Gidget goes out there.

Rating: 8/10 (16 August 2002)

This is light-years better than it should have been. Director John Stockwell has reinvented the surf flick for the '00s generation. He wisely lets the Hawaiian waves do most of the acting. I can only hope the Academy offers Oscars for Oceanography.

The plot is bare but bearable: a competitor must overcome her demons to grow up. Exactly what a surfer's demons are you'll just have to go see for yourself. No great talents are taxed by this story but the scenery and the setting make everything look great. Kate Bosworth may well have a future on the screen, especially if she keeps working in sunny climates.