Blue Crush
Encyclopedia
Blue Crush is a 2002 surfer
film directed by John Stockwell
and based on the Outside
magazine article "Life's Swell" by Susan Orlean
. Starring Kate Bosworth
, Michelle Rodriguez
, Sanoe Lake
, and Mika Boorem
, it tells the story of three friends who have one passion: living the ultimate dream of surfing on Hawaii's famed North Shore
.
), Eden (Michelle Rodriguez
), and Lena (Sanoe Lake
) are best friends. Anne Marie and her friends have been raising her 14-year-old sister, Penny (Mika Boorem
), ever since their mother took off to Las Vegas with a boyfriend, who was not comfortable with the idea of bringing the two girls along. While Penny is at school, Anne Marie, Eden, and Lena work as maids at a large resort hotel, but more importantly, they are surfers. Anne Marie rises every morning before dawn to train for her surfing comeback. She was once considered a rising star in women's surfing and competed as a youth, but a bad wipeout and near-drowning incident temporarily halted her career and left her with deep-seated fears. Her friends, especially Eden, have encouraged her to try it again.
Anne Marie has been invited to join in an upcoming surf competition at the famed North Shore
surf spot, Pipeline
. She hopes to gain the attention of sponsors and get herself and her friends out of the near-poverty they are living in. As the Pipeline competition gets closer, Anne Marie struggles to keep Penny under control and deal with her own personal issues.
At work, Anne Marie meets and catches the eye of Matt Tollman (Matthew Davis
), a National Football League
quarterback
in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl
(it is hinted that he plays for the Minnesota Vikings
). Matt is there with several of his rowdy teammates and instantly becomes attracted to the surfer. Through a series of "chance" encounters, she agrees to teach him how to surf, bringing Lena, Eden, and Penny along for the ride. Her acceptance of a non-local begins to cause friction between her and many of the young men in her surfing social circle. Anne Marie faces more problems when she and Eden argue about Anne Marie's lack of dedication to training for the Pipeline contest due to the sudden appearance of Matt. She also has to hear vicious comments from several of the other football players' wives and girlfriends staying at the hotel about how she is undergoing the "Matt Tollman makeover" while attending a luau
at the resort.
Anne Marie confronts Matt about their situation, and soon resolves to step up her game as she finally commits herself to the Pipeline Masters. On the day of Pipeline, Anne Marie wipes out during her first heat, but advances to the next heat after narrowly beating pro surfer Kate Skarratt. She is shaken, but Matt tells her a story about his first game as a quarterback and helps her regain her wavering confidence. Determined, but still afraid, Anne Marie returns to the water. Competing in the same heat is Keala Kennelly
, one of the first professional female surfers, playing herself. While Keala surfs the first few sets of waves without wipe-outs, Anne Marie still has inhibitions about riding one, visions of another near-drowning incident holding her back. Keala finishes her turn, then paddles out and takes Anne Marie under her wing and encourages her to take the best wave of the day, on which Anne Marie manages to score perfectly. Although she does not advance to the next heat, she has regained her lost confidence, but more importantly, attracted the notice of sponsors, one of which includes an offer to join the Billabong
women's surf team.
, including the North Shore
, Mākaha
, Waikīkī
, and the JW Marriott
Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina. The production depended heavily on local talent. Many of the characters in the film are portrayed by real surfers found on the North Shore. Ruben Tejada, who plays J.J., was found by director John Stockwell outside of a grocery store. He liked him so much that he cast him in the movie. The fresh talent lent some raw energy to the film and kept the action real. All the surfing takes place in the ocean; no green screens or tanks were used.
While the actresses did learn to surf, some of the more difficult surfing scenes were not only dangerous, but impossible for them to perform. Some of the world's top female surfers, including ones featured in the original magazine article, surfed the larger waves for the film. The actresses' faces were later digitally superimposed on the surfers. Michelle Rodriguez
did all her own jet ski stunts, including towing Kate Bosworth's
stunt double out to the biggest waves.
Actor/Pro Surf Instructor John Philbin
was Bosworth's trainer for the film. Philbin starred in the film North Shore
many years prior which was shot on the island of Oahu at the world famous North Shore.
Former surfing world champion Tom Carroll appears early in the film as a surfer with a cut eye. According to producer Brian Grazer
, this was a real injury —Carroll had wiped out on the reef just seconds earlier— and it made Kate Bosworth
and Michelle Rodriguez
nervous about going in the water.
, there was no place for women surfers to compete. It was not until March 2005 that there was a women's competition at the Banzai Pipeline.
