Young Woman and the Sea is a neatly told, inspiring story about a woman who went against the tide to cement her legacy as one of the most fearless athletes to exist. The movie is polished and nicely detailed, anchored by winning performances and a triumphantly dramatic script—basically everything you’d expect from a Disney movie. And like many Disney movies, Young Woman and the Sea can sometimes be too on-the-nose about its advocacies, but it’s hard to deny its charm. The movie is a treat to watch, and an especially nice segue into the upcoming Olympics.
"The real Ederle accomplished so much, it’s hard to imagine cramming it all into one tidy feature. The one we’ve got? It’s good enough, rousing enough, compelling enough."
— Kate Erbland
"Joachim Rønning’s classically glorious “Young Woman and The Sea” is a defiantly big-screen biopic that both earns one’s genuine tears, and inspires everyone of all ages to dream a little bigger, go a little further."
— Tomris Laffly
This is the extraordinary true story of Trudy Ederle, the first woman to successfully swim the English Channel. Through the steadfast support of her older sister and supportive trainers, she overcame adversity and the animosity of a patriarchal society to rise through the ranks of the Olympic swimming team and complete the 21-mile trek from France to England.
Based on the true story of Gertrude “Trudy” Ederle (played here by Daisy Ridley), the film follows Trudy as she overcomes physical obstacles and societal expectations to be a champion swimmer.
That one scene with the jellyfish, ‘nuff said.
Make sure to include this in your list of pre-game movies to watch before the Olympics.
