In August 1926, a 19-year-old New Yorker named Trudy Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel. Just five men had completed the 21-mile journey from Cape Gris-Nez in France to Kingsdown Beach in England – a harrowing journey through freezing waters, unpredictable tides, currents and swarms of jellyfish. Ederle swam 35 miles that day and still beat his time by about two hours.
Don’t worry if this doesn’t sound familiar. Ederle isn’t what you might call a household name, but she soon could be, thanks to Daisy Ridley, who plays the competitive swimmer in the inspiring new film “Young Woman and the Sea.” It’s a classic and exciting sports drama for everyone who thrives on the big screen. Families with young daughters should make this a special priority – this is one of those empowering stories that (mostly) avoids cloying clichés.
Just don’t try to write a school paper based on the film or gift your new Ederle knowledge to friends at a Summer Olympics party. Written by Jeff Nathanson and directed by Joachim Rønning, the film takes wide liberties with some significant details surrounding his historic swim. It even covers up the fact that she won a gold medal at the 1924 Olympics in Paris in the 400 meter freestyle relay. “The Young Woman and the Sea” deals with the great hopes of Ederle, who set more than a dozen records in women’s swimming, but only won bronze medals alone.
They weren’t going to let facts get in the way of the truth – or, more accurately, a story organized with symmetry and emotional payoff. If the whole story is what you’re looking for, the film was adapted from Glenn Stout’s exhaustively researched and widely available book, “Young Woman and the Sea: How Trudy Ederle Conquered the English Channel and Inspired the World.” But we don’t go to the cinema to have a history lesson: we go to have fun.
This story portrays Ederle as a survivor, a son of German immigrants who defeated measles and then defied expectations as an exceptional athlete. In 1920, white women began to progress in sports such as tennis and swimming, but were still subject to rigid standards of “femininity”. Remember those etiquette lessons in “A League of Their Own?” In this film, Trudy is given a misogynistic coach who is more concerned with keeping her separated from men and on a tasty fruit diet than actually helping her succeed with proper nutrition and advice.
Nathanson’s script places special emphasis on Trudy’s relationship with her sister Meg (Tilda Cobham-Hervey), also a swimmer, and her mother (Jeanette Hain), who encourages the girls to learn and helps them maintain classes with a determined instructor. , Lottie. Epstein (Sian Clifford).
Epstein’s positive influence on Trudy is highlighted, but the fact that she managed the women’s swimming teams during three Olympic Games in the 1920s is set aside in favor of creating a male antagonist. Charitably, it’s a shorthand way of shining a light on the very real sexism everyone faced. To do this, it also erases Epstein’s real accomplishments. This is a film that is also very, very white, although it does include a black swimmer who bonds with Ederle as the two train for the Canal.
But again, the broader story is there for those who are curious, and on its own terms, this is a story that will keep you engaged. A lot of this has to do with Ridley, who outside of Star Wars hasn’t been blessed with the most memorable roles. As executive producer of “Young Woman and the Sea,” she is perhaps signaling a new phase in her career in which she will have more control over things. Trudy Ederle was a great choice, a perfect fusion between actor and character who also shows dimensions that we didn’t see in Rey.
A blockbuster film like this is also a stark reminder that movies have only scratched the surface of the fascinating story of women in competitive sports. It seems no coincidence that more than a few of them have become classics. But maybe after this and “Nyad,” open water swimming can take a bit of a rest.
“The Young Woman and the Sea,” a Walt Disney Pictures release in theaters Friday, has been rated PG by the Motion Picture Association for “thematic elements, some language and partial nudity.” Running time: 129 minutes. Three stars out of four.
This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
