Young Woman and the Sea – Review
This latest release from Disney, one that isn’t a sequel or existing IP remake, Young Woman and the Sea stars Daisy Ridley as Trude Ederle, in the (mostly) true story of her life and determination to be the first woman to swim the English Channel. In the wake of last year’s Nyad from Netflix, comparisons will unlikely abound, though the stories being told are vastly different.
So let’s not mention Nyad again, okay?
**NOTE: You can read the rest of Mark’s review below, then use the link to listen as he and Ryan discuss the film in more depth. Remember, though, you can listen to all our discussions of this and every other movie directly over on ACAST. Stay tuned.**
129 Minutes, Rated PG
Written by Jeff Nathanson and Glenn Stout
Directed by Joachim Ronning
Synopsis:
The story of competitive swimmer Trudy Ederle, who, in 1926, was the first woman to ever swim across the English Channel.
But lets’ start with Daisy Ridley, shall we?
Her career suffered a bit of an ignominious start, as the Star Wars sequels, the vehicle that should have launched her into the stratosphere, was and still is attacked by many fans. Unfortunately, though any shortcomings of those films is certainly not Ridley’s fault, she got caught in the cross-fire, attacked not for her performance, but for her mere presence in the films so many took umbrage with (and to be clear, there is a lot to take umbrage with in those films).
Ridley, though soldiered on, mostly finding roles in films that she either wasn’t the central character in, or else working in projects without the blockbuster pressure of the Star Wars franchise on them.
With the exception of Chaos Walking, which was near-universally panned (again, not for her performance), this strategy has worked to distance Daisy Ridley the actor from Rey (not Skywalker…) the character.
But she hasn’t abandoned Disney (Young Woman and the Sea was originally slated to be developed by Paramount, but Disney acquired the rights, and here we are).
Young Woman and the Sea is another Hollywood (and yes, Hollywood-ized) biopic about an incredible woman who did incredible things.
Nearly dying of Measles as a child, Trude became fascinated with swimming and the rest, as they say, is history… literally. Setting numerous world records (as the youngest swimmer to do so) and bringing home multiple Olympic medals from the 1924 games, she sets her sights on a goal thought impossible: being the first woman to swim from France to England across the Channel, a distance of 21 linear miles, but far longer than that in execution.
Ridley really shines here as the earnest Trude, a young woman determined to make her own way by making her own mark on the world. Not content to be forced into an arranged marriage like so many other girls in her neighborhood, including her sister, Trude is driven mostly by the belief that life is for living, having nearly lost hers so early.
Watching the German family dynamic play is like watching almost any other European family dynamic play out, be they italian, Irish, or Spanish; the father rules the roost unless the mother decides that he doesn’t. And Trude’s mother is no different, choosing her battles — having her daughters learn to swim, earning the money to pay for lessons herself, etc. — so her daughters, especially Trude, can fight all the battles.
A great score and some smooth cinematography during the open ocean segments make Young Woman and the Sea a must-see for anyone who loves to root for the underdog, especially for all the young women out there striving to become who they are meant to be. It appealed to the same part of me as The Boys in the Boat, carrying the same mood and sense of hope in the midst of so much hopelessness.
One part “sports” movie, though I honestly hate to think of it that way, one part coming-of-age drama, one part socio-political examination, Young Woman and the Sea addresses a lot of issues in an organic and seamless manner, allowing the audience to experience Trude’s battles as they happen, and, more importantly, to root for her.
And to root for Daisy, too.
in the end, I was struck by how much of the innocent wonder reappeared on Daisy Ridley’s face at the end of the movie as the world celebrated Trude’s accomplishment. It was there at the opening of The Force Awakens, but had seemingly been banished from her countenance since then.
It’s good to see it back, and I look forward to seeing her in her next role.
Young Woman and the Sea is in theaters this Friday, May 31, and stars Daisy Ridley, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Stephen Graham, Christopher Eccleston, Jeanette Hain, and Sian Clifford.
And remember, if the BEST thing you can say about a movie is that it’s “visually stunning,” then they’ve done something wrong.
Please don’t forget to LIKE this post, SHARE it with your friends, and FOLLOW us on X (TWITTER), FACEBOOK, THREADS, INSTAGRAM, and SUBSCRIBE to our YOUTUBE channel, as well.
And please, if you like what we do, consider helping us keep on entertaining you. You can use this handy link:
Or, you could check out the merch in Our Store:
Not only will you be helping us out if you pick up some merch, you get cool stuff to wear around (including the coveted WTFWT? logo!)