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Blue Crush

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Blue Crush
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Stockwell
Written byLizzy Weiss
John Stockwell
Produced byBrian Grazer
StarringKate Bosworth
Michelle Rodriguez
Matthew Davis
Sanoe Lake
Mika Boorem
CinematographyDavid Hennings
Edited byEmma E. Hickox
Music byPaul Haslinger
Production
company
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
August 20, 2002
Running time
104 min.
CountryTemplate:Film US
LanguageEnglish
Budget$30 million
Box office$51,599,647

Blue Crush is a 2002 surfer film directed by John Stockwell and based on the Outside magazine article "Surfer Girls of Maui" by Susan Orlean.[1] Starring Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez, Sanoe Lake, and Mika Boorem, it tells the story of three friends who have one passion: living the ultimate dream of surfing on Hawaii's famed North Shore.

Plot

Anne Marie (Kate Bosworth), Eden (Michelle Rodriguez), and Lena (Sanoe Lake) are best friends. Anne Marie and her friends have been raising her 14-year-old sister, Penny (Mika Boorem), ever since their mother took off to Las Vegas with a boyfriend, who was not comfortable with the idea of bringing the two girls along. While Penny is at school, Anne Marie, Eden, and Lena work as maids at a large resort hotel, but more importantly, they are surfers. Anne Marie rises every morning before dawn to train for her surfing comeback. She was once considered a rising star in women's surfing and competed as a youth, but a near-drowning incident temporarily halted her career and left her with deep-seated fears. Her friends, especially Eden, have encouraged her to try it again.

Anne Marie has been invited to join in an upcoming surf competition at the famed North Shore surf spot, Pipeline. She hopes to gain the attention of sponsors and get herself and her friends out of the near-poverty they are living in. As Pipe gets closer, Anne Marie struggles to keep Penny under control and deal with her own personal issues.

At work, Anne Marie meets and catches the eye of Matt Tollman (Matthew Davis), a National Football League quarterback in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl. Matt is there with several of his rowdy teammates and instantly becomes attracted to the surfer. Through a series of "chance" encounters, she agrees to teach him how to surf, bringing Lena, Eden, and Penny along for the ride. Her acceptance of a non-local begins to cause friction between her and many of the young men in her surfing social circle. Anne Marie faces more problems when she and Eden argue over an intense training session about Anne Marie's lack of dedication to the Pipeline contest due to the sudden appearance of Matt. She also has to hear vicious commentaries from several ladies staying at the hotel about Anne Marie undergoing the "Matt Tollman makeover" while attending a luau at the resort.

Anne Marie confronts Matt about their situation, and soon resolves to step up to game as she finally commits herself to the Pipeline Masters. On the day of Pipeline, Anne Marie wipes out during her first heat, but advances to the next heat after narrowly beating pro surfer Kate Skarratt. She is shaken, but Matt tells her a story about his first game as a quarterback and helps her regain her wavering confidence. Determined, but still afraid, Anne Marie returns to the water. Competing in the same heat is Keala Kennelly, one of the first professional female surfers, playing herself. While Keala dares to surf the first few sets of waves without wipe-outs, Anne Marie still has inhibitions about riding one, visions of another near-drowning incident holding her back. Keala finishes her turn, she encourages Anne Marie to take a good wave, and Anne Marie manages to score perfectly. Although she does not advance to the next heat, she has regained her lost confidence, but more importantly, the notice of sponsors, one of which includes an offer to join the Billabong women's surf team.

Cast

Cameos from real-life surfers

Filming

The movie was shot primarily on the island of Oahu, including the North Shore, Mākaha, Waikīkī, and the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina. The production depended heavily on local talent. Many of the characters in the film are portrayed by real surfers found on the North Shore. Ruben Tejada, who plays J.J., was found by director John Stockwell outside of a grocery store. He liked him so much that he cast him in the movie. The fresh talent lent some raw energy to the film and kept the action real. All the surfing takes place in the ocean; no green screens or tanks were used.

While the actresses did learn to surf, some of the more difficult surfing scenes were not only dangerous, but impossible for them to perform. Some of the world's top female surfers, including ones featured in the original magazine article, surfed the larger waves for the film. The actresses' faces were later digitally superimposed on the surfers. Michelle Rodriguez did all her own jet ski stunts, including towing Kate Bosworth's stunt double out to the biggest waves.

Actor/Pro Surf Instructor John Philbin was Bosworth's trainer for the film. Philbin starred in the film North Shore many years prior which was shot on the island of Oahu at the world famous North Shore.

Former surfing world champion Tom Carroll appears early in the film as a surfer with a cut eye. According to producer Brian Grazer, this is a real injury —Carroll had wiped out on the reef just seconds earlier— and it made the three cast members (Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sanoe Lake) nervous about going in the water.

Soundtrack

  1. "If I Could Fall In Love" (4:23) – Lenny Kravitz
  2. "Rock Star (Jason Nevins Remix Edit)" (3:50) – N.E.R.D
  3. "Party Hard" (4:00) – Beenie Man
  4. "Cruel Summer (Blestenation Mix)" (5:13) – Blestenation
  5. "Big Love" (3:48) – Chicken
  6. "Daybreaker" (3:54) – Beth Orton
  7. "Everybody Got Their Something" (4:22) – Nikka Costa
  8. "Front To Back (Fatboy Slim Remix)" (3:53) – Playgroup
  9. "And Be Loved" (3:02) – Damian Marley
  10. "Destiny" (5:40) – Zero 7
  11. "Firesuite" (4:37) – Doves
  12. "Youth Of The Nation" – P.O.D.

Box office

The film opened on 3,002 screens in the United States on August 18, 2002. It grossed $14.2 million and placed 3rd that opening weekend. It went on to gross $40.4 million in the U.S., and a total of $51.6 million worldwide. The film's estimated budget was $30 million.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Life's Swell" by Susan Orlean the article the film is based on
  2. ^ Box office/business for Blue Crush
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