''Young Woman and the Sea'' is a 2024 American

biographical A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curric ...

sports film A sports film is a film genre in which any particular sport plays a prominent role in the film's plot or acts as its central theme. It is a production in which a sport or a sports-related topic is prominently featured or is a focus of the plot. D ...

directed by

Joachim Rønning Joachim Rønning (born 30 May 1972) is a Norwegian film director, producer, and writer best known for the Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated ''Kon-Tiki'' and the Disney action-adventure films '' Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No T ...

and written by

Jeff Nathanson Jeffrey D. Nathanson (born October 12, 1965) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for writing two films of the '' Rush Hour'' series, as well as the Steven Spielberg films ''Catch Me If You Can'', ''The Terminal'', and '' Indiana Jones and t ...

, based on the 2009 book by Glenn Stout. Produced by

Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures is an American film Film production company, production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios (division), the Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. The st ...

and

Jerry Bruckheimer Films Jerry Bruckheimer Films Inc. (JBF) is an American independent film production company formed by Jerry Bruckheimer in 1995, after cutting his ties with film producer Don Simpson before his death in 1996. It produces blockbuster films such as ...

, the film stars

Daisy Ridley Daisy Jazz Isobel Ridley (born 10 April 1992) is an English actress. She rose to prominence for her role as Rey in the ''Star Wars'' sequel trilogy. She appeared in the mystery film ''Murder on the Orient Express'' (2017), played the title ...

Gertrude Ederle Gertrude Caroline Ederle (; October 23, 1905 – November 30, 2003) was an American competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and world record-holder in five events. On August 6, 1926, she became the first woman to swim across the English Channel. ...

, an American competitive swimmer who became the first woman to swim across the English Channel. It also stars

Tilda Cobham-Hervey Tilda Cobham-Hervey (born 4 September 1994) is an Australian actress. She made her film debut in ''52 Tuesdays'', a critically acclaimed independent film directed by Sophie Hyde, and has also appeared on stage. She appeared in the 2018 film ''H ...

Stephen Graham Stephen Graham (born 3 August 1973) is an English actor and film producer. He began his career in 1990, with early notable roles in '' Snatch'' (2000) and ''Gangs of New York'' (2002), before his breakthrough role as Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne ...

Kim Bodnia Kim Bodnia (born 12 April 1965) is a Danish actor. He became widely known for his role as police detective Martin Rohde in the Scandinavian crime drama series '' The Bridge''. He's also known internationally for his lead role as drug dealer Frank ...

Christopher Eccleston Christopher Eccleston (; born 16 February 1964) is an English actor whose work has encompassed Hollywood blockbusters and arthouse films, television dramas, Shakespearean stage performances and science fiction, most notably the Ninth Doctor, ni ...

, and

Glenn Fleshler Glenn Fleshler is an American actor. On television, he is noted as a recurring cast member on ''Boardwalk Empire'' who portrayed real-life bootlegger George Remus, for appearing on '' Billions'', and as Errol Childress in the first season of ...

in supporting roles. Development on the film began in 2015 after producer

Jerry Bruckheimer Jerome Leonard Bruckheimer (born September 21, 1943) is an American film and television producer. He has been active in the genres of action, drama, comedy, fantasy, horror and science fiction. After working in advertising out of college, Bruck ...

acquired the film rights to the book, and established a distribution deal with

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

, with Nathanson attached to write it and

Lily James Lily Chloe Ninette Thomson (born 5 April 1989), known professionally as Lily James, is an English actress. She studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and began her career in the British television series '' Just Wi ...

cast as Ederle. Paramount eventually put the project in turnaround. In 2020, Walt Disney Pictures acquired the project with Ridley set to portray Ederle and Rønning to direct it.

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

took place between May and June 2022. ''Young Woman and the Sea'' premiered at the

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, also known as Hotel Roosevelt, is a historic hotel located at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California. History Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel was built in 1926, in what is known as t ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

on May 16, 2024. Originally set for release by Disney on its streaming service

Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

, the film had a

limited theatrical release __FORCETOC__ Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few cinemas across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unite ...

after positive

test screening A test screening, or test audience, is a preview screening of a film or television series before its general release to gauge audience reaction. Preview audiences are selected from a cross-section of the population and are usually asked to complet ...

s in the United States on May 31, 2024. It received positive reviews from critics.

Plot

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, 1914, a young Trudy Ederle, who is afflicted with

measles Measles (probably from Middle Dutch or Middle High German ''masel(e)'', meaning "blemish, blood blister") is a highly contagious, Vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccine-preventable infectious disease caused by Measles morbillivirus, measles v ...

, witnesses a burning ferry capsize, with that disaster leaving hundreds of the passengers dead. Her mother, Gertrude, is horrified by the incident. After learning that most of the dead were women due to their inability to swim, she resolves to have Trudy's siblings, Meg and Henry Jr., learn swimming for their survival, with Trudy barred from water due to her illness. Surprisingly, Trudy recovers from measles. She becomes fascinated with

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...

, and having persuaded her stern father, Henry, to allow her, she begins to pursue the sport when she's 12. Subsequently, Gertrude has them join the Women's Swimming Association under the tutelage of the headstrong Charlotte Epstein. Trudy is initially passed over for Meg, whom Epstein favors. Nevertheless, she agrees also to train Trudy, who makes quick progress. Over time, Trudy's performance keeps improving and she wins a string of world records; however, Meg's advance is far more modest. In 1924, the Ederles are approached by the American Olympic Union (AOU) about participating in the

1924 Paris Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad () and officially branded as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The opening ceremony was held on 5 July, but some competitions had al ...

; however, only Trudy is offered a spot. Subsequently, the U.S. women’s team is introduced to

Jabez Wolffe Jacob Abraham "Jabez" "Jappy" Wolffe (19 November 1876 – 22 October 1943) was a Scottish long-distance swimmer and author of swimming books. He attempted but failed to swim the English Channel 22 times, between 1906 and 1921. He came closest to ...

, a swimmer who unsuccessfully attempted to cross the

English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...

, as their coach. However, the sexist Wolffe prevents them from properly training, and as a consequence, Trudy only wins bronze medals in the

100 metre freestyle The 100 metre freestyle is often considered to be the highlight (Blue Ribbon event) of the sport of swimming, like 100 metres in the sport of Athletics, symbolizing the pinnacle of speed and athleticism in swimming competitions. The first swimm ...

and 400 metre freestyle. She returns to New York in disappointment, which worsens when she discovers that in her absence, Meg has become engaged to be married in a deal orchestrated by their father. After an encounter with

Bill Burgess Thomas William Burgess (15 June 1872 – 2 July 1950) was the second person to successfully complete a swim of the English Channel after Matthew Webb, following sixteen attempts. Burgess was British but spent most of his life in France, and wo ...

, the second swimmer to have successfully crossed the Channel, a re-motivated Trudy decides to attempt the feat herself. Enlisting Epstein's help, she approaches James Sullivan of the AOU to sponsor the attempt. Sullivan, an opponent of female athletics, dismisses the idea but offers to sponsor it conditionally, provided that Trudy swims from New York to

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

within a three-hour deadline. Trudy easily beats the deadline and earns the sponsorship, but she is forced to pair with Wolffe as her coach. In France, Trudy trains at the

Cap Gris-Nez Cap Gris-Nez is a cape located in Audinghen, a commune in the Pas-de-Calais département of northern France. Part of the Côte d'Opale, it is classified as a protected natural area. Its cliffs mark the closest point of France to Great Britain, ...

, where she befriends Benji, another swimmer attempting to cross the Channel; there, she clashes repeatedly with Wolffe, who attempts to control her training. After a near-disastrous attempt by Benji, Trudy embarks on her maiden attempt on 10 July 1926. With Wolffe directing her, Trudy initially does well. However, the former, having grown jealous of the latter's progress, ''ostensibly'' spikes her tea, which disorients her and brings the attempt to an end. Whilst recovering, Trudy is visited by Henry and Meg, who have come to take her home; however, they are stopped by Burgess, who offers to train her, having deduced Wolffe's duplicity. Determined, Trudy secretly escapes from her return trip home and begins preparations for another attempt, making Burgess promise not to save her should she fail again. Meanwhile, Sullivan discovers Trudy's deception; realizing she will attempt again, he notifies the press. On 6 August 1926, Trudy begins the second attempt, this time with Burgess, Henry and Meg as her guiding team. With the press in tow, the attempt's developments are monitored worldwide. Despite enduring

jellyfish Jellyfish, also known as sea jellies or simply jellies, are the #Life cycle, medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, which is a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animal ...

stings, Trudy persists in her attempt before facing the final challenge: to cross the

Goodwin Sands Goodwin Sands is a sandbank at the southern end of the North Sea lying off the Deal, Kent, Deal coast in Kent, England. The area consists of a layer of approximately depth of fine sand resting on an Chalk, Upper Chalk platform belonging to ...

in order to reach

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. With her guide boat unable to follow her into the shallow waters, she decides to swim alone rather than accept defeat. By nighttime, her team arrives at

Dover Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...

, but while swimming in open water, Trudy loses her direction. However, the townspeople set up bonfires on the beaches as a guiding beacon for her. News of her success spreads, and upon her return to New York, Trudy is given a ticker-tape parade through the city, which she shares with her family and Epstein, crediting them for her success. The

intertitles In films and videos, an intertitle, also known as a title card, is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of (hence, ''inter-'') the photographed action at various points. Intertitles used to convey character dialogue are referred ...

before the film's

closing credits Closing credits, aka end credits or end titles, are a list of the cast and crew of a particular motion picture, television show, or video game. While opening credits appear at the beginning of a work, closing credits appear close to or at th ...

inform that Trudy set the world record for crossing the Channel at 14 hours and 31 minutes, beating the world record held by a man by two hours. She eventually lost her hearing and dedicated her life to teaching deaf children to swim; she died in 2003 at the age of 98.

Cast

as Gertrude "Trudy" Ederle: An American competition swimmer and Olympic champion. ** Olive Abercrombie as Young Trudy Ederle *

: Trudy's trainer in France who failed to swim the English Channel on multiple attempts. *

: Her hero who successfully swam the English Channel and inspires her. *

as Margaret "Meg" Ederle: Trudy's sister. **

Lilly Aspell Lilly Aspell (born 23 October 2007) is a British actress and equestrian show jumper. Early life and education Aspell was born in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire to Scottish and Irish jockeys Donna Caldwell and Paddy Aspell and spent her early childho ...

as Young Meg. *

as Henry Ederle: Trudy's father. *

Jeanette Hain Jeanette Hain (born 18 February 1969, Munich) is a German film actress. She appeared in more than 90 film and television productions since 1990. Hein is perhaps best-known to international audiences as Ralph Fiennes' girlfriend in the Academy Awa ...

as Gertrude Anna Ederle: Trudy's mother. *

as James Sullivan: the man that sponsors the women swimmers to the 1924 Paris Olympics and who Trudy attempts to convince to fund her attempt to cross the English Channel. *

Sian Clifford Sian Clifford (born 7 April 1982) is an English actress. She is best known for playing Claire, the older sister of the titular character in the BBC comedy-drama series ''Fleabag'' (2016–2019) and also portrayed Martha Crawley in the ITV/Amaz ...

as Charlotte Epstein: Trudy's swimming trainer at the Women's Swimming Association (WSA) in America. *

Alexander Karim Alexander Ally Karim (born Ally Kimbugwe Karim; 26 May 1976) is a Swedish actor and writer. His role as Frank Nordling in the Viaplay/ TV3 series ''The Lawyer'' (''Advokaten'') earned him a Kristallen nomination for Best Actor in 2018. He is als ...

as Benji Zammit: another swimmer who Gertrude Ederle befriends.

Production

Development

In November 2015, it was announced that

had acquired the rights to the 2009 non-fiction book ''Young Woman and the Sea: How Trudy Ederle Conquered the English Channel and Inspired the World'' by Glenn Stout for

, hiring

to write the script for the film, and

cast to play

. In December 2020, it was reported that the film was in development at

, with the company eyeing a

release, after Paramount put it in turnaround. Production was overseen by Jerry Bruckheimer under his

banner, and Chad Oman for Disney. According to its

, the film was produced with support of British Film Commission and

UK Government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

's Film Tax Relief; it benefitted from France's Tax Rebate for International Production; and was created with support of Bulgaria's Executive Agency National Film Center and with participation of Canada's Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit in

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

Casting

was originally cast in the role of

, while the film was in

development hell Development hell, also known as development purgatory or development limbo, is media and software industry jargon for a project, concept, or idea that remains in a stage of early development for a long time because of legal, technical, or artistic ...

. With the film's announcement in December 2020,

was cast in that role instead. In March 2022,

joined the cast of the film playing Margaret Ederle, along with

in an undisclosed role. In May 2022,

joined the cast in an undisclosed role.

Filming

began by early May 2022, and wrapped on June 18, 2022. Ridley received swimming training from Olympic swimmer turned coach

Siobhan-Marie O'Connor Siobhan-Marie O'Connor (born 29 November 1995) is a former English competitive swimmer who has represented Great Britain at the Olympic Games, the FINA World Aquatics Championships and the LEN European Aquatics Championships, and England at the ...

Music

The

score SCORE may refer to: *SCORE (software), a music scorewriter program * SCORE (television), a weekend sports service of the defunct Financial News Network *SCORE! Educational Centers *SCORE International, an offroad racing organization *Sarawak Corrido ...

for ''Young Woman and the Sea'' was composed by

Amelia Warner Amelia Warner (born Amelia Catherine Bennett; 4 June 1982), also known by her stage name Slow Moving Millie, is an English musician, composer, and former actress. Early life Warner was born Amelia Catherine Bennett in Birkenhead, Merseyside, t ...

, and was produced by Warner and

Lorne Balfe Lorne Balfe (born 23 February 1976) is a Scottish composer of film, television and video game scores. A veteran of Hans Zimmer's Remote Control Productions, Balfe's scoring credits include the films '' Megamind'', ''Penguins of Madagascar'', ...

