In Chasing Mavericks, based on the short but colorful life of Northern California surfing great Jay Moriarty (played by Jonny Weston), the film focused more on how he was able to discover the legendary maverick break in the Santa Cruz/Half Moon Bay area of Northern California, and asked guidance from his surfer neighbor Frosty Hesson (Gerard Butler) to overcome fear and panic and ultimately, to ride those high waves.
This is an inspirational film that would go beyond the usual demographic of the surfer market. Weston gave a charismatic performance of the surfing legend and was ably guided by Butler and Oscar nominee Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas) who plays Moriarty's single mom. This rises above from the last two mainstream surfing themed films released: Blue Crush which is purely eye-candy and lightweight entertainment and Soul Surfer, another true story which has some polarizing religious undertones to it. It also helps that Chasing Mavericks are directed by two of the best ones around: Curtis Hanson (LA Confidential and 8 Mile) and Michael Apted (The World Is Not Enough and Gorillas in the Mist) who took over the last three weeks of filming after Hanson pulled out for health reasons.
The shots of Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay are excellent, it really brought you into that world that exists for hard-core surfers chasing for that mystical waves. Almost everyone (including me) were misty eyed after the closing credits so I can say that Chasing Mavericks has joined the ranks of Rudy and Field of Dreams as sports films that can make grown men easily cry. That was a compliment.
Good review Roy. This movie totally blew and just didn't do a single thing to keep me interested. Butler definitely tried but there's just something about him that seems like there's more, but he just isn't able to let loose and show us what he's got.
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