Chasing Mavericks

[tess]

girls u are so luck tomorrow you can watch CM here in Brazil only november 2

[kaly11]

Just confirmed with Hollywood Hits in Danvers, MA, that Chasing Mavericks is still opening tomorrow at their theater. As it is the smaller, older theater in the town of Danvers across the highway from the newer AMC Theater in the Mall, I checked by phone just to be certain. The run time (according to the manager is 2 hours, 5minutes and the times are 1:20pm, 3:50pm,6:50pm and 9:15pm. Please go is you are in the vicinity and it is also playing in Methuen and Boston.

To all you girls who worked so hard on this thread, I thank you very much. I will buy an extra ticket in your horor to thank you all for such a wonderful job. I wish every one of us could see this movie in the same time frame; but that is me, always the dreamer.

[elenoire]

www.huffingtonpost.com/abigail-spencer/chasing-mavericks-premiere_b_2003268.html

Live Like Jay: Love. Fear. And the Chasing Mavericks Premiere

Ocean. Deep abiding waters of endless movement. Diving. Driving. Deeper still. Current, overtaking a body. Jay Moriarity. Blue eyes and tan skin in an effortless swimming motion, one with the water. Afloat. Awash. The other side afoot. A white light astray. A deep heart. An unbreakable spirit -- the anchor. As life slips through. But a glance. Upward.

What would happen if you just let go? Floated through; Weightless. In harm's way. Come what may. What would you think? What would you feel? Would you panic? Would you still? Would you settle into the unknown, facing the fear of not being in control. Struggle. Drift... or Love. Would you choose love and dive into your destiny, head first. With out question. Say yes to the unknown. Be brave. Would you be brave?

To be brave, do we need to know what we're afraid of -- deep down? To get to the other side of fear must we acknowledge and isolate the fear in question; call it out; call it friend. Lover. Because it makes us human. A constant something to overcome. Empathy for our fellow tribe. The challenge to be kind to ourselves.

And the wave washes over.

It's been one year since the filming of this movie. This blessed story that came into my life where I got to play Brenda Hesson, Frosty Hesson' s (Gerard Butler's) wife and loving encourager/mirror. This movie came along when I needed it most. And now I'm seeing the movie... when I need it most.

A movie made by surfers, about surfers. About the human spirit. The making of this movie was an undeniable pull amidst the key players to tell a story about mortality -- never made more apparent than by my father's recent and sudden passing, Gerry's near death surfing accident while filming, and Michael Apted stepping alongside Curtis Hanson as he had to deal with some personal matters. (Not to mention the hundreds of tiny boulders that you have to push up a hill to make anything that's worth while). But for all of us involved 00 Mark Johnson, Brandon Hooper, Walden Media, Bill Pope to mention a few of many, many -- the movie took on a life of it's own and became the exercise we needed to challenge us as individuals. Face our fears. See what we're made of-- art imitating life imitating art. Humanity and what it's capable of -- It's a beautiful and terrifying creature when things become bigger than you. Chasing Mavericks, the story of Jay Moriarity and Frosty Hesson has become bigger than all of us. We were just showing up and saying yes. (After saying no, and karate chopping around a lot. Then saying yes.)

I sat at the at The Grove in Los Angeles for the premiere, ivory, airy J. Mendel dress on -- (Something that I felt I could walk out of the premiere in right onto the beach.) My dearest friends and loves flanked on either side and throughout the theater. My little brother Sterling Spencer pinchmysalt.tv/ and his new wife Krystin and my cousin (and Sterling's camera man) Ryan Spencer a few seats down (all of us still grieving over the loss of my dad) with these thoughts tumbling about as the massive waves crashed over and around me in Dolby surround sound. Chasing Mavericks was truly made for the big screen. The waves washing over and making me clean. Making my heart beat faster. The cycle and repeat of the ocean guiding me in and out of my thoughts, I couldn't help but become aware of all of us being in the same room for the first time since we were up at Half Moon Bay. Jonny Weston who totally embodies Jay. Gerard, my partner in crime. Leven Rambin who plays Kim the love of Jay's life. Elisabeth Shue, who with such great humor plays Jay's broken and lovable mother. The Mavericks surfers themselves and Frosty Hesson, who sat but rows behind me. It made me think about where I was a year ago. And where I am now.

You see. I'm starting to feel better. I'm starting to feel better.

It's risky. And new. And I'm scared. Fear rears it's warbled elbow to slug me in the stomach and I'm kinda like. Ok. Bring it.

