Young Woman and the Sea (dir. Joachim Rønning)

By: Adam Freed

Disney and Norwegian director Joachim Rønning have teamed to present Young Woman and the Sea, the heartwarming yet conveniently simplified true story of Trudy Ederle, who in 1926 became the first woman to swim the 21 mile expanse of the English Channel.  Disney darling Daisy Ridley (Star Wars The Force Awakens) shines as Ederle in a performance that is sure to light the fires of ambition and independence in youthful audiences.  As the New York based daughter of German immigrants, Ederle’s character never accepts the societal view of a female’s role in post WWI society, a contemporary notion easy to champion from 21st century theater seats. 

There is an intentionally predictable veil of safety cast over Young Woman and the Sea which dulls the edges of Ederle’s perilous journey both as a female athlete in pre-depression America and as the first woman attempting to brave the heart stopping chills of the English Channel.  The former Olympic swimmer faces a bevy of static male character archetypes, including her father, that stand in the way of her eventual greatness.  The crisis points in Rønning’s film never feel quite as crucial as intended as there is a saccharine “Disnified” reassurance inherent throughout in the film’s presentation.  Depending on perspective, this fact may taste just as much like a welcome compliment as it does a criticism.   

Buried beneath the grandeur of Trudy Ederle’s ambitious goals is a nicely framed story about the evolving dynamic of sisterhood.  Gertrud Ederle (Jeannette Hain) steadfastly spearheads the pursuit of athletic equality for her daughters Trudy and Margaret.  Behind the scenes of their conservative immigrant upbringing, the two distinctly American sisters share an evolving bond that seems to tighten as their differing trajectories take shape. Thematically, Young Woman and the Sea is at its best when allowing for moments of genuine sibling bonding to seem the smallest.  Ultimately there is enough to Ederle’s courageous story, and to Daisy Ridley’s performance, that make Rønning’s film palatable.  Disney’s younger target audience is sure to connect to this briskly paced underdog biopic.   

Target Score: 6/10 Mileage is sure to vary with this capable and at times heroic Disney biopic.  Beautifully shot and aptly performed, Young Woman and the Sea is a story that is sure to mesmerize younger viewers while still entertaining their adult counterparts.    

Young Woman and the Sea was screened at Disney's El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood.