by Kristalyn Patzkowski

Special coupon for Dinuba Platinum Theatre at the end of this review.

I love reading books, and one of my favorite books is Bethany Hamilton’s autobiography, Soul Surfer. Now I can also say that one of my favorite movies is the big-screen adaption, which goes by the same name. The main reason why I consider this movie to be one of my favorites, is that it exemplifies the international inspiration Bethany Hamilton has been since her shark attack.

Bethany Hamilton’s story begins on Halloween morning of 2003. On that seemingly normal morning, Bethany greeted her parents and quickly got ready to go surfing, her daily hobby. When she arrived at Tunnels beach, one of her favorite surfing spots in Hawaii, she met up with her best friend Alana Blanchard and her brother and father. Together they all headed into the ocean and started catching waves. Not long after that though, a tiger shark bit off Bethany’s left arm. Quickly, the Blanchards rushed Bethany to the shore and soon she was met by paramedics who drove her to the local hospital. Hamilton underwent a couple of surgeries and lots of physical therapy.

Although her road to recovery was long, all Bethany Hamilton could dream about was getting back into to water. On Thanksgiving Day, less than a month after her attack, Bethany did just that. She got into the water and onto a surf board again. It was one of the triumphs that proved to Bethany and her family that she would be able to surf competitively again.

The movie Soul Surfer was beautifully shot in Hawaii and features familiar faces like Anna Sophia Robb, Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, and Carrie Underwood. It even has footage of the real Bethany Hamilton surfing, during the end credits. Overall this is an inspirational movie, and I would definitely recommend it to everyone.

Rated PG for an intense accident sequence and some thematic material.

Soul Surfer is not currently playing at Dinuba Platinum Theatres 6, but many other great movies are. Showtimes can be found on their website.

Print this coupon and enjoy a special discount for Kings River Life readers only!

Kristalyn Patzkowski is 17 years old and an ongoing contributor to our Teen Talk section, but prefers writing that is not assigned, especially poetry.