I'm starting to feel the inklings of unbridled happiness. My head is starting to bob up and down above the fray. Above the waves. I got really comfortable being devastated. And tortured. And drown-y. And sad, frankly. And now I don't want to live there anymore. I want abounding joy. And that scares the Shania Twain out of me. Because now I feel I can be hurt. There's more to lose. The simmering significance and shock of the many losses I experienced all at once in the past two years are never far away, but I don't want to live there anymore. I want... to live. I want to love again. Like a crazy overwhelming high school head trip that sucks all the oxygen out of the body, clothes discarding to heart beats & stereo jams. And that is cuh-razy to me, because it felt like I couldn't imagine anything beyond grief and kale salad a year ago while I was making this movie.


And yet here I am. A heart open. On the path to healing -- and it's wonderful and scary. Did I mention it was scary? And I have to be brave.

This movie was a life raft to make it through the first Thanksgiving with out my father. The first of many firsts of going without. To feel like my pursuance of art and what I loved mattered. That even though surfing wasn't my trade, my life could be a tribute to further my dad's legacy even though I wasn't the one out in the water. That hopefully, by some small possibility, I could keep his spirit going through my work. My way. In my style. To keep putting one foot in front of the other. To show up.

And I showed up. For 24 hours, in the middle of shooting two other projects. I made it to see my son. And see this movie. My dad would have loved this movie. It captures the spirit of surfing like I have never seen before. The surf photography is mind blowing. The surfing is fantastic. Designer and Surf Royalty Heidi Merrick, Al Merrick's (famed Channel Islands surfboard shaper) daughter was one of my dear friends in the audience that night, and through love and tears, she affirmed this feeling. That the movie was right. The story telling is real. You can take your whole family, and start the conversation that family can happen anywhere. And to anyone, and it doesn't require blood. But it does require showing up. Love. Love is showing up.

My dad showed up Thursday night. Jay Moriarity showed up Thursday night. And so did a theater full of people who made this movie happen.

Show up. For those you love. It isn't worth loving if it isn't worth losing. Fear and Love are but bed mates. We are always in training. Always in training for that moment, that the opportunity that love could ascend on us like a perfect wave. And it takes lots of lots of training to ride that wave. Chasing Mavericks portrays so clearly that getting ready for the moment IS the journey. And you'll never know or be ready unless you've been girding up your strength. Paddle paddle paddle. Unless you paddle for the wave, you'll never know if you could catch it. But once you do... Ride it as long as you can. Love as long as you can. As long as the wave carries you... You'll never know the unadulterated exhilaration of a life well lived unless you go for it.

I have to be brave.

[dawne27]

Oct 25, 2012 14:13:08 GMT -5 elenoire said:

www.huffingtonpost.com/abigail-spencer/chasing-mavericks-premiere_b_2003268.html

Live Like Jay: Love. Fear. And the Chasing Mavericks Premiere

Ocean. Deep abiding waters of endless movement. Diving. Driving. Deeper still. Current, overtaking a body. Jay Moriarity. Blue eyes and tan skin in an effortless swimming motion, one with the water. Afloat. Awash. The other side afoot. A white light astray. A deep heart. An unbreakable spirit -- the anchor. As life slips through. But a glance. Upward.

What would happen if you just let go? Floated through; Weightless. In harm's way. Come what may. What would you think? What would you feel? Would you panic? Would you still? Would you settle into the unknown, facing the fear of not being in control. Struggle. Drift... or Love. Would you choose love and dive into your destiny, head first. With out question. Say yes to the unknown. Be brave. Would you be brave?

To be brave, do we need to know what we're afraid of -- deep down? To get to the other side of fear must we acknowledge and isolate the fear in question; call it out; call it friend. Lover. Because it makes us human. A constant something to overcome. Empathy for our fellow tribe. The challenge to be kind to ourselves.

And the wave washes over.

It's been one year since the filming of this movie. This blessed story that came into my life where I got to play Brenda Hesson, Frosty Hesson' s (Gerard Butler's) wife and loving encourager/mirror. This movie came along when I needed it most. And now I'm seeing the movie... when I need it most.

A movie made by surfers, about surfers. About the human spirit. The making of this movie was an undeniable pull amidst the key players to tell a story about mortality -- never made more apparent than by my father's recent and sudden passing, Gerry's near death surfing accident while filming, and Michael Apted stepping alongside Curtis Hanson as he had to deal with some personal matters. (Not to mention the hundreds of tiny boulders that you have to push up a hill to make anything that's worth while). But for all of us involved 00 Mark Johnson, Brandon Hooper, Walden Media, Bill Pope to mention a few of many, many -- the movie took on a life of it's own and became the exercise we needed to challenge us as individuals. Face our fears. See what we're made of-- art imitating life imitating art. Humanity and what it's capable of -- It's a beautiful and terrifying creature when things become bigger than you. Chasing Mavericks, the story of Jay Moriarity and Frosty Hesson has become bigger than all of us. We were just showing up and saying yes. (After saying no, and karate chopping around a lot. Then saying yes.)

