Disney’s Young Woman and the Sea is a beautiful, emotionally driven triumph with brilliant performances from Daisy Ridley. Based on the true story of Olympic champion and record holder Gertrude Ederle, the biographical sports film by director Joachim Rønning and penned by Jeff Nathanson follows Glenn Stout’s 2009 book to near perfection.
Biographical films often feature similar themes and motives to showcase the incredible power of belief, so while the film isn’t unique, it’s masterful because of the breathtaking performances. It’s a film that’s so easy to celebrate, especially in such unprecedented times when people still refuse to believe in women and their capabilities. It’s why we often need to remember the great people who’ve come before us to understand that there’s still so much we could accomplish with our aptitudes.
Now, as lovely as Young Woman and the Sea is in its message, it’s made entirely memorable because of Daisy Ridley’s performance. It’s as though she was born to play Trudy Ederle, embodying her with such nuance and care that every shot of her in frame floored me. Ridley’s natural charm and charisma bleed into the role gorgeously, but it’s the vulnerability she conveys and the persistence she wears in her expression that is deserving of generous praise. She’s exceptional through and through.
Ridley is always a compelling performer, carrying a film like Sometimes I Think About Dying on her back, and she does this admirably in Young Woman and the Sea, too. However, here, the story is as much about her as it is about her family and coach. With this, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Kim Bodnia, Jeanette Hain, and Sian Clifford stand beside Ridley as excellent scene partners. And the same could be said about nearly every actor in the film.
Ultimately, the inspirational message makes for a feel-good film for the whole family and serves as an outstanding reminder that women not only deserve to believe in themselves, but they deserve to be backed by those who adore them. There’s much to deconstruct with the gorgeous shots that advance the character’s journey and the soundtrack that heightens an already gripping narrative. The film succeeds because every detail makes sense and translates to the audience without overdoing it during crucial beats. There’s a striking balance because of how contained the story is and how it focuses on the matters that made swimming the English Channel possible.
Still, more than anything, it’s the fact that even when you know how the story pans out because of history, the film sets everything up to make the final moments feel profoundly earned. The scenes full of unease that we experience alongside the characters make the celebration feel even more heartwarming. It’s hard not to choke up, and again, we’ve all seen these films before—we know where they’re going and how they often make us feel. Yet, even with all this in mind, it hits like it’s something new, striking deep toward the parts of us that are maybe having a hard time believing in good things these days.
Biographies and biopics don’t always stick the landing as well as they should. The story sometimes focuses on details or arcs that lose the person in favor of the plot, but that’s thankfully not the case here. Young Woman and the Sea is focused, meticulous, and thoughtful in its execution, honoring Trudy Ederle’s legacy with a worthy and memorable film.
Young Woman and the Sea is now streaming on Disney+
First Featured Image | Official Poster Credit: ©Disney