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Annasophia Robb, Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, Lorraine Nicholson, Carrie Underwood ... see more see more... , Kevin Sorbo , Jeremy Sumpter , Ross Thomas , Sonya Balmores Chung , Chris Brochu , Craig T. Nelson , Gody Gomes , Branscombe Richmond , Titus Kinimaka , John Philbin , Tahini Bartolome , Bridget Tully , Tiffany Hofstetter , Kelly Crean , Dylan Slater , Annie Gertsenberger , Sean Patrick Mcnamara , Yasmin Dar , Christie Brooke , Cayla Moore , Moon Otteman , David Tice , Wesley Mann , Susie Singer Carter , Patrick Richwood , Kimberly-Rose Wolter , Kaleo Relator , Irie Driscoll , Faith Fay , David Chokachi , David Stanfield , Beau Hodge , Dutch Hofstetter , Michael Coots , Kaipo Guererro , Rocky Canon , Mark Kubr , Kim Morgan Greene , Shelley Trotter , Arlene Newman-Van Asperen , Bailey Nagy , Leilani Gryde , Kristen Steiner

Bethany (AnnaSophia Robb) was born to surf. A natural talent who took to the waves at a young age, she was leading an idyllic life on Kauai, participating in national surf competitions with her best f... read more read more...riend Alana (Lorraine Nicholson), when everything changed. On Halloween morning, a 14-foot tiger shark came out of nowhere and seemed to shatter all her dreams. Soul Surfer reveals Bethany's fight to recover from her ordeal and how she grappled with the question of her future. Strengthened by the love of her parents, Tom (Dennis Quaid) and Cheri (Helen Hunt), and supported by her youth group leader Sara (Carrie Underwood), Bethany refuses to give in or give up, and begins a bold return to the water. -- (C) Official Site

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78% liked it

35,445 ratings

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45% liked it

99 critics

PG, 1 hr. 46 min.

Directed by: Sean McNamara

Release Date: April 8, 2011

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DVD Release Date: August 2, 2011

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Flixster Reviews (3,101)

  • fb1463751009
    May 1, 2012
    fb1463751009
    I like how the RottenTomatoes consensus put it: "There's an amazing true story at the heart of Soul Surfer -- and unfortunately, it's drowned by waves of Hollywood cheese." Yup, with material like this, it's hard to go wrong, but boy, it was freaking cheesy. I found myself cringi... read moreng a lot at the laughably and poorly written dialogue, the mediocre acting (Sorry Carrie Underwood, you're a devout Christian and an EXCELLENT musician, which is all very inspiring, but acting ain't your thing), and the poor execution in storytelling. "What's up, Disney Channel?" As a Christian, I find myself cringing at the attempt to make an inspiring Christian-themed movie, but surprisingly, "Soul Surfer" as a Christian movie, wasn't THAT bad compared to the many other Christian movies. Let me tell you, there are some horrifyingly, awful Christian movies out there.

    You'll be pleasantly welcomed by the B-movie feel "Soul Surfer" has. It's not preachy or pretentious; deep down, there's a lot of purity and heart injected into this movie. There's a particular scene involving the Bethany, the main protagonist, that effectively agitates the audience's emotions, all without a word being said. Even the message was good-hearted, pure, and a relief, especially among a movie industry filled with dark and unsettling themes. Surprisingly, "Soul Surfer" as a Christian movie, manages to catch a couple of waves, but that's where it ends. The movie suffers from horrible pacing issues, mainly due to the fact that the incident that occurs, and the result afterwards are the only solid material "Soul Surfer" has for its narrative. The spaces in between are nothing more than fillers, and what dull fillers they are. The editing is sporadically all over the place, and the dialogue makes me shudder.

    Phew, this is one big cheeseball. Nevertheless, it's a good movie for children and is a surprisingly effective Christian-themed film -- just don't take your film critique crew to watch this. There IS an amazing true story at the heart of Soul Surfer -- and unfortunately, it's drowned by waves of Hollywood cheese... to the max.
  • helpahorse
    December 31, 2011
    helpahorse
    Way too shallow. The true story it's trying to tell is inspiring and exciting, but the story in the movie wasn't.

    The shark attack could've been a really cool scene, but it's over in like 3 seconds. It's kind of unbelievable that a shark would just do that. The shark probably... read more wouldn't have even stuck his head out of the water. It just seemed a little unrealistic, I'd kind of like to hear what really happened to Bethany in the water with the shark.