I sat at the at The Grove in Los Angeles for the premiere, ivory, airy J. Mendel dress on -- (Something that I felt I could walk out of the premiere in right onto the beach.) My dearest friends and loves flanked on either side and throughout the theater. My little brother Sterling Spencer pinchmysalt.tv/ and his new wife Krystin and my cousin (and Sterling's camera man) Ryan Spencer a few seats down (all of us still grieving over the loss of my dad) with these thoughts tumbling about as the massive waves crashed over and around me in Dolby surround sound. Chasing Mavericks was truly made for the big screen. The waves washing over and making me clean. Making my heart beat faster. The cycle and repeat of the ocean guiding me in and out of my thoughts, I couldn't help but become aware of all of us being in the same room for the first time since we were up at Half Moon Bay. Jonny Weston who totally embodies Jay. Gerard, my partner in crime. Leven Rambin who plays Kim the love of Jay's life. Elisabeth Shue, who with such great humor plays Jay's broken and lovable mother. The Mavericks surfers themselves and Frosty Hesson, who sat but rows behind me. It made me think about where I was a year ago. And where I am now.

You see. I'm starting to feel better. I'm starting to feel better.

It's risky. And new. And I'm scared. Fear rears it's warbled elbow to slug me in the stomach and I'm kinda like. Ok. Bring it.

I'm starting to feel the inklings of unbridled happiness. My head is starting to bob up and down above the fray. Above the waves. I got really comfortable being devastated. And tortured. And drown-y. And sad, frankly. And now I don't want to live there anymore. I want abounding joy. And that scares the Shania Twain out of me. Because now I feel I can be hurt. There's more to lose. The simmering significance and shock of the many losses I experienced all at once in the past two years are never far away, but I don't want to live there anymore. I want... to live. I want to love again. Like a crazy overwhelming high school head trip that sucks all the oxygen out of the body, clothes discarding to heart beats & stereo jams. And that is cuh-razy to me, because it felt like I couldn't imagine anything beyond grief and kale salad a year ago while I was making this movie.


And yet here I am. A heart open. On the path to healing -- and it's wonderful and scary. Did I mention it was scary? And I have to be brave.

This movie was a life raft to make it through the first Thanksgiving with out my father. The first of many firsts of going without. To feel like my pursuance of art and what I loved mattered. That even though surfing wasn't my trade, my life could be a tribute to further my dad's legacy even though I wasn't the one out in the water. That hopefully, by some small possibility, I could keep his spirit going through my work. My way. In my style. To keep putting one foot in front of the other. To show up.

And I showed up. For 24 hours, in the middle of shooting two other projects. I made it to see my son. And see this movie. My dad would have loved this movie. It captures the spirit of surfing like I have never seen before. The surf photography is mind blowing. The surfing is fantastic. Designer and Surf Royalty Heidi Merrick, Al Merrick's (famed Channel Islands surfboard shaper) daughter was one of my dear friends in the audience that night, and through love and tears, she affirmed this feeling. That the movie was right. The story telling is real. You can take your whole family, and start the conversation that family can happen anywhere. And to anyone, and it doesn't require blood. But it does require showing up. Love. Love is showing up.

My dad showed up Thursday night. Jay Moriarity showed up Thursday night. And so did a theater full of people who made this movie happen.

Show up. For those you love. It isn't worth loving if it isn't worth losing. Fear and Love are but bed mates. We are always in training. Always in training for that moment, that the opportunity that love could ascend on us like a perfect wave. And it takes lots of lots of training to ride that wave. Chasing Mavericks portrays so clearly that getting ready for the moment IS the journey. And you'll never know or be ready unless you've been girding up your strength. Paddle paddle paddle. Unless you paddle for the wave, you'll never know if you could catch it. But once you do... Ride it as long as you can. Love as long as you can. As long as the wave carries you... You'll never know the unadulterated exhilaration of a life well lived unless you go for it.

I have to be brave.

Wow! supremely awesome article. thank you abigal spencer. SO relate to your lovestory from heart to pen to paper! tomorrow...YEAH! thank goodness this film made it to upstate ny. madison theatre...here we come!!!! love,love, love all things surfing...adding gerard's rendition of mentor to a great surfer will add to a delightful night in albany!

[larue]

I LOVE the way she writes. I hope she's writing a book. Lots of books. About anything!

[selinalewis]

Oct 12, 2012 16:31:41 GMT -5 Dianne said:

Thanks Lily!!!

www.ineedmyfix.com/2012/10/12/new-photos-from-chasing-mavericks-with-gerard-butler/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+INeedMyFix+%28I+N


New Photos from Chasing Mavericks with Gerard Butler

October 12, 2012 12:15 pm by Sheri
0
Gerard Butler-Chasing Mavericks 799544

Gerard Butler as Frosty Hesson

Just two more weeks before Curtis Hanson and Michael Apted's Chasing Mavericks hits the big screen here in the US and I for one, can not wait to see it again. If you're a fan of Gerard Butler, it's certainly already on your radar. Ditto if you're a fan of big wave surfing. (Not to mention a regular reader of this site as well.) It's also an inspirational true story well told. You'll laugh, you'll cry, it'll become a part of you. (Okay that last may be an exaggeration, since I don't know you, but you get my drift).

