5 stars: Perfect for those seeking inspiration
Based on the real lives of teenager Jay Moriarity and stoic surfer Frosty Hesson , Chasing Mavericks takes place in their hometown of Santa Cruz, California, in the late 1980s.
Raised by single mom Kristy , 15-year-old Jay convinces die-hard surfer Frosty to mentor him when he learns that the giant, mythical Mavericks surf break is real. Surfing the 50-foot waves is a near death wish, however. To survive the waves — let alone surf them — Jay agrees to a 12-week training program in which Frosty will help him build endurance and teach him to hold his breath for nearly five minutes.
The physical training is grueling, but Jay has set his sights on facing the Mavericks. What he doesn’t expect is the mental component or having to write essays on fear. Frosty wants Jay to internalize every aspect of this incredible challenge and tells him to dig deep into his fears — something few teenage boys are able to do.
This whole experience proves life altering for Jay, who received a letter from his dead-beat dad several years ago, but never had the courage to open it. Here, surfing the giant waves becomes a metaphor for becoming a man. There’s no room for error in this challenge and Frosty knows the danger Jay will be swimming into. But these are people who don’t want to live their lives in fear, they want to live with a bold lust for life, to be in the moment and feel their hearts racing. They are children of the tides.
Gerard Butler is magnificent as Frosty, whose name sums up his character's personality perfectly. The most emotionally riveting part of this film isn’t Jay’s journey, but Frosty’s. He’s a man who has dealt with great loss in his life and Jay becomes the bridge to help him cross over from the darkness to the light. Both men are eternally changed.
Bottom line: This is a beautifully crafted story with amazing cinematography that will have you inspired not only by nature, but also by the human experience. Never would I have thought a surf movie could bring me to tears, but a word to the wise: bring your Kleenex. Enjoy!
Photo credit: 20th Century Fox
CHASING MAVERICKS is the inspirational true story of real life surfing phenom Jay Moriarity . When 15 year old Jay discovers that the mythic Mavericks surf break, one of the biggest waves on Earth, is not only real, but exists just miles from his Santa Cruz home, he enlists the help of local legend Frosty Hesson to train him to survive it. As Jay and Frosty embark on their quest to accomplish the impossible, they form a unique friendship that transforms both their lives, and their quest to tame Mavericks becomes about far more than surfing. Chasing Mavericks was made with the help of some of the biggest names in the surfing world, and features some of the most mind-blowing real wave footage ever captured on film.