Soul Surfer is the inspiring true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton. Bethany lost her left arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith.Bethany (AnnaSophia Robb) was born to surf. A natural talent who took to the waves at a young age, she was leading an idyllic life on Kauai, participating in national surf competitions with her best friend Alana (Lorraine Nicholson), when everything changed. On Halloween morning, a 14-foot tiger shark came out of nowhere and seemed to shatter all her dreams.Soul Surfer reveals Bethany's fight to recover from her ordeal and how she grappled with the question of her future. Strengthened by the love of her parents, Tom (Dennis Quaid) and Cheri (Helen Hunt), and supported by her youth group leader Sara (Carrie Underwood), Bethany refuses to give in or give up, and begins a bold return to the water.
Throughout the movie we see teenage girls, boys and men and women in bathing suits, including teenage girls wearing bikinis (with bare abdomens and cleavage exposed), tight surf shorts and small bikini bottoms and bikini tops and short shorts.
A teenage girl takes off and changes her bikini while three women surround her holding up towels; we see no nudity.
The bare back of a teenage girl is briefly visible as she struggles to tie her bikini top.
A teenage girl jokes with another teenage girl that a bikini top is very small and could be used as an eye patch.
A teenage girl says that she could be "showing a lot more than her moves" if her bikini top would fall down.
violence
The film was supposed to be rated PG-13 because the accident scene was too bloody.
A shark jumps out of the water and bites a teenage girl's arm. Blood is shown in the water. As she is pushed to the shore, a trail of blood follows (no tissue or bone is shown). A shirt wrapped around her arm becomes soaked with blood and she turns pale and is about to pass out.
A doctor unwraps her shoulder showing a row of inflamed red stitches where her arm was (no blood is visible).
Her friend experiences a nightmare where she believes a shark is about to attack her; she wakes up screaming and is comforted by her father.
Two teenage girls on surfboards ride close to one another, and one of the teenage girls shoves the other off her board and into the water (she is unharmed).
A teenage girl turns her head and vomits (the vomit is shown coming from her mouth and hear the noise as it hits sand and water).
profanity
2 religious exclamations.
This is a religious movie. The existence of God is proclaimed in several instances. Also the believe that prayer help persons through tragedy and that faith is a good thing.
alcohol
None.
frightening
The shark attack scene is very intense, with loud music, and chaotic film-work. Also, the aftermath may be disturbing for some.
Bethany goes with her church group on a mission trip to Thailand, where they are dealing with a tsunami disaster. Many of the people there are hurt or crying, and have lost many family members. Mostly just sad.