Today we have a few new images from the website for your further edification. Enjoy

The inspirational true story of real life surfing phenom Jay Moriarty. When 15 year old Jay discovers that the mythic Mavericks surf break, one of the biggest waves on Earth, is not only real, but exists just miles from his Santa Cruz home, he enlists the help of local legend Frosty Hesson to train him to survive it. As Jay and Frosty embark on their quest to accomplish the impossible, they form a unique friendship that transforms both their lives, and their quest to tame Mavericks becomes about far more than surfing.

Both Curtis Hanson and Michael Apted get directing credit. Chasing Mavericks which stars Gerard Butleras Rick “Frosty” Hesson, Jonny Weston as Jay Moriarty, Leven Rambin as Kim Moriarty, Abigail Spencer as Brenda Hesson and Elisabeth Shue as Christy Moriarty as well as Scott Eastwood and some of the best surfers alive, including Peter Mel, Zach Wormhoudt and Greg Long, opens in the US on October 26 (the LA premiere is October 18 – new red carpet pics! Yeah baby!) and on 2nd November in the UK. You can see the rest of our coverage at the links here and here. Follow the film on Twitter: @chasingmavs and at the awesome interactive Chasing Mavericks website #LiveLikeJay

It's opening here tomorrow and I can't wait to see it. I heard some great comments about it. Nice for Gerry to have 2 PG-13 movies coming out for a change.

[Deleted]

Oh, this is not good news - from forcecast article for this weekend on Box Office Mojo: www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3552&p=.htm

At 2,002 locations, Chasing Mavericks looks poised to be the biggest dud of the weekend. Recent surfing movie Soul Surfer had a fine $10.6 million opening, which was probably the target for Chasing Mavericks. Soul Surfer had a Christian tie-in, though, while Chasing Mavericks only has the generic "inspirational true story" going for it. That calls to mind The Express and Pride, which were true-life sports dramas that opened to $4.6 million and $3.5 million, respectively. Along those lines, distributor 20th Century Fox is only anticipating a paltry $3 million this weekend.[/b]

Chasing Mavericks production cost posted on BOM is $20 million so it would be great if the movie could make it to that $10 million opening.
I will hate to read that word DUD or FLOP for another Gerry film.

[gersarchitect]

Oct 25, 2012 20:51:05 GMT -5 @shellie2 said:

Oh, this is not good news - from forcecast article for this weekend on Box Office Mojo: www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3552&p=.htm

At 2,002 locations, Chasing Mavericks looks poised to be the biggest dud of the weekend. Recent surfing movie Soul Surfer had a fine $10.6 million opening, which was probably the target for Chasing Mavericks. Soul Surfer had a Christian tie-in, though, while Chasing Mavericks only has the generic "inspirational true story" going for it. That calls to mind The Express and Pride, which were true-life sports dramas that opened to $4.6 million and $3.5 million, respectively. Along those lines, distributor 20th Century Fox is only anticipating a paltry $3 million this weekend.

[/b]

Chasing Mavericks production cost posted on BOM is $20 million so it would be great if the movie could make it to that $10 million opening.
I will hate to read that word DUD or FLOP for another Gerry film.

[/quote]


There is a silver lining though. If the expectations are this low and it will perform well it will be a bigger surprise... Let's just hope people are going to see it, however I am afraid it doesn't really fit a niche so it may be tough for the movie to catch on. Let's hope it'll have some staying power through good word of mouth.

[fifiserafino]

Thanks Lily www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/974753/gerard-butler-surfs-with-emotion-in-chasing-mavericks

CHASING MAVERICKS UNCOVERS HIS HEART[/size]




Gerard Butler shows that underneath all of that brawn, he has lot of heart in this true-life surf tale, Chasing Mavericks.

On Oct. 26, the world is going to learn about the true life tale of Jay Moriarity, who, at the age of 17, chased his dreams and made surfing history by tackling some of the biggest waves up at Half Moon Bay in Northern California.

The film, Chasing Mavericks, starring Gerard Butler and newcomer Jonny Weston offers a story of inspiration and heart for a boy who was always the underdog in his Santa Cruz neighborhood.

Weston, in his first big studio film, was inspired by playing the title role of Moriarity, who died in 2001 at age 22 after drowning in an apparent diving accident in the Indian Ocean.

"Personally, when I was working on the film I took away going after your dreams as hard as you possibly can and bowling down everything in your way," he said.

