Soul Surfer

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

MPAA Rating: PG for an intense accident sequence and some thematic material.

Appropriate for: Girls ages 10+

Genre: Biography Sports Drama

Length: 100 minutes

Year of Release: 2011

Soul Surfer is the true and touching story of a teenaged blonde, Bethany Hamilton, who lives in Hawaii with her Christian parents and two older brothers. As a toddler, Bethany was taught to surf by her parents, and, as children, she and her best friend Alana spent more time wet than they did dry. Now a teenager, Bethany’s true passion is surfing, and not only does she love it, but she is really good at it too. She believes she was born to surf. But when Bethany becomes the victim of a shark attack and loses her left arm in the process, she begins to wonder how this could be a part of God’s plan for her. Over the next few months, Bethany discovers the value of perseverance and the importance of trusting that God works out everything “for the good of those who love him,” even though her trials may not make sense at the time.

Now, before I get into all of the things that I loved about this movie, I can’t, in all honesty, avoid the one big problem this movie has: bikinis. While it might be expected in a movie about a teenage girl living in Hawaii, I must say that this movie has way too many shots involving underdressed girls, both young and old. Because of this reason, and this reason only, I do NOT recommend this movie for boys. However, this is a healthy movie for girls – a perfect mother-daughter flick and a great movie for a girls’ slumber party – but it is the wrong movie for men and boys to watch. 

Other than this issue, I found very little to criticize about this movie and bucket loads to praise. This is one of those rare and valuable movies that dare to even mention a Christian faith in God, and it is refreshing to see a “Christian” movie acted, directed, and produced so professionally. While some of the acting in a couple of the minor roles could have been improved, AnnaSophia Robb (as Bethany Hamilton) and the supporting lead actors give an excellent performance and portray their characters with great effectiveness. 

There are some very powerful messages in this movie that really touch my heart as a viewer, especially since this movie is based on a true story. Some of the lessons I was able to glean from this movie included the importance of perseverance, trusting in God’s ultimate plan, and having joy in the midst of sorrow. The part of this movie that touches me the most is the amount of trust in God and the overwhelming joy that this young girl has even though she lost so much. 

It is also cool to see how Bethany comes to realize that God put her in the position she was in so that she could reach out to people that she would never have been able to reach before. By the end of the movie, Bethany realizes that the loss of her arm has given her the opportunity to share God’s love and greatness with more people than she possibly could have reached if she had never lost her arm. “I've had the chance to embrace more people with one arm than I ever could with two.”

Besides the bikini problem, the shark attack scene can be a little scary and there is a lot of blood involved, but nothing extremely gory is shown. Because of this, though, I would not recommend this movie for kids ten and under. There is also a part in the movie where Bethany goes to a night surfing party with her friend Alana without her mom or dad’s permission. Although her mother ends up finding out and talks to her daughter about it, I don’t recall Bethany ever getting any sort of punishment for her actions. Overall, however, Bethany’s relationship with her parents is very healthy, which is quite refreshing after so many movies where being friends with your parents is seen as weird or childish. 

To wrap this up, I would like to stress that this is a wonderful and inspiring movie for girls, but definitely out of the question for boys who truly desire to follow Christ with their heart, soul, mind, and strength. To all those mothers out there, I highly suggest renting or buying this movie and watching it with your girls. There are some very powerful messages in there that can not be portrayed so well in any other way.

At the Back of the North Wind

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Appropriate for: All ages

Genre: Children’s Novel

Length: 342 pages

Year of Publication: 1871

George MacDonald’s Victorian children’s novel, At the Back of the North Wind, is set in Victorian London and is about a sweet young boy named Diamond, the son of a poor coachman and a loving, sensitive mother – both of whom care for him very much. Although Diamond and his family are very good and honest people, their lives are filled with hardship and disappointment, sickness and hunger. 

At the beginning of the story, Diamond has his first encounter with the North Wind, a mysterious yet kind “spirit” in the form of a beautiful lady with long, flowing, black hair. Throughout the book, North Wind brings Diamond along with her on several adventures, during which she generally performs good deeds and helps people. But she also performs some terrible tasks – one of which culminates in the sinking of a ship. Although such deeds seem appalling at first sight, giving the reader a sense of uncertainty regarding the integrity of the character called “North Wind,” the reader soon discovers that even the awful things that North Wind does, such as the sinking of the ship, always lead to something good in the end. 

During the entirety of the book, Diamond does many things to help others – even those who are not very kind to him. His kind actions and words are a good example to those around him and make him a favorite among nearly everyone he meets. But, sadly, the young boy struggles quite a bit with poor health. At one point when he is very sick, Diamond is again visited by the North Wind, who takes him on a journey to a beautiful land “at her back,” where he seems to stay for years and years, when in fact he is there for only a week. This land is a country without pain or death – a place filled with pleasant songs and lit, not by the sun, but by a "still, rayless light." After seven days in this country, Diamond returns to his home – but, throughout the rest of the story, he longs to return to the country at the back of the North Wind. It turns out, though, that the place he visited was only a shadow of the real country at the North Wind’s back. At the very end of the book, Diamond dies and the narrator communicates to the readers that Diamond is finally at the real country at the back of the North Wind. A place void of the kind of suffering and hardships he experienced during his life on earth.

This children’s book contains many valuable lessons about serving others, unconditional love, and not being afraid. It also touches on several deep theological issues, such as how God uses even bad things to fulfill His good will. However, because this book was written in the 19^th century, it is somewhat lacking in plot and structure. This is the type of book that was meant for parents to read to their children a chapter at a time as they put them to sleep, so it is completely lacking in cliffhangers, and there isn’t very much conflict in the story at all. I guess it could be described as a bunch of stories, mostly about Diamond, within a story. A lot of these stories are pretty good, but one rather long fairy-tale called Little Daylight that is told by one of the characters is definitely my favorite part of the book. 

There are a couple of things to be aware of about this book. I think it is prudent to mention that there is a part in this book where Diamond’s drunken neighbor is said to have beaten his wife. Another part of the story follows Diamond as he goes into a rough part of town where he runs into some people who try to steal his jacket. The only other thing to be aware of about this book is that some of the material regarding North Wind can, at times, be a little scary for young children. But, it is good for readers to be aware of the fact that, although North Wind does some seemingly bad things, they ultimately turn out for the best. Also, it is helpful to be reminded that the death of Diamond at the end of the book is not sad, but happy, because Diamond is able to reach his true home at the back of the North Wind. 

Although slow moving and a little strange at parts, this book is very good, wholesome, and appropriate for all ages – kids and adults alike. So, I give this 19^th century children’s novel 4 out of 5 stars. Even if you are an adult, I hope you take the time to read and analyze this book for yourself some day. It is complete with many very cute stories – but also chock-full of interesting theological topics.