True Spirit (film)
True Spirit | |
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Sarah Spillane | |
Screenplay by |
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Based on | True Spirit by Jessica Watson |
Produced by | |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Danny Ruhlmann |
Edited by | Veronika Jenet |
Music by | Nick Wales |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Netflix |
Release dates |
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Running time | 109 minutes |
Country | Australia |
Language | English |
True Spirit is a 2023 Australian
Plot
In 2009, 16-year-old Jessica Watson dreams of becoming the youngest person to
On a test run, Jessica's boat is hit by a 63,000 tonne cargo ship that strayed off course.[6] She didn't notice the oncoming ship because she forgot to turn on her alert system before going to bed. The accident raises skepticism among the media as to whether Jessica can safely achieve her goal. Her parents are also worried, but continue to support her ambitions.
Jessica sets off on her journey from
A period of "dead calm" occurs and Jessica's boat remains stationary for a week. During this time, she suffers from depression and loneliness. She has a heated argument with Ben and cruelly reminds him that, while competing in the New Zealand Millennium Cup, one of his crew members died under his command. He angrily quits the project in response. Jessica's mother encourages her frustrated daughter to lift her spirits by singing David Bowie's "Starman" while looking at the brightest star in the sky.
The wind returns and Jessica continues her journey. She eventually nears Australia and is about one thousand miles from Sydney. Before she can reach home, she encounters three storms that merge. Ben returns and advises her to alter the route, effectively abandoning her official circumnavigation. Jessica refuses to give up and choses to ride it out. The storm proves to be far more violent than the last one. The Pink Lady capsizes and is thrust 15 feet (4.5 meters) underwater. This sets off the boat's emergency locator beacon, and the team believes Jessica may have drowned.
The Pink Lady, however, resurfaces and rights herself. Jessica informs her family that she and the boat are safe. She returns to Sydney Harbor, 210 days after she left. Her team and a crowd spectators are there to welcome her home.
The epilogue reveals that Jessica was named the 2011 Young Australian of the Year, has written two books despite having dyslexia, and is still an avid sailor.
Cast
- Teagan Croft as Jessica Watson
- Alyla Browne as Young Jessica Watson
- Cliff Curtis as Ben Bryant
- Anna Paquin as Julie Watson, Jessica's mother
- Josh Lawson as Roger Watson, Jessica's father
- Bridget Webb as Emily Watson, Jessica's older sister
- Vivien Turner as Hannah Watson, Jessica's younger sister
- Stacy Clausen as Tom Watson, Jessica's younger brother
- Todd Lasance as Craig Atherton
Production
Netflix announced on 16 July 2020 that Watson's memoir True Spirit would be adapted into a feature film, directed by Sarah Spillane. The film is produced by Susan Cartsonis for Resonate Entertainment, Debra Martin Chase for Martin Chase Productions and Andrew Fraser for Sunstar Entertainment. Executive Producers are Suzanne Farwell and Brent Emery for Resonate Entertainment. Co-Producer is Clément Bauer for Resonate Entertainment.[7][8] Filming took place in August 2021 in Chevron Island in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 pandemic affected the production.[9]
Release
Netflix, per its policy of releasing some of its larger titles for a limited cinematic run, released the film in select theatres on 26 January 2023 in Australia, and made it available globally for streaming on 3 February.[10]
Soundtrack
""I Made It"" | |
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YouTube |
Reception
On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes website, the film has an approval rating of 75% based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10.[12] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 50 out of 100 based on 6 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[13] On IMDb's 10-point scale the film has a mean rating of 6.8 from more than 9,600 people.[14]
Simon Foster of Screen-Space rating the film 4 out of 5, praised the director
Accolades
Award | Date | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
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AACTA Awards | 10 February 2024 | Best Production Design | Michelle McGahey, Bill Booth & Gillian Butler | Nominated | [22] |
References
- ^ "True Spirit". Netflix Media Center. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "Queensland to Star in Jessica Watson Biopic for Netflix". Screen Queensland. 21 May 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "True Spirit (2023) - The Screen Guide". Screen Australia. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ Sailing, Australian. "Hall of Fame". www.sailing.org.au. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ Robinson, Jacob (25 January 2023). "'True Spirit' Jessica Watson Biopic: Coming to Netflix in February 2023". What’s on Netflix. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ World, Yachting (3 March 2023). "Jessica Watson: the true story of True Spirit star's voyage". Yachting World. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ "Teagan Croft To Play Inspirational Aussie Trailblazer In "True Spirit" For Netflix". About Netflix. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ^ "INSPIRATIONAL AUSSIE TRAILBLAZER JESSICA WATSON GETS A BIOPIC AT NETFLIX". Netflix Media Center. 16 July 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ StClair, Monique (4 August 2021). "Authorities looking into complaints a Gold Coast film production breached restrictions". myGC. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ Vivienne Kelly (16 December 2022). "Netflix Provides First Look at 'True Spirit', Inspired by Jessica Watson Story". Variety. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ Greta Brereton (3 February 2023). "Listen to Tones And I's new single 'I Made It'". NME. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ^ "True Spirit (2023, Drama/Biography)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- Fandom, Inc.Retrieved 11 February 2023.
- ^ "True Spirit". IMDB. IMDB.com. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
- ^ Foster, Simon (27 January 2023). "True Spirit". Screen-Space. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ Rapold, Nicolas (2 February 2023). "'True Spirit' Review: Around the World in 210 Days". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ Byrnes, Paul (1 February 2023). "Plenty of waterworks, but Netflix's Jessica Watson biopic isn't all smooth sailing". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ Roman, Julian (3 February 2023). "True Spirit Review: An Empowering Tribute to a Magnificent Achievement". Movie Web. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ Simmons, Russ (3 February 2023). "Freeze Frame: "80 for Brady (PG-13), "Knock at the Cabin" (R), "True Spirit" (PG)". KKFI. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ Zacharek, Stephanie (2 February 2023). "Netflix's Real-Life Sailing Adventure True Spirit Is an Anthem of Teenage Independence". Time Magazine. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ Ma, Wenlei (3 February 2023). "Now is the right moment for a Jessica Watson biopic". Nationwide News. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ^ Estera, Christine (9 December 2023). "AACTA 2024 film and TV nominations revealed". news.com.au. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
External links
- True Spirit at IMDb
- True Spirit at Rotten Tomatoes
- True Spirit on Netflix
- True Spirit at Box Office Mojo