Butler, who plays Moriarity's gruff mentor, Frosty Hesson, also executive-produced the film, so the story was a very personal one for him.

"It's a beautiful tale for following your heart and having something in your mind and… really going for it," Butler said.

Even though the film has a lot of soul, the set was not without its own challenges because the actors had to do some of their own stunts. In fact, Butler was injured and hospitalized after a falling into the rough surf.

The Scottish actor says, "It was pretty dangerous. It's not a movie just about surfing, it's a movie about big wave riding."

While the accident did give him a scare, Butler was back on set the next day.

However, the set wasn't always so serious because the two clearly developed a genuine friendship throughout filming. When SheKnows asked Weston one little secret about the handsome Butler, he said, "Gerard secretly wears his wet suit to bed."

Now, that's what we call Method Acting.

Chasing Mavericks opens nationwide on Friday, Oct. 26.

Image courtesy of Rob Rich/WENN.com

**Go to the link to watch the video**

[fifiserafino]

Thanks Lily

[fifiserafino]

Thanks SD www.boxoffice.com/reviews/2012-10-chasing-mavericks

A SACCHARINE TSUNAMI
Chasing Mavericks[/size]

In 1994, 16-year-old surfer Jay Moriarity braved the biggest waves ever seen off the coast of Northern California. His biopic, Chasing Mavericks, gets that fact right but changes everything else about his life in order to bowl audiences over in a saccharine tsunami. Though co-directed by Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential) and Michael Apted (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader), this feel-good froth is distinguished from a TV movie only by the continual, expensive, pounding, astounding shots of surfers surviving McMansion-sized crests that threaten to tumble down and thrust them 40 feet into the deep. That actually happened during shooting to star Gerard Butler, who had to spend a day under hospital observation. When Chasing Mavericks' middling box office receipts are totaled, his agent will be thrilled this movie didn't cost him his career.

Butler plays Frosty Hesson, a Santa Cruz surf rat who barely slinks out of the water enough to support his wife (Abigail Spencer) and two daughters with the occasional construction gig. Like the depths of the Pacific, he's cold and dark, floating over the deepest part of the coastal trench and revealing, "I'm attracted to the abyss." Frosty's neighbor boy Jay (ripped newcomer Jonny Weston, successfully aging himself down 8 years for the role) is, like him, an athlete who's never far from a faster way to move, be it by longboard, skateboard or bike. And Jay has his own issues: an alcoholic mom (Elisabeth Shue) who borrows the money he makes at his minimum wage pizza gig, a soldier father who never bothered to come home after his last deployment, and most pressingly to the hormonal teen, a massive hang-up on the older girl next door (Leven Rambin) who won't be seen with him in public.

Santa Cruz—a hippie oceanfront hamlet 90 minutes south of San Francisco—sounds like paradise. But Hanson, who also directed 8 Mile, gives it a whiff of Detroit from its high unemployment rate and drug-dealing economy, to its hot drunk moms and even an inexplicably angry kid we first meet smashing rearview mirrors while dressed like mini-Eminem. Chasing Mavericks' desperation is more credible than its dream-catching. The most resonant subplot comes from our own awareness that Jay has only two options in this burnout town: become a surf bum or a surf soldier. His best friend Blond (the ironically brunette Devin Crittenden) is already hanging with the stoners and selling weed. And not only is Jay no scholar himself—his mom actually praises him for getting a C in Spanish—no one in this flick even mentions the word "college."

No matter. According to Jay, he doesn't expect to live long anyway, which frees him up to get all his education from the sea. After treating the boy like a stray cat for the film's first act, Frosty—a guy who doesn't even read to his own children—magically unearths his inner zen master ocean guru, a Mr. Miyagi of the seas, who synchronizes teaching Jay to surf big waves with teaching Jay to be a man. He even requests, and harshly grades, the boy write no fewer than four three-page single-spaced essays on topics like "fear versus panic" and "the power of observation."

That the two help each other mature is as inevitable as the tides. So, too, is the plotting of this formulaic flick. But given the violence of the ocean and the death that looms in every monster wave, the intentions of Chasing Mavericks churn as wildly as the waters. Moriarity was right to predict that he'd die young, which makes him a questionable role model at best. (Though in Santa Cruz, "Live Like Jay" bumper stickers are as popular as "Visualize World Peace.") Even before the coda, parents are right to pause before buying their kids a board—just this week, a surfer was eaten by a shark down the coast in Santa Barbara. But to its credit, Chasing Mavericks celebrates the hard work Jay and Frosty invest in prepping for a big wave almost as much as they do in the tubular ride itself. After a summer of spandex-clad superheroes conquering the literally impossible, it's heartening—if head-scratching—to see two ordinary men in their own tight neoprene suits seek out danger and prove the bravery of mankind.