. It was recorded over eight days at

AIR Studios Associated Independent Recording (AIR) is an independent recording company founded in London in 1965 by record producers George Martin, John Burgess (record producer), John Burgess, Ron Richards (producer), Ron Richards, and Peter Sullivan (rec ...

, London. The album was released digitally on May 31, 2024, through

Walt Disney Records Walt Disney Records is an American record label owned by the Disney Music Group. The label releases soundtrack albums from the Walt Disney Company's Walt Disney Studios (division), motion picture studios, television shows, Disney Experiences, them ...

Release

The film's world premiere took place on May 16, 2024, in Los Angeles. ''Young Woman and the Sea'' was originally scheduled to be released direct-to-streaming on

. In January 2024, following positive test screenings and the box office performance of the

Amazon MGM Studios Amazon MGM Studios is an American film and television production and distribution company owned by Amazon, and headquartered at the Culver Studios complex in Culver City, California. Launched on November 16, 2010, it took its current name on O ...

sports drama ''

The Boys in the Boat ''The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics'' is a non-fiction book written by Daniel James Brown and published on June 4, 2013. Background ''The Boys in the Boat'' is a true story based ...

'' (2023), a theatrical release was considered as a possible way to tie in with the upcoming

2024 Summer Olympics The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad () and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held in France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with several events started from 24 July. P ...

in France, with a potential release date of May 31, 2024. The following month, that date was confirmed, with Disney opting for a

limited release __FORCETOC__ Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few cinemas across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unite ...

for the film in the United States. During the theatrical run, it was only shown in the USA, the United Kingdom, and China. It was later released on Disney+ worldwide on July 19, 2024.

Marketing

First look images from the film were released exclusively by ''

People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...

'' on March 6, 2024. The trailer debuted at

CinemaCon Cinema United, formerly known as the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), is an American trade organization whose members are the owners of movie theaters. Most of the operators of worldwide major theater chains are members, as are ...

on April 11, 2024, and was released to the public online shortly after.

Reception

Box office

''Young Woman and the Sea'' grossed $500,000 in the United States, and $1.43 million internationally (with $81,725 coming from the United Kingdom and $1,349,860 from China) for a worldwide total of $1.9 million.

Critical response

Glenn Kenny Glenn Kenny (born August 8, 1959) is an American film critic and journalist. He writes for ''The New York Times'' and '' RogerEbert.com''. Biography Kenny attended William Paterson University, where he majored in English literature.The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' gave a positive review of the film, writing that "this is one of those movies that proves, when they’ve got a mind to, they can still make them like they used to." Kate Erbland of IndieWire wrote that "the real Ederle accomplished so much, it’s hard to imagine cramming it all into one tidy feature. The one we’ve got? It’s good enough, rousing enough, compelling enough." Charles Bramesco of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' criticized the movie's "anodyne,

Disneyfied In the field of sociology, the term ''Disneyfication'' describes the commercial transformation of things (e.g. entertainment) or environments into something simplified, controlled, and 'safe'—reminiscent of the Walt Disney brand (such as its med ...

" take on feminism, writing that "you’d be hard-pressed to find a living person who believes women should not be allowed to go swimming". Derek Smith of ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...

'' said that the film creates "virtually no dramatic tension" because it "leaves no room for doubt about what Trudy Ederle will accomplish". Filmmakers

J. J. Abrams Jeffrey Jacob Abrams (born June 27, 1966) is an American filmmaker and composer. He is best known for his works in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. Abrams wrote and produced films such as '' Regarding Henry'' (1991), '' Forever ...

and

William Goldenberg William Goldenberg (born November 2, 1959) is an American film editor and director. He has more than twenty film and television credits since 1992. He won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for the film ''Argo'' (2012), and has been nominate ...

both cited it as among their favorite films of 2024.https://www.cbr.com/jj-abrams-daisy-ridley-best-movie-2024/

Accolades

Notes

References

External links

Official site
* *
Young Woman and the Sea
' at History vs. Hollywood {{DEFAULTSORT:Young Woman and the Sea 2024 biographical drama films 2020s American films 2020s English-language films 2020s sports drama films American biographical drama films American sports drama films Biographical films about sportspeople Cultural depictions of American people Cultural depictions of swimmers English-language biographical drama films English-language sports drama films Films about the 1924 Summer Olympics Films about Olympic swimming and diving Films about women's sports Films directed by Joachim Rønning Films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Films scored by Amelia Warner Films set in 1924 Films set in 1926 Films set in New York City Films set in Paris Films shot in Bulgaria Films with screenplays by Jeff Nathanson Walt Disney Pictures films Jerry Bruckheimer Films films Seafaring films Swimming films