Some have suggested that the film inspired real-life change.
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
film directed by John Stockwell
John Stockwell (actor)
John Stockwell is an American actor, director, producer, writer and former model.Stockwell was born John Stockwell Samuels IV in Galveston, Texas, the son of an attorney. His first feature film as an actor came in 1981's So Fine...
and based on the Outside
Outside (magazine)
Outside is an American magazine focused on the outdoors. The first issue debuted in September 1977 with its mission statement declaring that the publication was "dedicated to covering the people, sports and activities, politics, art, literature, and hardware of the outdoors..."Its founders were...
magazine article "Life's Swell" by Susan Orlean
Susan Orlean
Susan Orlean is an American journalist. She has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1992, and has contributed articles to Vogue, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and Outside....
. Starring Kate Bosworth
Kate Bosworth
Catherine Ann "Kate" Bosworth is an American actress. Bosworth starred in the television series Young Americans, in which she played Bella Banks. She became known with a leading role in 2002's Blue Crush. The following year, Bosworth played the teenage girlfriend of porn star John Holmes in...
, Michelle Rodriguez
Michelle Rodriguez
Mayte Michelle Rodríguez , known professionally as Michelle Rodriguez, is an American actress. Following on from her breakthrough role in 2000's Girlfight, she is best known for playing tough-girl roles and starring in Hollywood blockbusters such as The Fast and the Furious, Resident Evil,...
, Sanoe Lake
Sanoe lake
Sànoe Lake is an American actress of Hawaiian, Japanese and English descent.-Biography:She is best known for starring in the 2002 film Blue Crush, but she also wrote a book, Surfer Girl: A Guide To The Surfing Life. Her name "Sànoe" means "Mist of the Mountains." Lake appeared in the films...
, and Mika Boorem
Mika Boorem
Mika Sue Boorem is an American actress who has appeared in the films Blue Crush , Carolina , Sleepover , and Smile ....
, it tells the story of three friends who have one passion: living the ultimate dream of surfing on Hawaii's famed North Shore
North Shore (Oahu)
The North Shore, in the context of geography of the Island of Oahu, refers to the north-facing coastal area of Oahu between Kaena Point and Kahuku Point...
.
Plot
Anne Marie (Kate BosworthKate Bosworth
Catherine Ann "Kate" Bosworth is an American actress. Bosworth starred in the television series Young Americans, in which she played Bella Banks. She became known with a leading role in 2002's Blue Crush. The following year, Bosworth played the teenage girlfriend of porn star John Holmes in...
), Eden (Michelle Rodriguez
Michelle Rodriguez
Mayte Michelle Rodríguez , known professionally as Michelle Rodriguez, is an American actress. Following on from her breakthrough role in 2000's Girlfight, she is best known for playing tough-girl roles and starring in Hollywood blockbusters such as The Fast and the Furious, Resident Evil,...
), and Lena (Sanoe Lake
Sanoe lake
Sànoe Lake is an American actress of Hawaiian, Japanese and English descent.-Biography:She is best known for starring in the 2002 film Blue Crush, but she also wrote a book, Surfer Girl: A Guide To The Surfing Life. Her name "Sànoe" means "Mist of the Mountains." Lake appeared in the films...
) are best friends. Anne Marie and her friends have been raising her 14-year-old sister, Penny (Mika Boorem
Mika Boorem
Mika Sue Boorem is an American actress who has appeared in the films Blue Crush , Carolina , Sleepover , and Smile ....
), ever since their mother took off to Las Vegas with a boyfriend, who was not comfortable with the idea of bringing the two girls along. While Penny is at school, Anne Marie, Eden, and Lena work as maids at a large resort hotel, but more importantly, they are surfers. Anne Marie rises every morning before dawn to train for her surfing comeback. She was once considered a rising star in women's surfing and competed as a youth, but a bad wipeout and near-drowning incident temporarily halted her career and left her with deep-seated fears. Her friends, especially Eden, have encouraged her to try it again.
Anne Marie has been invited to join in an upcoming surf competition at the famed North Shore
North Shore (Oahu)
The North Shore, in the context of geography of the Island of Oahu, refers to the north-facing coastal area of Oahu between Kaena Point and Kahuku Point...
surf spot, Pipeline
Banzai Pipeline
The Banzai Pipeline, or simply "Pipeline" or "Pipe," is a surf reef break located in Hawaii, off Ehukai Beach Park in Pupukea on O'ahu's North Shore. A reef break is an area in the ocean where waves start to break once they reach the shallows of a reef...