[fifiserafino]

Thanks Lily www.hbindependent.com/opinion/tn-hbi-1025-haakenson-joe-surf-20121024,0,1899375.story

Haakenson: 'Chasing Mavericks' a surf movie like no other[/size]

Hate to break this to you "Blue Crush" fans, but the best surfing movie ever made is about to hit theaters.

"Chasing Mavericks" will be released Friday, and it's bound to be a surf movie like no other. At least, that's what San Clemente native and big wave surfer Greg Long says.

Long worked as a consultant for the film and ultimately — albeit reluctantly — acted in it, as well. But in order to be involved in the project, Long was insistent that the movie reflected reality.

Too many surf films produced by Hollywood are just plain cheesy and portray outdated stereotypes of surfers and surfing.

Peter Mel and Zach Wormhoudt worked alongside Long as consultants and provided powerful influence on the directors of the film, Curtis Hanson and Michael Apted.

"When test shooting began about three years ago at Mavericks, our first reaction was you can't go ahead with this unless it's done right," Long said in an interview with surfline.com. "What we meant by that is that we — meaning the entire surf community — know what Hollywood has done to most other surf movies in the past.

"There have been guys in bikinis doubling as women [Mickey Muñoz in 'Gidget,' and Noah Johnson in 'Blue Crush'], terrible projected backdrops [Tab Hunter and James Mitchum in 'Ride the Wild Surf'], and the switching from going left to going right [Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze in 'Point Break']."

"Chasing Mavericks" is the story of Jay Moriarity, a big-wave surfer who first surfed Mavericks at age 16 and was taken under the wing of local Mavericks legend Frosty Hesson. Moriarity died one day before his 23rd birthday on June 15, 2001, but it didn't happen surfing a big wave.

Moriarity was on the island of Lohifushi, one of the islands of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean, for a photo shoot with O'Neil. During a break, Moriarity went free diving alone and didn't return. His body was found that night, the victim of an apparent drowning.

Long, Mel and Wormhoudt initially had their doubts about the project.

"We questioned if we could actually make this film in a way that it maintained the integrity of Jay's story — a story that holds a strong place in a lot of people's hearts," Long said. "Plus we needed it to know that the image it would cast on big-wave surfing would be a positive one.

"The sole purpose of me being involved, and why I accepted the job, was based on the idea that if I could help make this movie better in any way and bring Jay's story to life and to the world, then I was going to be involved."

Long was more involved than he anticipated he'd be.

"I didn't go to any of the initial casting calls because I didn't want to get into that side of things," he said. "But they kept asking me to read some lines — they were looking for surfers that could act because you can't get just any actor and put him out there at Mavericks and expect them to look natural."

Long plays the part of Mavericks patriarch Jeff Clark.

Filming at Mavericks was no easy task, as actor Gerard Butler found out. Butler, who played the role of Hesson, had only recently learned to surf when he found himself in the lineup at Mavericks and wound up getting worked.

"We were trying to get a shot of us paddling out with the rocks in the background, which had us on the inside," Long said. "There were waves breaking out at the main peak that day but barely capping. Besides the film crew, it was just Gerard, me, Jeff Clark, Grant Washburn, Peter Mel and Zach Wormhoudt out there.

"And there it was, just a wide set out of the north; the whole main peak just shifted into the channel and kind of doubled up inside the second bowl. We came over the first wave and suddenly it wasn't a question of if we were even going to be able to make it to the channel on the next one — we were going to get caught inside. So we just said to [Butler], 'Gerry, paddle toward the channel and get ready.' So we took a couple of strokes to get as far wide as we could, then the last thing I said to him was, 'just relax.' And then he took a legit 20-foot wall of whitewater on the head. … His leash broke and he took three more solid ones on the head before Grant could get him on the sled — he almost went into the rocks. He was rattled, but he handled it."

According to Long, it adds up to a movie surfers and the surfing community can be proud of. And the surfing footage is epic.

"The footage that was captured is like nothing anyone has ever seen before, given the equipment and number of angles used," Long said. "It's mind-blowing stuff, as well as the movie's ability to explain big-wave surfing and the psychology and physical preparation required to do what we do.

" 'Chasing Mavericks' is going to open up the eyes of a lot of people who may know about surfing, but not necessarily big-wave surfing, as well as those that don't know anything about surfing. From that side of the story — aside from being extremely motivational, inspirational, and respectful toward one of surfing's greatest heroes — it's going to do fantastic things for our sport."

JOE HAAKENSON is an Orange County-based sports writer and editor. He may be reached at [e-mail].

[fifiserafino]

Thanks Lily www.shockya.com/news/2012/10/25/chasing-mavericks-movie-review/

Chasing Mavericks Movie Review
POSTED BY JOE BELCASTRO ON OCTOBER - 25 - 2012

Chasing Mavericks is officially labeled a sports-drama. But in reality, it’s The Karate Kid with surfing; or, just an elongated episode of Saved by the Bell.