    The movie itself is very cheesy and I wasn't really "inspired" at all. I think the credits were the best part where you actually got to see Bethany surf. The credits were my favorite, everything else needed some work. Especially the acting on Anasophia Robb (sp?). You just got your arm bitten off by a shark...let's see some real tears and emotional breakdowns. She seemed way too calm about the entire ordeal.
  • deano
    November 8, 2011
    deano
    What an incredible true story of Hawaiian female champion surfer, Brittany Hamilton (Anna SophiaRobb) has the perfect-est life with the perfect-est family until, one day, the CGI-est shark comes along and chomps off her arm, that shocked me, while she's hanging 10. Set in Hawaii,... read more this is one of the most beautiful - and kid-friendly - films to feature dismemberment.
    It's okay because Brittany's misfortune will lead her down a path that teaches her the power of love. All of the soul in Soul Surfer is like guzzling maple syrup while someone tries to make you cry.
    Finely calibrated to the tween market, this story of triumph over adversity rides on an upbeat soundtrack and plenty of surf action. Director Sean McNamara speeds along/above/behind the waves with frenetic vigour, but also captures the sport's meditative nature.
  • fb733768972
    August 29, 2011
    fb733768972
    Although I may be a sucker for heartfelt true stories, this film truly represents the courage and inspiration that Bethany Hamilton had not only on her peers, but her inspiration across the entire nation. Annasophia Robb was a perfect choice as the lead star and the entire cast h... read moreolds their own as well. This film definitely is filled with hollywood cheese and some of the dialogue might be pretty corny at times, but the story is told so beautifully that the cheesy lines actually sent chills down my spine. The acting may be average, but why does such a moving story need amazing acting, it hides everything and makes you love all the characters. Soul Surfer is an extremely powerful story and I would really like to call it a great film, but it is not quite that high, because the film revolves around the shark that bit off her arm, which was done kind of poorly in my opinion and nobody reacted the way they were supposed to. Overall, this film is very good and I was moved!
  • itsjustme2004
    August 29, 2011
    itsjustme2004
    Entertaining dramatization of the inspirational true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton. She was attacked by a shark while surfing, and lost her left arm, but still went on to compete in the world championships. Wonderfully done. Really good cast.
  • DreamExtractor
    August 26, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    I enjoyed Soul Surfer, but it suffered the main problem almost every inspirational movie based on a true story has, and that problem is Hollywood. The story is about Bethany (AnnaSophia Robb), a girl who was born to surf. A natural talent who took to the waves at a young age, sh... read moree was leading an idyllic life on Kauai, participating in national surf competitions with her best friend Alana (Lorraine Nicholson), when everything changed. On Halloween morning, a 14-foot tiger shark came out of nowhere and seemed to shatter all her dreams. Soul Surfer reveals Bethany's fight to recover from her ordeal and how she grappled with the question of her future. Strengthened by the love of her parents, Tom (Dennis Quaid) and Cheri (Helen Hunt), and supported by her youth group leader Sara (Carrie Underwood), Bethany refuses to give in or give up, and begins a bold return to the water. The plot of the film never became boring, it never tried to be stupid, and it tried hard to inspire people such as the true story of Bethany Hammleton, but there were thjings like I said where Hollywood has to move in and ruin some things. The cast was good, AnnaSophia Robb made a great performance, while Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid play good performances, but the mighty hand of Hollywood has taken its toll on most of the roles of this film, and it seemed a little to inspirational, I mean for me there is a limit on how much cliche they put in this, like when the mean girl in this film wore black in like every scene, I mean come on, was I the only one thinking how stupid and cliche that was, in real life do you think that girl was wearing black everytime to show off her villainous side. I usually only mention the score in my reviews when its really good, and here it was really good, it had the hawaiin feel to it which really was cool, seeing as I have been to Hawaii and it was cool to remember the music from my trips there. This movie was not great, but it was good, and I enjoy the love for God they give in this film, and the moral which is determination that if you love doing something, nothng in the world will stop you from doing it, and even though Hollywood tried to ruin this movie, its still a good movie that i recommend to everyone who enjoys and happy film.
  • PedroPauloA
    August 14, 2011
    PedroPauloA
    When you come back from a loss, beat the odds, and never say never, you find a champion.

    Beautiful

    The beautiful story of Bethany Hamilton and how she overcame loosing and arm and continue doing what she truly loved-Surf.

    Overall its a very emotional movie... read more, very worth watching, every scene is beautiful, not only the acting, but the soundtrack, photography and the story itself. I really loved this movie and recommend it for everyone.

    Bethany Hamilton: "I don't need easy. I just need possible."
  • spielberg00
    August 1, 2011
    spielberg00
    SOUL SURFER is like JAWS in a family movie. Actually, the one scene in which Bethany Hamilton gets her arm torn off by the shark is just about as graphic as JAWS, and the music played during those many moments is frightening (to tell you the truth, just because of all the blood ... read morespilled in that one scene, the PG rating surprised me). Otherwise, SOUL SURFER is a very good post-shark attack film that is very positively portrayed. Unfortunately, with an all-star cast of child actress AnnaSophia Robb (BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE, BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA), country musician Carrie Underwood (singer of "Before He Cheats", "Jesus, Take the Wheel"), actress Helen Hunt (CAST AWAY, TWISTER), and actor Dennis Quaid (TRAFFIC, BREAKING AWAY), this movie fails to have very good acting.
  • xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    July 19, 2011
    xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    When you come back from a loss, beat the odds, and never say never, you find a champion.

