Soul Surfer will screen on GO! around the country this Friday. 

You may have seen the documentary about Bethany Hamilton ‘Heart of a Soul Surfer’ (2007). Bethany is well-known in church as well as surfing circles, following a shark attack in Hawaii in October 2003 which took her left arm. This film is the Hollywood production, and thus is not as overt in its Christian message, though it clearly outlines her faith, and the faith of her family and friends. One good aspect of the film is that their faith is presented as a natural part of their lives, and is not at all the preachy or judgemental style that is sometimes depicted in Hollywood films. The Hamilton family and Bethany clearly had the ability to control the content and image, and since the target audience is family and church based, the film is no standard surfing film. There are however, some excellent surfing scenes and parts that for me, actually showed the wonder of the creation that God has worked in the sea.

The Hollywood budget clearly shows in the surfing scenes, and are necessary as Bethany was (and is) involved in the professional surfing arena.The actors are professionals, including Oscar winner Helen Hunt as Bethany’s mother Cheri, and Dennis Quaid as her father Tom. Teenage and family film actor Anna Sophia Robb plays Bethany and manages to garner sympathy without appealing to sentimentalism. Kevin Sorbo from ‘What if …’ plays a family friend who was in the water when Bethany was attacked. There are some good, if somewhat brief scenes that consider questions about suffering and faith, especially related to her moves to go back to surfing and competition.

The film also connects with other real-life events, notably the recovery and re-establishing efforts of many individuals and groups following the 2004 Asian Tsunami. The film captures the spirit of Bethany’s first visit to the tourist area of Phuket in Thailand which helped to develop her own ministry.I loved the closing line in the film: “I have the ability to embrace more people than I ever could with two arms.” One way she has done this is through a non-profit organisation dedicated to sharing the hope and love of Jesus Christ worldwide by providing support to shark attack survivors and amputees, and seeking to tell inspiring stories like her own life, but also of others. Bethany has spoken of people she admires like Nick Vujicic and Joni Eareckson Tada, but it is her faith in her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that stands out.

Peter Bentley is national director of the Assembly of Confessing Congregations in the UCA.