Rip Tide
Common Sense says
- NR
- 2017
- 85 minutes
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Rip Tide spins a familiar tale. In this version, an up-and-coming 18-year-old model, desperate for her working mom's attention, bolts for Australia to visit her pro-surfer aunt. There she finds romance and support for her true calling -- design -- which gives her the courage to say no to modeling and her mom. It's suggested that a surfer dies while surfing. Friends and family mourn him. A boy and girl kiss chastely. A teen charges a $7,000 first-class airplane ticket from New York to Australia to her mother's credit card without asking permission.
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What's the story?
RIP TIDE is a story about following one's dreams. At 18, Cora (Debby Ryan) is an up-and-coming New York model who is managed by her hard-driving mom, Sofia (Danielle Carter), a woman high on business and low on nurturing. After a professional humiliation, Cora bolts and heads for the Australian beach to see her laid-back surfer aunt, Margot (Genevieve Hegney), who recently lost her husband. Margot conjures images of her husband and mourns his loss. Videos on social media replay Cora's meltdown, declaring her career dead and even naming the new "It" girl destined to replace her. She's embarrassed and depressed, but also disdaining the down-home warmth and support Margot and friends offer her. She loosens up, learns to surf, falls for a childhood friend, Tom (Andrew Creer), and enjoys designing bathing suits for the local festival celebrating 100 years of women in surfing. Everyone, including Cora's mom, finally agrees that she's more passionate about design than about modeling, and she announces that she's been accepted to colleges in New York and Australia.
Is it any good?
This is an awkward, badly written, ill-conceived movie that tells the familiar coming-of-age story of a girl who yearns for her too-busy mother's love and attention. Writer Georgia Harrison has created a script that sketches the most superficial versions of stock characters: the harsh mom, the misunderstood and angry daughter, the supportive aunt. Rip Tide's story is also predictable, and the acting is uneven. The good news is that plot and casting may not bother those satisfied just watching surfers catching waves on a beautiful coast.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about how normal it is for kids, even older teens, to want their parents' approval. Rip Tide suggests that sometimes if kids stand up for their convictions, parents will pay attention. Do you think that's realistically represented here?
Have you seen other movies about surfing? How does this one compare?
Does it bother you if a movie is predictable? Why or why not?
Movie details
- In theaters: October 3, 2017
- On DVD or streaming: February 7, 2018
- Cast: Debby Ryan, Genevieve Hegney, Danielle Carter, Andrew Creer
- Director: Rhiannon Bannenberg
- Studio: Imports
- Genre: Drama
- Run time: 85 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
For kids who love coming-of-age tales
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.