Soul Surfer

Michelle and I recently saw the movie Soul Surfer. I'll be honest, I was not expecting much. Sure, the movie has a few big names like Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, and Carrie Underwood, but big names do not necessarily translate into a good movie. I figured this was going to be another one of those Christian movies with agendas (i.e. Left Behind, Fireproof, etc). Before I get stoned from someone whose life was changed by one of these movies, let me say that I am not against them (even though I might not necessarily espouse the theology all of them promote), but I do not particularly enjoy them. Why?

Perhaps this question deserves its own blog post, but in order to tell you why Soul Surfer is different, I will offer a few simple reasons:

1) The acting is usually cheesy. - I don't care what your agenda is, if you're going to make a movie, you have to have decent actors if you expect it to be respected and well received (Kirk Cameron alone cannot shoulder the load).

2) The storyline is often simplistic. - This bothers me for the same reason that shows like CSI bother many law enforcement officials. Yes, I believe in Jesus. Yes, I believe that faith in him will change your life. But packing this idea into a film designed to persuade people of the validity of faith in Christ can prove difficult. In just about every one of these movies, there is a moment of crisis, where the main character realizes their need to repent and to turn to Jesus. After a dramatic scene, where they kneel and say some form of the sinner's prayer, their life is changed and they live happily every after. This happens about as often as when a murder case with no witnesses, fingerprints, or DNA left behind, is solved within 30 minutes after it is committed.

3) The plot is predictable. - This is inescapable in movies with an agenda to promote the Christian faith. In order to create the crisis of faith that leads to conversion in only 90 minutes, the characters have to be stereotypical and over the top. Within five minutes, it doesn't take long for the audience to identify the "lost" pagan that is going to get converted by the overly pious Christian by the end of the movie.

While Soul Surfer is not without its flaws, it proves to be both enjoyable and uplifting, because its only agenda is to tell the true story of Bethany Hamilton. It is not aimed at demonstrating that Jesus is necessary in order to not get "left behind," or to have a satisfying and fulfilling marriage. As a result, it is free to portray characters interacting in a plot with the ups and downs of everyday life. The movies biggest strength is that people can relate to what happened to Bethany Hamilton, even if the same exact thing has not happened to them. Although Bethany is portrayed as a person of faith, the movie does not reduce her character to a holy roller without any flaws. She expresses doubt, acts immature, and even disobeys her parents.

The storyline is powerful because it really happened. You do not sense that you are being set up to buy into the Christian ideals the movie might be promoting. Instead, you are simply told a story about a person that adheres to these ideals, and are allowed to see the impact they made on her and other people's lives. The acting was not top notch all the way though, but it was believable enough. The film won't win an Oscar, but it did make Michelle and I both cry about three times in unexpected intervals. Even if you don't like "Christian movies," you should give it a shot. We saw it in the "dollar cinema," so it should be out to rent before long. I hope you check it out.

Have you already seen it? If so, what are your thoughts?