Chasing Mavericks

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“I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately,
I wanted to live deep and suck all the marrow of life,
To put to rout all that was not life and not when I had come to die
Discover that I had not lived.”

-Henry Thoreau

LIVE LIKE JAY

IN A WORD:
Based on the true story about surfer Jay Moriarty,
who trains under a surfing mentor and surrogate
father to surf mavericks, and live life despite
his fears.

This is a family-friendly movie, worth a rental.

Uncle Ebert is in the minority of critics, giving this a fresh
tomato, but “Mavericks” only scores a 33%

I recommend this for a rental. No reason to see
this on the big screen, except maybe the
stunning cinematography.

Maybe it’s ironic that I’ve just watched Dead Poets Society for the thirtieth time, or maybe I’m reading too much into Chasing Mavericks.
Or, maybe there’s something funny in my coffee. I’ll let you readers judge.

I didn’t want to give this movie a chance. Truth be told, it looked like another slice- of-life movie with heart that I would walk away from only with indifference.
I was pleasantly surprised. Once again, audiences and critics differ. This movie lover sides with the audiences.

First, the movie follows these golden rules:
Show, don’t tell
Simplicity is beauty
No preaching

Also, the cast offers decent performances, even if Weston‘s performance is a little Disney. Butler‘s performance is solid, and I can’t remember Elisabeth Shue playing a role better than this.

The script doesn’t lag behind the story’s drama, struggling to draw too many parallels or life-lessons… for the most part. There are a couple of gushy scenes, but the characters carry the drama themselves.

There really isn’t a “bad guy”, except for the bully that constantly nags and threatens Jay, nicknaming him “little trash”. I like this; it makes the movie more poignant, and gives the bully a believable reason to dislike Jay – the same reason his best friend betrays him.

I won’t give any more away, the story is short, and sweet, and what little twists it contains shouldn’t be read on a movie blog. Instead, watch this one at matinee price, or wait to rent it at a red-box.

It’s worth remembering that there’s more to living than surviving, in the mundane business of every day life, where comfort and safety surely and passively eat away at a chance to fulfill the purpose of intentional living.