Gerard Butler is the “Mr. Miyagi” in this telling that takes place in the mid-90s out in Santa Cruz, California. His “Danielson” is Jonny Weston, who plays surfer Jay Moriarity. Butler, known as Frosty, takes Jay under his wing, and prepares him to surf the elusive “maverick” wave. Many people believe these monstrous waves do not exist, as the story compares them to the Lochness Monster. But as 16 year-old Jay finds out after following Frosty around, they are as real as the bacon fried ice-cream.

So the training commences, as the talented young and insanely positive surfer adheres to Frosty’s strict guidelines in preparation to survive this uber-risky ride.

While a good portion of the flick is focusing on Frosty and Jay’s relationship in and out of the water, a few subplots are touched upon via Elizabeth Shue playing Jay’s alcoholic mother, and Abigail Spencer, playing Frosty’s wife. Of the two, Spencer and Butler are far more interesting than Shue’s character. That said, they’re both never fully flushed out and are inserted just to break up the monotony of the basic training sequences in the coastal waters. And then there’s the loose high school love interest on display via Leven Rambin’s “Kim;” and the stereotypical bully angle with an older fellow surfer in Sonny (Taylor Handley). But again, they’re just glossed over and could have easily been edited out for more substantial “life” conversations between the two leads. Frosty’s background could have been explored further, too.

And even though the dialogue is very cookie-cutter like, every now and then a resonating message is projected out. Hence, Saved by the Bell likeness.

That’s pretty much covers the spectrum of what is occurring in this mild sports/bio pic. On the technical side, the capturing of all the surfing action is cool to watch if one is unfamiliar with the sport. Massive waves crashing on the rocks and wiping out surfers does a decent job in showcasing the danger of riding the waves. Last year’s Soul Surfer may have set the standard for cinematically capturing surfing – and had a more compelling story – but this holds up well enough to present a nice leisurely watch, with a notable message/theme. Plus, if you grew up in the ‘90s, the alternative-rock soundtrack provides a smidgen of nostalgia.

Overall, Chasing Mavericks maneuvers a bit choppy on the mechanical side, but the engaged performances by Butler and Weston, along with timely inspiring dialogue, can smooth out the ride.

Technical: B

Story: C+

Acting: B

Overall: C+

[fifiserafino]

Thanks Lily www.girlonaboard.com/surfingnews/2012/10/24/chasing-mavericks-film-review.html

Negativity, it's just not our thing. We can pretty much find the good in everything in life here at GOAB, and film reviews are no exception, so let's start with the positives about Chasing Mavericks. KK?

First, we were invited! That in and of itself was super rad. Chasing Mav's people - thanks for that! Second, anything that promotes the sport of surfing, that might possibly inspire one girl (or guy) to do something that is so out of their natural comfort zone - that could change their whole lives around - is simply awesome. Period. The film maker's addition of skateboarding scenes was rad and right on, since a Santa Cruz surfing movie without that might not seem so authentic. They used one of our fave songs of all time in the happy-feel-good, albeit sort of expected kids-swimming-in-their-undies pool scene, Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend. The big wave (understatement) surfing scenes were jaw dropping, off the chain, crazy and really amazing. Thanks for not cheaping out and hiring stuntmen that aren't really surfers or just a couple of them. The stuntmen - and women BTW!!! (we noticed Taylor Pitz in the credits!), were sick. Thanks also for casting the role of Jay Moriarity to cutie, Jonny Weston, who actually surfs and skates and not some hack actor who's face is digitally pasted onto a stunt double in every scene.

And now...ahem....on to the not so good stuff. Aside from the fact that there were moments during the film where Lucy Bleu was checking her Facebook page (hey Lucy Bleu - remember when they told us to power down our phones???), cause honestly - it was kind of boring at times, our biggest beef with Chasing Mavericks is that the film makers forgot to capture the JOY of surfing. At times it feels like the sport is really just one, big DRAG! Let's face it - big wave surfing is like attempted suicide and falling off the side of 30 foot building isn't exactly our thing, so we didn't always get it. Frosty Hesson didn't really come off as a very happy person and everyone we know that surfs is pretty damn happy.

But we'll leave it up to you to draw your own conclusions. We suspect that big wave surfers and adrenaline junkies will find this film very amusing. Definitely worth a Saturday night out though for sure!

[fifiserafino]

Thanks Lily www.theprovince.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Review+Chasing+Mavericks+rides+wave+emotion/7447052/story.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_mediu

Review: Chasing Mavericks rides a wave of emotion[/size]


MOVIE REVIEW: Chasing Mavericks

Grade: B

Starring: Gerard Butler, Jonny Weston, Elisabeth Shue, Abigail Spencer and Cooper Timberline

Directed by: Michael Apted, Curtis Hanson

Running time: 117 minutes

The warning: G: No advisory.

