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.
On the face of it, it's a bit similar to last year's "Nyad", only I found this to be a more engaging depiction of the story of a young woman determined to struggle against not just the water, but of the societal limitations put upon her sex and assumed about her potential a mere century ago. As a young child, Trudy Ederle contracts measles. The doctor thinks that nothing can be done, but she has no intention of throwing in the towel yet and decides she'd rather have some cheese than a coffin! This illness is taking place against news of a maritime tragedy that saw many women killed. They were afraid to leave the burning ferry boat because they couldn't swim. Trudy wants to learn to swim, her mother wants her to learn to swim - but her father, an immigrant German butcher, is much more conformist. It's not right for women to swim! Now we get our first indication of the strength of mind of the women in this family as, sure enough, mother (Jeanette Hain) finds her and sister "Meg" (Tilda Cobham-Hervey) a women only swimming club run by "Lottie" (Sian Clifford) and next, after some seriously punishing training sessions, she (now Daisy Ridley) has her heart set on the Paris Olympiad. History takes over her story now as we follow this hugely inspirational person who sets out to prove that her sex need be no barrier to her abilities and that with the right support around her, she can accomplish just about anything. A combination of Ridley's enthusiastic and exhausting performance and a strong slew of supporting actors make this a genuinely quite poignant piece of cinema. Not only does it address issues of sexual repression, but also of racial and cultural attitudes that needed looking at from both within and without. Stephen Graham turns out well as the savvy coach Burgess and Kim Bidnia also strikes a fine balance between caring, fearing and inspiring as her father Henry. I am not really a fan of Christopher Eccleston, and his overly hammy depiction of Scotsman Jabez Wolffe didn't quite work for me, but this story is built well from the sand up by Joachim Rønning allowing us to feel some of the emotions running through the veins of this groundbreaking athlete and understand just quite why the public at the time cared, too.
Disney back at it with the great sports biopics!
I remember when I watched all of Disney's main release catalogue of way over 250 movies in 2020 I realised they had produced a tonne of biographical sports/drama films around the 00s... and they, for the most part, were all great movies! 'The Greatest Game Ever Played' and 'Glory Road' were two of my favourites. They'd all follow a similar formula, yet would each be really entertaining to see unfold.
In recent times they haven't quite made as many and they haven't been quite as grand, though a few were relatively good in fairness; like 'Rise' and 'Safety'. 'Young Woman and the Sea' feels more akin to the earlier mentioned period for this studio with this genre. Joachim Rønning & Co. did a terrific job with this 2024 movie.
The pacing, in particular, stood out to be perfect to me personally. I could feel the movie moving at a nice pace throughout, as one branch of the story ended another began. Funnily enough, the end is where things slow down the most, at least that's how I felt. That isn't a bad thing though, because the conclusion still moves along well and is better in other ways.
Daisy Ridley puts in an excellent showing in the lead role, I've only seen her properly act in that certain beloved franchise so it was pleasant to see her away from that world. Kim Bodnia (also nice to see him elsewhere, I had only seen him in a few Danish flicks), Jeanette Hain and Tilda Cobham-Hervey are pluses.
Away from them, always happy to watch Stephen Graham act, while Christopher Eccleston plays his role strongly - I genuinely felt anger inside me towards his character, so kudos to all involved for making that happen - always a sign of a quality movie if they can do that to the viewer.
This is undoubtedly one of those films that deserves more eyes on it, being on Disney+ it should get them eventually. Highly recommended!
The extraordinary yet little known true story of Trudy Ederle, the first woman to successfully swim the English Channel, is brought to life in “Young Woman and the Sea,” from director Joachim Rønning. Ederle’s story is one that deserves to be told, and although it’s admittedly not the most interesting, it certainly is inspiring. The film is streaming exclusively on Disney+ just in time for the kickoff of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Starring Daisy Ridley as Trudy, the movie tells the story of a young girl who overcame adversity after a near-death experience when she had a case of the measles in 1914. Told she could never go in the water or she would go deaf, Trudy became more determined than ever to realize her dream of being an accomplished swimmer. Being told she couldn’t do it didn’t defeat her spirit, of course, because that’s what this movie is about – dreamers.
Despite pushback from a patriarchal society at nearly ever turn and a choir of those telling her she would never find success, Trudy was selected as a member of the Olympic swimming team in 1924 (and won the gold medal). Soon after, her competitive spirit led her to attempt crossing the 21 mile English Channel by swimming from France to England.
It’s a rousing story of a woman born to German immigrant parents in New York City who overcame seemingly insurmountable challenges while pursuing her dream. As you’d expect, the film’s themes of dreaming big, the rewards of perseverance and dedication, and the joy of laughing in the face of those who tell you “no” are not subtle.
The story is filled with positive messaging that’s geared towards young girls in particular, celebrating themes of resilience and empowerment. It’s the kind of film that aligns perfectly with the spirit of the Olympics, offering a patriotic and uplifting story that screams “yay, America!” and “Hooray for Girls!”
The film starts slow and is a bit depressing, but the story eventually takes off. The scenes of Trudy swimming the Channel are repetitive, however, and feel a lot like it’s a copycat version of last year’s “NYAD.”
Still, “Young Woman and the Sea” is a solid story of a remarkable woman and her equally impressive accomplishments. It’s a family-friendly and inspirational biopic of a woman who can serve as a wonderful role model for everyone.
By: Louisa Moore / SCREEN ZEALOTS
"Young Women and the Sea" is a recent film that had a brief run in theaters but is now primarily available on Disney+.
The movie follows the inspiring story of a female swimmer who achieves the remarkable feat of becoming the first woman to swim across the English Channel. It is a well-crafted film that delves into historical events with great attention to detail.
Even my 14-year-old son, who typically isn't drawn to historical films, found himself captivated by the narrative. The film is engaging, set in its time period, and boasts impressive performances. The resemblance of the mother to Susan Sarandon was so striking that it kept me on my toes throughout the movie.
With moments of subtle humor and intense scenes like the encounter with jellyfish, the protagonist's journey from a young girl to a formidable athlete is portrayed with authenticity and depth. I highly recommend this film, and believe that Daisy's performance is deserving of an Oscar nomination.
