Disney loves stories of triumph. And they tell them well.
Though they’re known best for their animated films, one could easily forget the grand tradition of Disney inspirational stories from the world of sports that they’ve released over the years. Movies like Miracle, Rise, and Remember the Titans have all been successfully-executed true adventures that inspire the wonder of the human spirit. While not all of them are classics, many of them still inspire audiences with their hopeful heart.
Directed by Joachim Ronning, Young Woman and the Sea fits very neatly into this tradition. This is the true story of Trudy Ederle (Daisy Ridley), the first woman to successfully swim across the English Channel. As the daughter of immigrant parents in the early 1900s, Ederle defied the odds to set world records in swimming at the Olympics. Despite her success, the notion of swimming the 21-mile trek from France to England was viewed with disdain from the patriarchal society in which she lived. But, with the support of her sister and trainers, Ederle was able to overcome the impossible odds stacked against her.
It’s worth noting that Ronning is no stranger to drama on the high seas. Having directed Kon-Tiki and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, he already has significant experience giving emotion and intensity to aquatic sequences. While these moments in Young Woman may be much smaller in scale than a Pirates film, the drama is also far more effective. Based on a historical event, we already know the outcome yet Ronning manages to keep the audience engaged throughout. Moments like delivering an apple or approaching jellyfish may seem small yet the director makes sure that we understand the high risk that they have for Ederle.
In the role of Ederle, Ridley is well cast. Although she has a small stature, Ridley has always been able to offer a steel glare that conveys an inner determination. (It’s this unique blend that made her so endearing as Rey in the Star Wars universe.) Shown here as an underdog character that we adore, Ridley showcases that spirt of resolve as she swims against the current–and the odds.
But, like many other Disney classics, the power of Young Woman and the Sea lies not just in the accomplishment itself but the meaning of the accomplishment. Just as Remember the Titans was about racial reconciliation as much as it was football, the beating heart in this story is the way that Ederle defies the expectations of her masculine culture.
Set at the turn of the 20th Century, outdated views on women are on full display. This is a time where Ederle’s potential to achieve amazing feats is viewed as a threat to the ‘hard work’ put in by the men. Their stories are the ones that are seen as important. They receive the funding and the notoriety. Even the fact that Ederle wants to learn to swim at all is viewed as outside the feminine boundaries for social convention. But Ederle remains undeterred. She believes that she’s got what it takes to make it happen and is willing to take the risks, even when the men around her are actively working against her.
At a time when women were told to stay in their lane, Ederle charted a whole new path.
It’s this spirit of fire and optimism that helps Young Woman and the Sea swim across the finish line with a flourish. Just as the real Ederle accomplished her goal, this Young Woman manages to inspire audiences with energy and enthusiasm. Even in moments where the film feels melodramatic, Ronning and Ridley draw the viewer in with its inspirational qualities. Though the title of the film suggests that the primary conflict is between a Young Woman and the Sea, the film reminds us that it’s actually about far more than one person’s swimming for their life. Ultimately, this is a story about one woman swimming against the culture.
Young Woman and the Sea is available on Disney+ on Friday, July 19th, 2024.
