There are few things more cynically exploited by Hollywood marketers than the knuckle-dragging simple-mindedness of the American dream. The unending and unwavering relief that with a little faith and a lot of hard work all challenges in life abides so completely as to have an almost religious hold of the popular consciousness. Politicians contrive all manner of platitudes and sound bites to this resolutely, obstinately optimistic view of life, and producers and marketers of box office cinema know that so a powerful prejudice is a fast route to easy money. Given this, it can hardly be a surprise that the life story of
Bethany Hamilton has been adapted for the screen. For those unaware of her, Hamilton was a teenage surfer living in Hawaii who lost her arm when she was attacked by a Tiger Shark. She then went on to return to surfing after rehabilitation, followed by a stint on the lucrative USA chat-show circuit. Its a story that possesses everything on which to base a pedestrian triumph over the odds type movie and in
Soul Surfer, Sony have- if this trailer is anything to go by- not disappointed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnSrETbfd5Q The film, based on Hamiltons book, stars
AnnaSophia Robb with
Helen Hunt and
Dennis Quaid, and in
Sean McNamara (director of the Bratz movie) Sony have a safe pair of hands to relate such uncontroversial, family friendly fare.
The predictable nature of the narrative is such that it is unlikely to have more than a minority appeal in Europe and further appeal- but short of truly disastrous scripting and/or marketing- it should reap a handsome return among its target domestic audience. Soul Survivor will be released in April 2011.