. She hopes to gain the attention of sponsors and get herself and her friends out of the near-poverty they are living in. As the Pipeline competition gets closer, Anne Marie struggles to keep Penny under control and deal with her own personal issues.
At work, Anne Marie meets and catches the eye of Matt Tollman (Matthew Davis
Matthew Davis
Matthew W. Davis is an American actor.-Life and career:Davis was born in Salt Lake City. He attended Woods Cross High School, and the University of Utah....
), a National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
(it is hinted that he plays for the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
). Matt is there with several of his rowdy teammates and instantly becomes attracted to the surfer. Through a series of "chance" encounters, she agrees to teach him how to surf, bringing Lena, Eden, and Penny along for the ride. Her acceptance of a non-local begins to cause friction between her and many of the young men in her surfing social circle. Anne Marie faces more problems when she and Eden argue about Anne Marie's lack of dedication to training for the Pipeline contest due to the sudden appearance of Matt. She also has to hear vicious comments from several of the other football players' wives and girlfriends staying at the hotel about how she is undergoing the "Matt Tollman makeover" while attending a luau
Luau
A luau is a Hawaiian feast. It may feature food, such as poi, kalua pig, poke, lomi salmon, opihi, haupia, and beer; and entertainment, such as Hawaiian music and hula...
at the resort.
Anne Marie confronts Matt about their situation, and soon resolves to step up her game as she finally commits herself to the Pipeline Masters. On the day of Pipeline, Anne Marie wipes out during her first heat, but advances to the next heat after narrowly beating pro surfer Kate Skarratt. She is shaken, but Matt tells her a story about his first game as a quarterback and helps her regain her wavering confidence. Determined, but still afraid, Anne Marie returns to the water. Competing in the same heat is Keala Kennelly
Keala Kennelly
Keala Kennelly is a professional surfer. She was featured playing herself in the movie Blue Crush. She was also in the movie Step Into Liquid.She set a record in 2005 at Teahupoo, riding the biggest tow in wave by a woman....
, one of the first professional female surfers, playing herself. While Keala surfs the first few sets of waves without wipe-outs, Anne Marie still has inhibitions about riding one, visions of another near-drowning incident holding her back. Keala finishes her turn, then paddles out and takes Anne Marie under her wing and encourages her to take the best wave of the day, on which Anne Marie manages to score perfectly. Although she does not advance to the next heat, she has regained her lost confidence, but more importantly, attracted the notice of sponsors, one of which includes an offer to join the Billabong
Billabong (clothing)
Billabong International is a clothing company traded on the Australian Securities Exchange since 11 August 2000. Billabong was founded in 1973 by Gordon and Rena Merchant....
women's surf team.
Cast
- Kate BosworthKate BosworthCatherine Ann "Kate" Bosworth is an American actress. Bosworth starred in the television series Young Americans, in which she played Bella Banks. She became known with a leading role in 2002's Blue Crush. The following year, Bosworth played the teenage girlfriend of porn star John Holmes in...
as Anne Marie Chadwick - Matthew DavisMatthew DavisMatthew W. Davis is an American actor.-Life and career:Davis was born in Salt Lake City. He attended Woods Cross High School, and the University of Utah....
as Matt Tollman - Michelle RodriguezMichelle RodriguezMayte Michelle Rodríguez , known professionally as Michelle Rodriguez, is an American actress. Following on from her breakthrough role in 2000's Girlfight, she is best known for playing tough-girl roles and starring in Hollywood blockbusters such as The Fast and the Furious, Resident Evil,...
as Eden - Sanoe LakeSanoe lakeSànoe Lake is an American actress of Hawaiian, Japanese and English descent.-Biography:She is best known for starring in the 2002 film Blue Crush, but she also wrote a book, Surfer Girl: A Guide To The Surfing Life. Her name "Sànoe" means "Mist of the Mountains." Lake appeared in the films...
as Lena - Mika BooremMika BooremMika Sue Boorem is an American actress who has appeared in the films Blue Crush , Carolina , Sleepover , and Smile ....
as Penny Chadwick - Faizon LoveFaizon LoveFaizon Andre Love is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for roles in the films Friday, Elf, Made, and Couples Retreat.-Life and career:...
as Leslie
Appearances from real-life surfers
- Keala KennellyKeala KennellyKeala Kennelly is a professional surfer. She was featured playing herself in the movie Blue Crush. She was also in the movie Step Into Liquid.She set a record in 2005 at Teahupoo, riding the biggest tow in wave by a woman....
