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The human spirit can be suppressed but never eradicated. This was certainly proven by the new Netflix film titled True Spirit, which recently hit the streamer.
True Spirit is based on the true story of Jessica Watson, an Australian who became the youngest person ever to sail solo, non-stop around the world. Directed by Sarah Spillane, the film stars Teagan Croft as Jessica Watson, Alyla Browne as Young Jessica Watson, Cliff Curtis as Ben Bryant, Anna Paquin as Julie Watson, Josh Lawson as Roger Watson, Bridget Webb, Vivien Turner, Stacy Clausen and Todd Lasance as Craig Atherton.
Let's dive into a detailed review of this inspirational movie that can be enjoyed with the family.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers
True Spirit review: No dream is too big if you believe in them
Sixteen-year-old Jessica lives with her parents and siblings in Sydney, Australia. She had a troubled childhood because she was diagnosed with dyslexia at a very early age. She was homeschooled as a result, although her parents were always proud of her. Even her siblings, who support her success, adore her.
Jessica has always loved sailing. Her mother Julie, played by Anna Paquin, read her Lionheart: A Journey of the Human Spirit when she was little. The book is about Jesse Martin's adventures sailing around the world. Before Jessica, he held the record for being the youngest person to sail around the world at the age of 18. Jessica broke the record when she was 16.
She is not just supported by her family but by her beloved coach and friend, Ben, who is portrayed by New Zealand actor Cliff Curtis. He is frequently observed guiding her through dangerous currents and towering seas as she travels. She has a strong bond with her yacht, "Pink," and she loves it dearly.
The movie is great to watch with friends and family and could be extremely inspirational for young kids who have big dreams. Performances by Teagan Croft, Cliff Curtis, Anna Paquin, and Josh Lawson are nothing short of brilliant and the movie is a beautiful display of mental strength and grit. Moreover, the soundtrack of True Spirit is quite enjoyable and fits well with the atmosphere of the plot.
The film's director Sarah Spillane described the movie:
"For me, True Spirit is not only a story about having a dream and working hard to fulfill that dream, but how the pursuit of that dream changes you in the process."
She even spoke about the challenges during filming. She said:
"I think the most challenging sequences … so much of this story is set on water, so from a production perspective, we only had two days shooting on open ocean and a lot of the crew became very seasick. In fact, I think myself and the DP [director of photography] Danny Ruhlmann were the only ones that that survived one of the days on the open without getting seasick."
There is also quite a lot of CGI in the portions where Jessica is morbidly estranged in the sea and some cinematic shots are truly a treat to the eye. Sailors often tend to feel lonely and depressed when they are alone in the sea and this was portrayed quite perfectly in the movie.
True Spirit is a wonderfully memorable movie to watch if you enjoy action movies, captivating survival, and inspirational stories.
True Spirit is streaming on Netflix worldwide.
