton was attacked by a 14-foot long tiger shark and lost her left arm. The movie shows the process of recovery that Hamilton went through, and the ups and downs of living life with only one arm.
Hamilton is played by actress AnnaSophia Robb, with Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, and Carrie Underwood playing major roles in the movie. The actors provided a cheerful and faith-filled perspective on recovering from a tragedy and learning to live with a disability. Hamilton’s success in the water was portrayed as a direct result of her Christian faith.
Beautiful blue water and white, sandy beaches were the backdrop for the majority of the movie, making me wish that I could live in Hawaii. The surfing of the actors was also outstanding, and the tricks on the waves were well done. It was inspiring to see Hamilton actually surfing with only one arm in the end credits, and to see how much persistence she had to keep surfing even after the injury.
Overall, I found “Soul Surfer” to be an inspiring and motivational movie, which I would definitely recommend to others.