- Carol Anne PhilipsCarol PhilipsCarol Philips a pioneers of big wave bodyboarding for women. She was the first woman to compete against the men at the Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore . She founded the World Championship of Women's Bodyboarding in Memory of Don and Josie Over in 1990...
- Rochelle BallardRochelle BallardRochelle Ballard is a professional female surfer who is a 10 year veteran the Association of Surfing Professional’s World Championship Tour. She is considered the best female tube rider in the world and has been a pioneer to the advancement of women’s surfing in the past two decades...
- Layne BeachleyLayne BeachleyLayne Beachley is a former professional surfer from Manly, Australia. She won the World Championship seven times.-Surfing career:At the age of 16 Beachley became a professional surfer. By the age of 20 she was ranked sixth in the world. Beachley became the Women's ASP World Champion in 1998, and...
- Megan AbuboMegan Abubo- Biography:Born in Connecticut and raised in Hawaii, Megan Abubo showcases a style honed on powerful reef-breaks and deepwater ocean waves.Growing up in Hawaii, Megan quickly became one of the "beach boys" and worked her way to a spot on the World Championship Tour ranks in 1998. She has been on...
- Brian KeaulanaBrian KeaulanaBrian Keaulana is a well known Hawaiian surfer and life guard, he played himself in Baywatch Hawaii.-Bibliography:Son of the legendary Hawaiian 'Buffalo' Keaulana. Born and raised on the beach at Makaha...
- Tom Carroll
- Jamie O'BrienJamie O'Brien (surfer)Jamie O'Brien is a professional surfer from North Shore, Hawaii.-Career:O'Brien was born on June 9, 1983 in Hawaii and currently lives in Haleiwa. He has said that he was fortunate as a child to grow up near the Banzai Pipeline...
- Bruce Irons
- Makua RothmanMakua RothmanMakaukai Rothman, born June 17, 1984 on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, is an up-and-coming big wave rider and professional surfer.Makua Rothman is the son of Eddie Rothman, founder of “Da Hui.” Da Hui, consisting of native Hawaiians , was established in the '70s purportedly as a reaction to the...
Filming
The movie was shot primarily on the island of OahuOahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
, including the North Shore
North Shore (Oahu)
The North Shore, in the context of geography of the Island of Oahu, refers to the north-facing coastal area of Oahu between Kaena Point and Kahuku Point...
, Mākaha
Makaha, Hawai'i
thumb|280px|Historically, Mākaha was an [[ahupua'a|ahupuaʻa]], or area of land ruled by chief or king and managed by the members of the [[alii|alii]]Mākaha is a census-designated place in Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States...
, Waikīkī
Waikiki
Waikiki is a neighborhood of Honolulu, in the City and County of Honolulu, on the south shore of the island of Oahu, in Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is the shoreline fronting Waikīkī....
, and the JW Marriott
Marriott International
Marriott International, Inc. is a worldwide operator and franchisor of a broad portfolio of hotels and related lodging facilities. Founded by J. Willard Marriott, the company is now led by son J.W. Marriott, Jr...
Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina. The production depended heavily on local talent. Many of the characters in the film are portrayed by real surfers found on the North Shore. Ruben Tejada, who plays J.J., was found by director John Stockwell outside of a grocery store. He liked him so much that he cast him in the movie. The fresh talent lent some raw energy to the film and kept the action real. All the surfing takes place in the ocean; no green screens or tanks were used.
While the actresses did learn to surf, some of the more difficult surfing scenes were not only dangerous, but impossible for them to perform. Some of the world's top female surfers, including ones featured in the original magazine article, surfed the larger waves for the film. The actresses' faces were later digitally superimposed on the surfers. Michelle Rodriguez
Michelle Rodriguez
Mayte Michelle Rodríguez , known professionally as Michelle Rodriguez, is an American actress. Following on from her breakthrough role in 2000's Girlfight, she is best known for playing tough-girl roles and starring in Hollywood blockbusters such as The Fast and the Furious, Resident Evil,...
did all her own jet ski stunts, including towing Kate Bosworth's
Kate Bosworth
Catherine Ann "Kate" Bosworth is an American actress. Bosworth starred in the television series Young Americans, in which she played Bella Banks. She became known with a leading role in 2002's Blue Crush. The following year, Bosworth played the teenage girlfriend of porn star John Holmes in...
stunt double out to the biggest waves.
