Blue Crush

There is something good or interesting in every film and this one has some great surfing shots. Also, I found the underwater photography every bit as fascinating as the scenes of surfers plummeting down wave fronts that were 15-20 feet to their breaking crest. And theres more of it in the special features section of the DVD as well as in a window along with the final credits. These latter clips have some neat shots of dogs, toddlers and trick riders all on surfboards. Its not a surprise to discover that John Stockwell, the director, is an ex-surfer.

This film also catches the feel of the marginal life style of young adults living on Oahu. In the warm tropical climate, housing and clothing are minimal and your front room is the beach.

The not-so-hidden agenda is the promotion of surfing as an appropriate womans sport. The trio of young women are all fit and they learned how to surf for the film. But you can tell the real professional woman surfers used in the film from their hard bodies and their spectacular performance on, in and over monster waves.

I liked all of this and it was a nice reminder of the kicked-back island life style and the slower pace of Hawaiian time. But dont expect any plot substance. Its mostly fluff blonde Cinderella beach beauty meets zillionaire NFL quarterback you guess the rest. Theres a surfing contest, but I didnt believe it.

Kate Boswell plays the lead part, Anne Marie. She was probably 18 when the film was shot. Her first film role was in The Horse Whisperer (1998).

A film like this is the only way to successfully watch surfing. If you like it, I suggest watching the classic surfer film, Endless Summer (1966) or Endless Summer 2 (1994).

Reviewed September 25, 2003