VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Steineded How sad is this?

Beanbioca As Good As It Gets

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

bombersflyup Chasing Mavericks is a passable cliche-ridden surfing destiny film.It didn't really connect with me at all, but it is a well made film that held my interest for its duration. Jonny Weston is a capable lead, but the other characters were lacking. There was definitely room for more of Abigail Spencer.

djfrost-46786 Good movie, alot like Karate Kid. Love Elisabeth Shue n ALL her movies :D. This movie is way better than ALL Karate Kid movies but the 1st one.

tieman64 "Out of water, I am nothing." - Duke Kahanamoku A biographical drama about the life of American surfer Jay Moriarity, "Chasing Mavericks" was directed by Curtis Hanson. Hanson fell ill on set, leading to director Michael Apted stepping in and completing the film.The plot? Jonny Weston plays Jay, a kid living in Santa Cruz, California. Obsessed with surfing - which becomes Jay's means of escaping various social and familial problems - Jay befriends Frosty Hesson (Gerard Butler), a local surf legend. Hesson begrudgingly mentors Jay, and teaches him the art of surfing gigantic swells known as "mavericks".Despite an interesting premise, "Chasing Mavericks" is swamped with clichés. The film features a cheesy student-mentor relationship, a tired "rites of passage" formula, familiar romantic subplots, routine domestic drama, dull platitudes about "Nature" and "waves", and a lead character who has no personality beyond his cartoonish fixation on boards and beaches.Nothing in "Chasing Mavericks" rings true. Whilst the film is adored by surfing aficionados, the film is largely an insult to their subculture. A better film would capture the beauty of surfing, the sights, sounds and smells of the coast and the realities of living in coastal communities. It would capture the feel of sand between the toes, of moonlight skittering across tranquil oceans and of sea-spray on sun-baked boards. It would delve into the relationships of those in surf groups, it would show an interest in the colourful characters who are typically found on beaches, the jobs of those who dedicate their lives to the board, and the wonderful nooks, crannies and bits of wind-battered architecture that adorn shorelines. But no. In its telescopic fixation on Jay Moriarity, "Chasing Mavericks" ignores the world. It ignores the subculture Moriarity was attracted to, and ignores the mixture of romance, wisdom, self-absorption and banality which makes beach life so interesting. Poorly acted across the board, the film co-stars Elisabeth Shue and Leven Rambin.5/10 – Outside of documentaries, the surf subculture hasn't been handled well on-screen. "Point Break", "Surfs Up", "Big Wednesday" and "The Endless Summer" probably treat this material as best as its been done.

SnoopyStyle Jay Moriarity (Jonny Weston) is a young surfer with an absentee father. He finds a father figure in Frosty Hesson (Gerard Butler) who would teach young Jay the character to ride the giant waves that sometimes come near his Santa Cruz home.This is reasonable coming of age young man story. Newcomer Jonny Weston is surprisingly functional as the sweet young man. Gerard Butler does well as a father figure. The minor problem is the lack of real drama. There is an attempt at it by creating difficulties with the girlfriend Kim (Leven Rambin). The problem is the clunky teenager dialog. It alternates between poignant and hokey.The best part has to be surfing the powerful waves. The roar of the ocean is deafening. The weight of the waves really translate onto the screen. All in all, it's a likable movie that has some unrealized potential.