    Excellent film! Annasophia Robb did an amazing job. The movie was directed fairly well and all the actors were very good at their roles, however i thought the ending was a twist and wasn't ... read moreeasily expected because of how the movie was going. I think this movie is great for emotional people. like i said it brings you into the story and the ending credits are pretty cool also. I think most people will enjoy watching it but only emotional people could really connect to it. Highly recommended!

    'Soul Surfer' is the inspiring true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith. The film features an all-star cast, including AnnaSophia Robb and Helen Hunt, with Carrie Underwood in her film debut, and Dennis Quaid. In the wake of this life-changing event that took her arm and nearly her life, Bethany's feisty determination and steadfast beliefs spur her toward an adventurous comeback that gives her the grit to turn her loss into a gift for others.
  • fb100000145236770
    July 10, 2011
    fb100000145236770
    Good inspirational surfing movie, about a girl who loses her arm and continues to surf on. AnnaSophia Robb gives a great performance, and never makes the movie feel too melodramatic. This could have easily been a "lifetime" movie, but she really keeps the movie from falling int... read moreo that trap. After watching "Soul Surfer" you'll probably want to go to Hawaii and surf. The locations really pop, and made me want to hop on a plane and take a trip down there. The movies sags a little in the middle, but quickly finds it's way back. Women and girls will probably like it more than guys, but I found it to be pretty good. As far as inspirational sports movies goes, this isn't the best, but it's probably a top ten.

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Critic Reviews

Christine Champ
May 6, 2011
Christine Champ, Film.com

Soul Surfer seems simply too sugar-coated to be true. Full Review

Peter Rainer
April 9, 2011
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

Hamilton is played, blandly, by Anna Sophia Robb, and her devoted parents, less bland, are played by Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt. The surfing footage, much of it shot off the coast of Kauai, is not bl... Full Review

Lisa Kennedy
April 8, 2011
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

It's Bethany and Alana's friendship - its sturdiness and vulnerability, its laughs and sincere apologies - that rules the day. Full Review

Joe Neumaier
April 8, 2011
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News

A by-the-numbers biopic about young surfer Bethany Hamilton. Full Review

Stephen Whitty
April 8, 2011
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

For plenty of family viewers, this film will catch a wave. Full Review

Rick Groen
April 8, 2011
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

An inspiring tale, even when true, doesn't necessarily make for an inspiring movie. Full Review

Linda Barnard
April 8, 2011
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star

Given the heroic subject, the movie is as thrilling as a dish of rice pudding, a made-for-TV-style effort that rides a wave of religious sentiment into theatres. Full Review

Michael O'Sullivan
April 8, 2011
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post

The swells of inspirational storytelling sometimes threaten to swamp the underlying inspirational story. Full Review

Roger Ebert
April 8, 2011
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The flaw in the storytelling strategy of "Soul Surfer" is that it doesn't make Bethany easy to identify with. She's almost eerie in her optimism. Her religious faith is so unshaken, it feels taken for... Full Review

Lou Lumenick
April 8, 2011
Lou Lumenick, New York Post

Shamelessly pandering to the elusive Christian family audience, a committee of 18 producers and seven writers has removed nearly every trace of grit from this airbrushed portrait. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Facts

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    • Sarah Hill: I don't know why terrible things happen to us sometimes. But I have to believe something good is going to come out of this.
    • Bethany Hamilton: Surfing isn't the most important thing in life. Love is. I've had the chance to embrace more people with one arm than I ever could with two.
    • Tom Hamilton: I don't need easy. I just need possible.
    • Bethany Hamilton: Love is bigger than any tidal wave or fear.
    • Alana Blanchard: I thought you were gonna die!
    • Sarah Hill: Hey I just got back from Mexico. I'm so glad you're okay, uh I was just about to come and see you.
    • Bethany Hamilton: I couldn't wait.
    • Sarah Hill: Come here. I was thinking about you and praying for you every minute. How are you?
    • Bethany Hamilton: Uhh... I'm good... yeah. Everyone's been doing really good.
    • Sarah Hill: You dont have to do that Bethany, not with me.
    • Bethany Hamilton: Uhh..they're trying to help... I know. I know but...
    • Sarah Hill: But what?
    • Bethany Hamilton: You know how you said it's hard to see things clearly sometimes when you're too close?
    • Sarah Hill: Mhm.
    • Bethany Hamilton: Well I've been trying to get some perspective. I've been really trying Sarah! How can this be God's plan for me? I don't understand.
    • Sarah Hill: I don't know why bad things happen to us sometimes but I have to believe something good is going to come out of this. I don't know what that is. I really wish I did.
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