Blue Crush taught us surfer-girls can have guts and soul. Now, considerably raising the stakes and the bar, Soul Surfer shows us just how courageous and soulful real-life surfer girls can be. Please do not allow Carrie Underwood's cameos to distract you from Soul Surfer's true heroine--Bethany Hamilton, on whose real-life triumph the movie is based. At 13, Bethany Hamilton lost part of her arm to a hungry shark, and her battle for survival garnered world-wide attention. The loss of the arm represents the loss of Bethany's dream: she aspired to a career as a pro surfer, and she had been well on her way. "At low ebb, Bethany discovers no surfing, no self. Travelling with a youth group to Phuket, Thailand, in the wake of the tsunami, Bethany discovers the possibility of making a difference in others' lives, and she pursues recovery and career with new-found purpose and resolve. The results: inspirational drama, and great surfing. In Soul Surfer's climactic scenes, we witness Bethany pushing her physical limits for the sake of inspiring others. In these scenes, we also credit director Sean McNamara with understanding the difference between "homiletic" and inspirational and keeping the most soulful parts of Soul Surfer genuinely tear-worthily inspirational."The Hamilton family collaborated in Soul Surfer's development, adding parts of the story Bethany had felt unwilling or unready to discuss in her autobiography. Welcome (almost) grown-up AnnaSophia Robb, who pours her own heart and soul into her portrayal of Bethany Hamilton. Welcome back Helen Hunt, beautiful and beguiling as ever, and extremely well cast as Bethany's mom. Also welcome back Dennis Quaid, reprising the good dad, and doing it well."