Daisy Ridley battles jellyfish and the patriarchy with equal pluck and aplomb in Young Woman and the Sea. Ridley stars in this compelling biographical drama as Trudy Ederle, the first woman to swim across the English Channel. Ederle accomplished this feat in 1926—nearly a century before the open-water swimming triumph depicted in last year’s Oscar-nominated Nyad.
Challenges Faced by Female Athletes
One of the most fascinating and frustrating elements of director Joachim Rønning’s film, based on sportswriter Glenn Stout’s book of the same name, is how men in charge fundamentally misunderstand what Ederle and other female athletes need to train, compete, and thrive. They simply don’t care. Mostly, they’re hostile, even to Olympians. But as women, they’re resourceful, and Ederle consistently finds a way.
Young Women Will Find Inspiration
Young Woman and the Sea is a worthwhile film for young women involved in sports. Its themes of daring and perseverance should resonate with anyone who’s ever gone after a goal. Rønning has found a balance: he’s made a feel-good sports film that’s stirring without being overly sentimental.
An Adventure on Film
The Norwegian filmmaker, whose Oscar-nominated Kon-Tiki from 2012 probably prepared him for the challenges of shooting in water, makes us feel like we’re slicing through the waves alongside Ederle. Her passage across a bright-red jellyfish field is particularly harrowing. The depth of her fear is evident, even in the dark once she’s forced to go it alone in the shallows outside Dover.
A Journey from Adversity
When we first see Ederle as a sickly child in 1914 Manhattan, she’s on the brink of succumbing to measles. Played by Olive Abercrombie, she overcomes adversity to pursue her dream of learning to swim—despite societal expectations. It was scary, I always felt safe, but it’s very overwhelming and ultimately feeling like a little thing in this huge
, said Ridley about portraying this determination.
Strong Female Leads
Tilda Cobham-Hervey plays Trudy’s supportive older sister Meg, while Jeanette Hain portrays their headstrong mother who insists both daughters should become swimmers. The training montages are led by the amusingly no-nonsense Lottie Epstein (Sian Clifford).
A Balancing Act between Home and Ambition
The script by veteran screenwriter Jeff Nathanson poignantly balances Trudy’s home life with her athletic ambitions—the friction between what’s expected of her as a butcher’s daughter and what she wants for herself is palpable. She fully rejects the arranged marriage to a nice German boy and the neighborhood she’d likely never leave.
The Supporting Cast Shines
This balance is further highlighted when Stephen Graham and Alexander Karim stand out among hard-drinking locals in crucial roles at a French coastal town bar right before her 21-mile swim.
The Thrill of Persistence
This movie captures the essence of persistence through every stroke across the English Channel. The initial low-tech methods reporting on her progress transition from humorous to dramatic tension. Young Woman and the Sea keeps audiences engaged without overplaying conventional tropes—it makes every strenuous moment count.
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