Blue Crush

Name: Blue Crush
Item: Blue Crush
Rating: 3
Author: Nell Minow

Movie review by

Nell Minow, Common Sense Media

Common Sense says

age 14+

(i)

Surfer heroine story has some profanity, drinking, drugs.

PG-13
2002
105 minutes

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Parents say

age 13+

Based on 2 reviews

Kids say

age 9+

Based on 6 reviews

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Blue Crush

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We think this movie stands out for:

Character Strengths

A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

Positive Messages

Women shown competing in surfing, a once male-dominated sport, and standing up to men who say otherwise.

Positive Role Models & Representations

Anne Marie works hard to achieve her goal of being a champion surfer. She wants to be the first woman on the cover of Surf Magazine.

Violence

Lead character haunted by the memory of when she wiped out surfing and hit her head on a coral reef. Lead character gets stuck underwater when her ankle leash gets stuck on a rock. Talk of how the area where the surfing contest is held is the deadliest in the world. Fistfight; male character shown beaten and bloodied.

Sex

Lead female and male characters shown sleeping together, kissing. While working as maids in a hotel, one of the female lead characters gets a used condom stuck to her shoe; the lead female character puts it in a bucket, takes it to the beach, finds the person responsible, and holds the used condom for everyone to see.

Language

Occasional profanity: "horses--t," "s--t," a--hole," "pissed," "bitch," "hell." Middle-finger gesture. Football player gets on a microphone and tells everyone at a luau that his nickname is "p--n daddy." Tween girl calls the Speedo suits a man wears "nut huggers."

Consumerism

Lead character offered a Billabong sponsorship deal.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Underage drinking and smoking. Tween girl drinks and acts drunk at a party. Her older sister finds marijuana pipes in her bedroom. Empty booze bottles in an extremely messy hotel room, and booze vomit shown on the floors and around the toilet.

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Blue Crush is a 2002 movie about a young woman in Hawaii determined to be a champion surfer. The lead character, Anne Marie, shows determination and perseverance to overcome the naysayers who don't think she can compete in what has historically been a male-dominated sport. She is also trying to raise her tween little sister, who is now frequently getting into trouble, going to parties, drinking alcohol, and smoking marijuana. Main characters have sex. Some gross-out scenes occur: While working as a maid in a hotel, one of the lead characters steps on a used condom that gets stuck to her shoe. Vomit and excrement are shown in a trashed hotel room. There's some profanity: "s--t," "a--hole," "pissed," "bitch," "hell," "nut hugger," and "p--n." There's also some violence and peril: The memory of Anne Marie wiping out and injuring her head by smashing into a coral reef is shown several times throughout the movie.

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User Reviews

Parents say
Kids say

Adult Written bysb34chick November 21, 2009

age 13+

Teens Approved

The main role model in this story is a young adult, surfergirl, dropout who is struggling to raise her kid sister and instill values that she isn't exactly... Continue reading

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Adult Written byjumpinbini April 9, 2008

age 13+

This movie has a "You can achieve, if you just believe" (I know, corny)message to it. The main character has a handful of obstacles that she has to ov... Continue reading

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Teen, 15 years old Written byagentcheesecake March 17, 2011

age 11+

Cliche Morals, But Amazing Movie!

Blue Crush is a very good movie. Sure, we all know this storyline has been reused in many different films (minus the surfing), but in this flick all of the sapp... Continue reading

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Teen, 13 years old Written bysarah_soda March 8, 2010

age 13+

Okay for teens

Very Underated. The person at the movie store I went to suggested this to be a good 'family movie', and because the back of the dvd anounced PG, I dec... Continue reading

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What's the story?

Set in Hawaii, BLUE CRUSH centers on Anne Marie (Kate Bosworth), a tough-on-the-outside but vulnerable-on-the-inside surfer girl who has what it takes to be world-class if she can just (1) get over the fear she has had since almost drowning, (2) manage to train for her big chance while supporting herself and her younger sister, and (3) not get distracted by Prince Charming, a cute quarterback named Matt. Pals played by Michele Rodriguez and real-life surfer Sanoe Lake provide support.

Is it any good?

Blue Crush offers no special insight or freshness. But oh, the visuals! Hawaii's glorious natural resources, including many very pretty girls in tiny bikinis, are lovingly photographed. The surfing scenes are breathtaking, and the water is the most vivid and memorable character in the movie, but some may find the MTV-style camera tricks annoying.

The three actresses have a nice, easy camaraderie and it's easy to believe that they have lived together forever with a mixture of familial bickering and unquestioned loyalty and understanding. On the other hand, amid the female empowerment, there are some issues that make the characters less than ideal role models. Anne Marie accepts a lot of money ($1,000 for "surfing lessons") and expensive gifts from the quarterback, and has sex with him after knowing him for a couple of days. Still, teen surfing fans will enjoy the ride.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about the obstacles Anne Marie must overcome – not just finding a way to support herself and doing all the training, but also overcoming her fears of failing and of succeeding.
How does the movie show the reality of a young woman trying to make a living while raising her rebellious tween sister?
This movie was based on a magazine article called "Surf Girls of Maui." What do you think would be the challenges in taking a magazine article about the life of a group of female surfers in Hawaii and turning that into a movie?