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Step Into Liquid
- Review Date: May 3, 2004
- PG
- Genre: Documentary
- 2003
Common Sense Media says
All about the sights, which are glorious.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this movie has no violence, nudity, or sexual references, but there is some risky behavior and a few mild bad words.
What's the story?
Bruce Brown's film captures the heart of surfing and the people who love it. Brown shows us children just beginning to surf and those who have been surfing for 30 or 40 years, amateurs and world champions. Some surf in sun-drenched resort areas, on ocean waves that lap up against sparkling white beaches. But we also see the dedicated surfers of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, three American brothers in Ireland who bring Catholic and Protestant children together to learn to surf with them. We see the original Gidget and the women she inspired and we catch up with the surfers from the original The Endless Summer. We meet a paraplegic man who broke his neck in a surfing accident but is still happiest when he is surfing, and many other remarkable stories. Brown also captures big wave surfers.
Is it any good?
The classic 1966 documentary The Endless Summer by Bruce Brown introduced audiences around the world to the glories of surfing and made the search for the perfect wave thrilling and epic. Brown's son Dana created STEP INTO LIQUID, another movie about surfing and also a stirring tribute to waves, sun, and the people who believe that they best honor nature and the farthest potential of the human spirit by riding on the waves.
You may believe that, too, as you see the heart-stoppingly magnificent swells on the most beautiful beaches of the world and the intrepid and deeply devoted people who surf them. The stories are striking, but this movie is all about the sights, and they are, simply, glorious. The cameras take us inside the pipe waves so that we can almost smell the saltwater. It is a very sweet ride.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the way that a common passion unites all of the very different people in the movie. What do you think about the idea that the best surfer in the world is the one who is having the most fun? Is there another sport (or any other activity) where attitude and a sense of humor is considered more important than talent and achievement?
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AGE
Best surf movie ever, and the first for the whole family
Not particularly a fan of surf movies, I was SO pleasantly surprised to come upon this film on a rare afternoon to myself. It was the only thing playing at the theater that day, so I figured, why not? SO fortuitous!
This is a beautifully filmed documentary that covers various versions of the surfing life from competition to world travel, relationships and recreational surfing. There's a lot of great stuff to talk about with the kids. And, yes, there's some real-world choice word usage. We're pretty sensitive to this at our house, but the benefits of the film far outweigh the passing comments which most kids will probably gloss over (or miss entirely if they' never heard them) because there's so much more to recall.
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| Topics: | sports and martial arts |
| Studio: | Artisan Entertainment |
| Director: | Dana Brown |
| Cast: | Kelly Slater, Robert August, Rochelle Ballard |
| Genre: | Documentary |
| Run time: | 90 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | August 8, 2003 |
| DVD release date: | April 20, 2004 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | some language |
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