Throughout the
years, the media have encapsulated our minds, making us perceive, feel, and
think whatever they want us to, without us even noticing. Films have done the
same; although, the importance of diversity has escalated in the film industry,
making most film directors take this into consideration when directing their
films. The Representation Test is described as “a media literacy tool meant to
spark learning and conversation around representation in film, and to encourage
more overall diversity on screen and behind-the-scenes in Hollywood” (TheRepresentationProject.org). If a film portrays a diverse array of people
and experiences, it will get a higher score. Soul Surfer is a film that came out in 2011, and was directed by
Sean McNamara. It is based on the true story of professional surfer Bethany
Hamilton. Even though Soul Surfer managed to score an A on the
Representation Test because of its representation of women, other races, and
the disabled, it failed to represent LGBT people.
The first section of the
Representation Test is titled “Women”. Soul
Surfer was awarded five points in this section because of the important
roles that women are given in this film. Even though there are male characters
in this film, women are not treated as inferior to them in any of the scenes of
this movie. An example of this is when Bethany’s family is making dinner. Her
dad, and both of her brothers help out without being asked to. Usually, movies
show how women are the ones who make the meals for their families, but in this
scene and in the rest of the film, Bethany’s family members are all treated
equally, and always working as a team.
Moreover, the protagonist of the film, Bethany Hamilton is no
ordinary woman. She lost her arm in a shark attack, but never stopped working
to acquire her dream of becoming a professional surfer. This depicts women and the disabled in a
positive light. She teaches people that no matter what our circumstances are,
if we keep working hard, regardless of our failures, we can achieve our goals.
In most films, we tend to see “women’s picture – emphasizing a female star
and focusing on typical female concerns such as getting or holding on to a man”
(Giannetti 430). Even though
there is a boy named Keoki who seems to like Bethany as more than a friend, Soul Surfer does a good job representing
women as more than “objects for the male gaze.
In the beginning of the film, Keoki invites Bethany and
her best friend Alana to go night surfing with him and his friends. Bethany and
Alana could’ve been portrayed as the “typical” teenage girls who are excited
about boys, but instead, they show how they are more excited about surfing,
since it is their passion.
Soul Surfer portrays men in a positive light as well. The film avoids
glorifying violent men, while emphasizing the “caregiver” side of its male
characters. Throughout the entire film, the men in Bethany’s life support her
mainly by loving her and believing in her at all costs. Her dad is shown as a
competent involved parent, who encourages and helps his daughter pursue her
dreams. In the scene when Bethany decides to train for a surfing competition
after her accident, she tells her dad, “I don’t need easy, I just need
possible,” and he responds, “With you, everything is possible.” Bethany’s dad
was there for her every step of the way, and so were her brothers. Even before
Bethany’s accident, her brothers went to her competitions, and were not only
vastly involved in her life, but they were also incredibly supportive of her,
and her dreams. Most films portray teenage brothers as self-involved or
careless, but in this film, it was the complete opposite.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people are not represented at
all in Soul Surfer. The only couples
in the film are Alana’s parents and Bethany’s, who are both straight. The film
also shows how Keoki is interested in Bethany, further representing straight
people. Even though Soul Surfer does
not show or talk about LGBT people, I do not believe they meant to do this
purposefully. Soul Surfer is based on
a true story, so it is portraying its characters based on the real people that
were involved in Bethany’s life. If the
film suddenly changed someone’s sexual orientation in order to show diversity,
it would misrepresent Bethany’s true story.
Soul Surfer’s depiction of the disabled and people of other races is effective
throughout the film. A scene that shows the disabled in a positive light is
when Bethany had lost hope in surfing again, but letters from other disabled
children changed her mind. “You may sometimes want to use emotions to connect
with readers to assure them that you understand their experiences” (Lunsford,
51). The connection that she felt with these children was unbreakable. Bethany
had inspired these children not by succeeding, but by simply trying to achieve
her goal. Likewise, Bethany was inspired by these children that were now trying
to follow their dreams, and decided to surf again. This scene shows how the
disabled are able to pursue their dreams by working hard, and also, it teaches
them to never give up, even when they think their goals might seem impossible.
Another aspect of the film that emphasizes the strength and courage of the
disabled is that Bethany always asked to be treated equally. At her first
competition after the shark attack, she was offered a head start, but
immediately turned it down. The film also shows various races, some being
native Hawaiians, Americans, and Thais. All of these races were portrayed positively,
and no stereotypes were used.
Although I am still not sure if the Representation Test is scoring films accurately, I do believe that Soul Surfer deserved the 13 points that enabled it to get an A. It is one of the films with the most meaningful cultural impact that I have
ever seen. Its message is not directed to the disabled, to women or to a
specific race; it is directed towards anyone who watches the film. The film
reminds us that no matter who we are, or what our situation is, we should
always look forward and keep trying, like Bethany says in the last scene, “I’ve
learned that life is a lot like surfing. When you get caught in the impact
zone, you need to get right back up, because you never know what’s over the
next wave.” Sometimes we forget that there are numerous people that are less
fortunate than we are, but it is humbling to not only be reminded of that, but
also to look at our lives with a different perspective and work hard to attain
our dreams.
No comments:
Post a Comment