***

They use the word “dude,” and it’s without irony. Think about that for a second.

The whole surfer culture was co-opted so long ago, any brand of surfer-speak now feels suspect post-Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High — especially when mouthed by Hollywood stars such as Keanu Reeves or Patrick Swayze. Worse still, Frankie Avalon.

Indeed, the whole surfer wave has come and gone, come and gone, come and gone. Yet, every once in a while, the right currents and surges spawn a single, maverick wave that is so massive and forceful, to tame it for a second is truly magical.

This is why committed surfers chase mavericks, and it’s this swelling idea of rebirth via frothing curl that powers this new Michael Apted and Curtis Hanson movie based in the real-life story of Jay Moriarty.

A kid who grew up without a dad in Santa Cruz, Calif., Moriarty became an overnight star when his picture hit the cover of Surfer magazine. He was just 16, but he was already chasing mavericks, and the cover shot shows him wiping out at the top of a 40-foot wall of water.

Moriarty was a local legend, but his story of redemption through sport is one of those off-the-rack inspirational cliches: A fatherless kid finds a hero, his passion and personal purpose through mastering the physical challenges presented by a death-defying feat.

It’s a formula as dependable as Rocky and as old as Greek legend, yet Apted (The World is Not Enough) and Hanson (The River Wild, 8 Mile) manage to rise above the debris of deja-vu and create a movie that feels so pure and so honest, it promises to leave both men and women in the audience a little misty.

The central reason for the tag-team’s success lies in the film’s unspoken reverence for surfing, and all the metaphysical abstracts it symbolizes as man uses all the destructive potential within the wave to make himself a better human being.

In many ways, it’s a lot like a martial arts movie, because it’s about learning to respect the force of your “enemy” — which inevitably isn’t the wave, or the villainous ninja, but the fear inside your own heart.

Chasing Mavericks also features a larger-than-life guru who can train young Jay in the ways of the wave warrior and prepare him for the ultimate showdown.

Gerard Butler plays Frosty — a veteran surfer who saved Jay’s life as a kid and eventually introduced him to the legendary breakers up the coast. Frosty is everything a mentor has to be in these manly movies: gruff, quiet and chiselled from slabs of granite.

He doesn’t have any desire to school the young keener with the wide-open eyes and swollen heart. In fact, Frosty already feels like a failure as a father because he loves surfing so much that he’s constantly lying to his saintly wife about where he spends his time.

Fittingly, it’s at her urging that Frosty caves to the kid’s requests and gives him the education he craves.

Whether it’s Sylvester Stallone chasing a chicken, Jackie Chan challenging a drunken master, or Luke Skywalker slinging his lightsaber with Yoda, the student-teacher relationship always has plenty to offer in the screenplay department.

It allows for significant chunks of wisdom to be passed on in tightly edited scenes featuring emotional close-ups and nuanced dialogue.

Chasing Mavericks features all these expected moments. It even gives us a visual chart to monitor Jay’s progress as he learns to paddle and hold his breath.

In short, this is a by-the-numbers exercise, but it still hits emotional pay dirt because we fall in love with Jay from the moment we see him save a puppy.

Relative newcomer Jonny Weston plays Jay with a palpable sense of innocence. Behind those golden curls of hair and ocean-blue eyes, we can sense Jay is a good kid who loves his mother and respects the girl next door.

Weston seems to embody these requisite traits without a hint of slick performance, and because we believe in this kid, we can believe in the rest of the drama — as well as the earnest use of the word “dude.”

The Santa Cruz surfing community saw this story as sacred, and their concerns ensured real members of the surf crowd are depicted on screen.

Legendary big wave riders Zach Wormhoudt, Greg Long and Peter Mel were enlisted to share the screen and the stunt sequences. The producers also hired surf movie editor and mavericks rider Grant Washburn to cut the adrenalin-soaked action scenes.

These details, and this knowledge, bring an extra level of intimacy to the experience and give us a visually stunning peek into the soul of the mavericks-chaser. When we see Jay stand on a board for the first time, the filmmakers communicate the epiphany with little more than an extended point-of-view shot, an ecstatic reaction close-up and the sound of rushing water swirling into a symphony.

This movie wraps its soft hands around the spiritual significance of sport, and in the process, recreates every element of cliché.

There are moments that feel a little too tidy, even overly nostalgic. For instance, the movie is set in the 1990s, but sometimes feels like it’s going for 1970s thanks to all the bulky sweaters and a Radio Shack weather radio, but these are forgivable sins.

The rest of the movie doesn’t feel forced, allowing the viewer to drop into the familiar narrative without fear and ride it all the way home in a happy blur of endorphins and emotional release.