Actor/Pro Surf Instructor John Philbin
John Philbin
John Philbin is an American surfer who has appeared in television and film.John first began acting in high school, around the same time he began surfing. Choosing acting over wrestling, John joined a drama team that went on to win awards throughout his high school career. Upon leaving high school,...
was Bosworth's trainer for the film. Philbin starred in the film North Shore
North Shore (film)
North Shore is a 1987 film about Rick Kane , a young fictional surfer from a wave tank in Arizona, who heads to surf the season on the North Shore of Oahu and see if he has the skills to cut it as a pro surfer...
many years prior which was shot on the island of Oahu at the world famous North Shore.
Former surfing world champion Tom Carroll appears early in the film as a surfer with a cut eye. According to producer Brian Grazer
Brian Grazer
Brian Thomas Grazer is an Academy Award-winning American film and television producer who co-founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. Together they have produced many acclaimed films, including Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind .- Career :Brian Grazer began his career as a producer...
, this was a real injury —Carroll had wiped out on the reef just seconds earlier— and it made Kate Bosworth
Kate Bosworth
Catherine Ann "Kate" Bosworth is an American actress. Bosworth starred in the television series Young Americans, in which she played Bella Banks. She became known with a leading role in 2002's Blue Crush. The following year, Bosworth played the teenage girlfriend of porn star John Holmes in...
and Michelle Rodriguez
Michelle Rodriguez
Mayte Michelle Rodríguez , known professionally as Michelle Rodriguez, is an American actress. Following on from her breakthrough role in 2000's Girlfight, she is best known for playing tough-girl roles and starring in Hollywood blockbusters such as The Fast and the Furious, Resident Evil,...
nervous about going in the water.
Influence
Although Blue Crush depicts a women's heat in the Pipeline Competition, this did not exist at the time of the film's release. Despite the advances made by Title IXTitle IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law, enacted on June 23, 1972, that amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most...
, there was no place for women surfers to compete. It was not until March 2005 that there was a women's competition at the Banzai Pipeline.
Some have suggested that the film inspired real-life change.
Soundtrack
- "If I Could Fall In Love" (4:23) – Lenny KravitzLenny KravitzLeonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
- "Rock Star (Jason Nevins Remix Edit)" (3:50) – N.E.R.D
- "Party Hard" (4:00) – Beenie ManBeenie ManAnthony Moses Davis , better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Grammy award winning Jamaican reggae artist. He is the self-proclaimed "King of the Dancehall".-Biography:...
- "Cruel Summer (Blestenation Mix)" (5:13) – Blestenation
- "Big Love" (3:48) – Chicken Josh Debear (rap/vocals)
- "Daybreaker" (3:54) – Beth OrtonBeth OrtonBeth Orton is a BRIT Award–winning English singer-songwriter, known for her 'folktronica' sound, which mixes elements of folk and electronica. She was initially recognised for her collaborations with William Orbit and the Chemical Brothers in the mid 1990s. However, these were not Orton's first...
- "Everybody Got Their Something" (4:22) – Nikka CostaNikka CostaDomenica "Nikka" Costa is an American singer whose music combines elements of funk, soul, and blues. She also had a career as a child singer starting in the early 1980s. She is the daughter of notable music producer Don Costa and is married to Australian producer/songwriter Justin Stanley.- Early...
- "Front To Back (Fatboy Slim Remix)" (3:53) – PlaygroupPlaygroup (band)Playgroup is a British dance act. Basically the project of musician and designer Trevor Jackson, they were associated with the electroclash movement.Jackson has also performed under the names Underdog and Skull.-Albums:...
- "And Be Loved" (3:02) – Damian MarleyDamian MarleyDamian "Jr. Gong" Marley is a Jamaican reggae artist who has won three Grammy awards. Damian is the youngest son of Bob Marley....
- "Destiny" (5:40) – Zero 7Zero 7Zero 7 is a British musical duo consisting of Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker. The group members began their musical careers as studio engineers and in 1997 formed the group Zero 7. Their debut album, Simple Things was released in 2001 and received critical acclaim...
- "Firesuite" (4:37) – Doves
- "Youth Of The Nation" – P.O.D.P.O.D.Payable on Death is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992. The band's line-up consists of vocalist Sonny Sandoval, drummer Wuv Bernardo, guitarist Marcos Curiel, and bassist Traa Daniels. Their Christian faith is an important part of their music.They have released seven studio albums and...
- "Alive" - P.O.D.P.O.D.Payable on Death is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992. The band's line-up consists of vocalist Sonny Sandoval, drummer Wuv Bernardo, guitarist Marcos Curiel, and bassist Traa Daniels. Their Christian faith is an important part of their music.They have released seven studio albums and...