A century before Katie Ledecky was representing the U.S. in significant swims over long distances, there was Gertrude Ederle. However, the latter’s greatest swim didn’t take place in the pool.
“Young Woman and the Sea” tells the story of how Ederle, a swimmer from Manhattan, became the first woman to cross the English Channel. The movie shows how Ederle, portrayed by Daisy Ridley, grew up to become a competitive swimmer who competed in the 1924 Olympics.
The film follows Ederle being coached up by Women’s Swimming Association founder Charlotte Epstein (Sian Clifford) and how she was driven by her sister Meg (Tilda Cobham-Hervey) who also swam. It then shows her motivation to conquer the Channel and what it took to pull it off.
Disney’s sports films usually don’t stray too far from the traditional genre format and that’s true with its latest. The first act introduces the protagonist’s origins in the sport, the second features a mix of success and adversity, then the third features the climax with the final sporting event.
Sports films from Disney also have a pretty solid track record of being inspiring, moving and entertaining, with standouts like “Remember the Titans” and “Miracle” coming to mind. Those descriptors also work for “Young Woman and the Sea.” While it’s certainly a generic plot structure, the film is still a compelling ride.
Watching Ederle overcome challenges with a mix of natural talent, dedicated hard work and will to succeed, despite various setbacks, keeps an audience invested. It helps that on top of crowd pleasing moments of athletic success, the film also makes her a likable, bold character to root for.
It makes the final leg of the character’s journey into the Atlantic Ocean rather engaging. By that point in the movie, a viewer is hooked by the display of her effort and a person can’t help but be roused by the woman’s display of grit and determination, highlighting the power of the human body and the human spirit.
Ridley deserves a lot of credit for making Ederle a character to cheer for. She’s charismatic in the role, nicely portraying an energetic, charming and fearless woman. It’s the type of heroic performance that powers sports films like this.
Also enjoyable on screen is Stephen Graham as fellow English Channel swimmer Bill, Cobham-Hervey as Ederle’s sister Margaret and Sian Clifford as her coach. Ederle’s parents are, unfortunately, a bit one dimensional, though. This is likely more due to the writing, as the performances are fine, but Ederle’s dad comes across as overly strict and her mother too reserved.
It just made the family dynamic a bit inauthentic. Plus there’s also the fact that the parents spoke with a heavy German accent, and their kids have absolutely no sign of one. While the family aspect didn’t always work, though, the swimming portions did, especially in the ocean which was made to look properly imposing.
“Young Woman and the Sea” has to swim upstream a bit because of some issues but it still arrives at its destination in satisfying fashion. It’s an emotional, crowd-pleasing film that highlights the women that laid the groundwork for the likes of Ledecky, Amy Van Dyken, Natalie Coughlin, Simone Manuel and more U.S. Olympic Gold Medalists. 3.75 out of 5.
Matthew Liedke on Film 