Chasing Mavericks tells the story of Jay Moriarty, a young surfer who worked to defy all odds and surf a “Maverick” wave so massive that most people deny its existence.
The story begins with a young Jay, even then fascinated with the ocean and its nature, being saved by his neighbor Frosty Hesson. Frosty is en expert surfer himself, who, as Jay grows up into an avid and skillful surfer, becomes his mentor and father figure.
One day, when Jay follows Frosty to a secret surfing location, he discovers the legendary Maverick waves and becomes determined to ride them himself. Before long, Frosty agrees to train Jay physically and mentally for the challenge of surfing the treacherous Mavericks. Along the way, Jay grows as a person and develops his character and relationships.
The film has a wonderful message about overcoming and facing your fears, and highlights the importance of pinpointing what your fears in life truly are. This is shown in Jay’s acceptance of his father’s abandonment of his family. It also emphasizes the value of persevering to achieve goals, as Jay struggles in training to be able to successfully ride a Maverick wave. Jay serves as an inspirational character because of his positivity and kindness despite the hardships and adversity he faces throughout the film.
The actors in Chasing Mavericks all did very well. The movie has many big stars acting in it, including Gerard Butler who plays Frosty. The film stars Jonny Weston, an up and coming actor, as Jay Moriarty. He portrays Jay as a very likable and sweet boy. Leven Rambin, who stars as a tribute character in the popular Hunger Games film, delightfully plays Jay’s love interest. Abigail Spencer and Elisabeth Shue have significant roles as well.
Chasing Mavericks, in some ways similar to Soul Surfer, is another motivational surf film based off of the true-life story of a successful and influential surfer. One of the best aspects of Chasing Mavericks is all the amazing ocean shots in the film. The film is very gripping and captivating, especially because of the awesome surfing and wave scenes, and it could have benefited from more of them.
Overall, Chasing Mavericks is a very lovely and inspirational story. Although it was predictable at times, it was a feel-good film that many people will enjoy.
Aran Kirschenmann, 16, is a contributing writer for the Bellevue Reporter and a Junior at Bellevue High School. You may reach and connect with her on her Facebook page “The Young Critic.:
