Chasing Mavericks Blu-ray delivers stunning video and reference-quality audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release
When young Jay Moriarty discovers that the mythic Mavericks surf break, one of the biggest waves on Earth, exists just miles from his Santa Cruz home, he enlists the help of local legend Frosty Hesson to train him to survive it.
Off the coast of Santa Cruz—a.k.a "Surf City"—there's a seasonal combination of winds and tides that occasionally produces swells as high as a
three-story building. These waves are called "mavericks," and before a well-publicized El Niño in the mid-1990s brought them international attention,
they were the stuff of surfing legend, ridden only by a small, in-the-know cadre of local surf veterans. One of these privileged boarders was "Frosty"
Hesson, who took young grom Jay Moriarity under his water-wing, trained him up, and taught him how to drop in on the big ones. Moriarity
later became something of a legend himself in the surfing world, immortalized at a carefree twenty-two years old after drowning in a free diving
accident in the Maldives.
Chasing Mavericks gently fictionalizes the surrogate-father/son mentor relationship between Frosty and Jay, telling an inspirational story about
goal-setting, dedication, and conquering fear. Directed by Curtis Hanson and Up Series documentarian Michael Apted—who took over late in
production when Hanson had complications from heart surgery—the film is a production of Walden Media, known for conservative-leaning movies like
Won't Back Down and Waiting for Superman. Chasing Mavericks sets politics aside, however, and focuses on simple, family-
friendly storytelling. This isn't a film that takes many narrative risks—it generally follows the underdog sports movie formula—but it is warm and
entertaining and eager to please.
Seventeen-year-old Jay (Jonny Weston) is a good kid in a bad situation. His father bailed when he was eight, leaving him to care for his alcoholic,
perpetually-late-for-work mother, Kristy (Elisabeth Shue, looking appropriately tired for the entire film). Jay makes dinner and does his mom's laundry,
he gets her out of bed in the morning and loans her cash when she needs it from his part time wages at the local pizza shack. He's the very definition
of dutiful. Jay's passion, though, is surfing. He was first hooked as a kid, when his down-the-street neighbor, Frosty—a particularly shaggy Gerard
Butler—rescued him from a tidal surge and paddled him to shore. Ever since, Jay has eyed and idolized Frosty, a dedicated older surfer who hits the
waves at dawn before heading off for his day job as an independent contractor.
One morning, Jay spies Frosty heading out to his van with a big red board meant for riding monster waves. Thinking quickly, he runs out, covertly
hitches a ride by hanging off the back of the van, and follows Frosty to the secret stretch of coastline where the "mavericks" swell and crash. From a
distance, he watches Frosty sculpt his way down a 30-foot drop. Back in the van—and found out—Jay begs the now-angry Frosty to train him. It takes
some convincing—with Frosty's wise and long-suffering wife, Brenda (Abigail Spencer), advocating on the boy's behalf—but Frosty finally comes around.
He never had a father himself, and though he has two daughters, he has no sons of his own. Frosty doesn't mean to become a substitute dad of sorts,
but that, of course, is exactly what happens.
The rest of the film plays out in the twelve weeks leading up to the close of the big wave season, with Frosty instructing Jay in "the four pillars of a
solid human foundation—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual." Frosty is a peculiar dude. Along with demanding that Jay be able to hold his breath
for four minutes, paddle a 36-mile loop, and tread water for 45-minutes while being pummeled by breakers, Frosty assigns the kid to write semi-
philosophical essays about observation and fear, challenging him to look deep inside himself. The two sometimes clash—in the way that people who are
a lot alike often do—but they grow inextricably closer, a healing process the film handles with genuine tenderness.
What the movie doesn't handle quite as well are its many subplots, which are here to add drama and drive but feel merely obligatory and
underdeveloped. Jay is antagonized by the local beach bully. He pursues his childhood sweetheart, Kim (Leven Rambin), who's two years older and sees
him more as a younger brother. He doles out forgiveness when his best friend and surfing buddy (Devin Crittenden) goes to the dark side, dealing
drugs and falling in with the wrong crowd. We're glad when Chasing Mavericks gets back to the wind, the waves, and the inspirational
mentoring.
Gerard Butler seems to be playing a variation on the brash do-gooder character he played in Machine Gun Preacher—another based-on-a-true-
story film—and the Scottish native is surprisingly great in these curmudgeonly American roles. Here, he's the embodiment of the
washed up surfer who only works to support his wave-riding habit—perhaps even more than his family—but his Frosty is also a well-rounded creation,
with vulnerabilities you don't necessarily expect. Jay is less interesting as a character, blandly Boy Scout-ish, without any real flaws beyond a certain
impetuousness. Still, he's relatable enough, and we certainly find ourselves quietly rooting for him as he prepares to chase his first maverick. Will he
succeed? That's probably not a question that needs asked. In a film like this, fist-pumping triumph is a foregone conclusion. Not that this is a bad thing.
Chasing Mavericks paddles hard, hops up, and rides its narrative wave all the way in to feel-good shores.
Chasing Mavericks was shot digitally using Arri Alexa and Red Epic camera systems, and I wouldn't be surprised if there are some
occasional DSLR or action-cam inserts as well. Despite the all-digital production, the movie's 1080p/AVC-encoded Blu-ray presentation has a surprisingly
filmic look, with a thin layer of source noise that doubles nicely for grain. As usual, 20th Century Fox has kept the fidelity of the picture intact, with no
obvious noise reduction, edge enhancement, or compression issues. (Sitting on a dual-layer, 50GB disc, the film has plenty of room.) There are a few
shots from the surfing sequences that look a little soft, but most of the time, clarity is excellent. Closeups, in particular, feature an abundance of tightly
resolved detail in the areas you tend to notice it—hair, skin, and clothing textures. Color too is vivid and dynamic, from the bright sky blues and greenish
water to funereal overcast grays. Contrast is consistant, and skin tones are accurate to the grading of each scene. On the whole, the image is very
satisfying. No distractions here.
I was expecting the film to get 20th Century Fox's usual lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 treatment—which would've been just fine—but I was
surprised by a full 7.1 mix that goes above and beyond the call of duty. The track makes great use of the extra aural real estate. The surfing sequences
in particular really do come alive, with foamy spray, pounding waves—often triggering some deep low-end subwoofer engagement—and a wash of
general oceany ambience, from soft wind to the distant caws of seabirds. During the quieter scenes, dialogue takes precedence, and the actors' voices
are always, clear, balanced, and easy to understand. Garden State composer Chad Fischer provides a tonally complementary score, but what
you'll really remember is the film's smattering of mid-1990s hits, from The Butthole Surfers' "Pepper" to Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You." The music
frequently fills the entire soundfield, and has a strong sense of clarity. The disc includes several dub and subtitle options—see above for details—along
with a descriptive audio track.
Commentary by Michael Apted, Brandon Hooper, and Jim Meenaghan: The film's director, editor, and producer sit down for an
informative chat about the making of the movie, with particular attention paid to the challenges and reward of shooting on location in Santa Cruz.
Deleted Scenes (HD, 5:45): Five short deleted scenes.
Surf City (HD, 10:31): A short piece about surfing culture in Santa Cruz, a.k.a "Surf City." Features several local veteran surfers,
plus the filmmakers, who explain why it was essential to shoot on location.
Shooting Waves (HD, 10:38): A behind-the-scenes featurette on the filming of the surfing scenes, which involved some innovative
cinematography—including cameras mounted to remote control helicopters, or dangling by tethers from full-sized helis—along with clever blue screen
compositing to replace the actors' faces in some of the more intense shots.
Live Like Jay (HD, 10:50): Several of the real-life Jay's friends discuss his life, personality, and career.
Surfer Zen (HD, 10:09): Several surfers talk about the feelings they get out on the ocean. Also, Gerard Butler tells a fairly harrowing story
about how he got stuck below a wave during the filming of one scene.
If you're looking for some wholesome, life-affirming, family-friendly entertainment, look no further. Chasing Mavericks is an inspirational true
underdog story about the power of perseverance and dedication, and while it borders on cornball in two or three spots, it is a genuinely good-
hearted movie. Some of the surfing footage is killer too, so if you're into the sport, it's probably worth checking out for that alone. It also works well—
unexpectedly—as an early 1990s period piece. 20th Century Fox's Blu-ray is, uh, totally bodacious, with strong picture quality and a lossless 7.1
surround track that goes beyond the normal call of duty. A great choice for family movie night if you've tired of Pixar. Recommended.
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment will release on Blu-ray directors Michael Apted and Curtis Hanson's Chasing Mavericks (2012), starring Jonny Weston, Gerard Butler, Elisabeth Shue, and Abigail Spencer. The release will be available for purchase on February ...
