Summary
Aside from Disney’sYoung Woman and the Sea, there isanother film out there about a woman’s highly impressive swimming achievement.The two films share some similarities, but they are by no means the same. Both films focus on different, real-life women who dared to complete the greatest swim of their lives.
InYoung Woman and the Sea,Daisy Ridley plays real-life swimmer Trudy Ederle, who seeks to be the first woman to swim across the English Channel.Nyadis another swimming film about a woman with a goal.Diana Nyad swam from Cuba to the Florida Keysin her 60s, a swim she had failed to complete in her 20s. While quite a different swim to Trudy Ederle’s English Channel one, bothYoung Woman and the SeaandNyadare incredible stories about female swimmers trying to do something remarkable.
Young Woman And The Sea Highlights One Of Jerry Bruckheimer’s Most Underrated Talents
Young Woman and the Sea’s critical reception highlights how good Jerry Bruckheimer is with inspirational sports movies, and why he should do more.
The Two Swimming Films Share Many Similarities
A big similarity between the two films is, of course, thatboth movies are aboutwomen aiming to achieve something no one has ever done before through swimming.When Trudy Ederle wanted to swim the English Channel, no woman had ever done so at that point. Diana Nyad’s swimming dream was likewise something no one had ever done before, and her attempting to swim it in her 60s makes it even more impressive.
Ederle’s English Channel swim was about 35 miles, and Nyad swam from Cuba to the Florida Keys, which was about 110 miles.
Ederle’s English Channel swim was about 35 miles, and Nyad swam from Cuba to the Florida Keys, which was about 110 miles. The wayYoung Woman and the Seacovers Ederle’s journey is by showing a larger part of her life, from her battling measles as a child, her dad teaching her how to swim, to her finally doing the swim.Young Woman and the Seachanged some details, but it is still easy to get a sense of Ederle’s life.Nyadreferences the swimmer’s previous swimming career and personal life, but really dives into the swim itself quite quickly.
How Annette Bening And Daisy Ridley Played Real Life Swimmers
Both Actors Went Through A Tough Swimming Regime
To prepare for the roles, bothBening and Ridley had real-life people to draw inspiration from.Annette Bening was able to meet and get close to Diana Nyad, who even supported Bening at the Oscars when she received an Oscar-nomination for portraying her. Trudy Ederle, on the other hand, sadly passed away in 2023, so Daisy Ridley had less of an opportunity to work with her for the film.
Annette Bening spent eight hours in the water some days while filmingNyad.
To look realistic, Ridley trained with an Olympic swimmer for six months (according toBBC). Annette Bening also worked with an Olympian to get her swimming up to scratch, and worked with them for a year. Bening toldETthat she’d cry in the pool due to feeling so overwhelmed by the amount of training she had to complete.
Even though both women had swimming doubles in their respective films,both films used a lot of the actors' own work in the final movie.Young Woman and the Sea’s director mentioned that Daisy Ridley’s swimming style was so unique, that he used her in most shots instead of her swimming double (viaCinemaBlend). Annette Bening also attempted to truly embody the swimmer she represented, andDiana Abbot praised Annette Bening’s swimming, saying that Bening hardly used swimming doubles and that she truly looked like a professional swimmer.
Are Both Films Of Similar Quality?
Nyadwas nominated for two Academy Awards in 2024, one for Annette Bening’s portrayal of Diana Nyad, andJodie Foster received an Oscar nominationfor her supporting role as Nyad’s best friend and coach, Bonnie Stoll.Young Woman and the Seahad less success with big award shows. Awards are not the only reason that putsNyada step ahead, however.
Nyad’s strength lies in the chemistry between Bening and Foster,two world-class actors working together at a high standard,and it is easy to forget that they are not the real people they portray. Daisy Ridley is also a strong performer, and her toughness combined with likability brings a softness to her portrayal of Trudy Ederle. While Ridley is great in the film, she doesn’t show anything she hasn’t done before.
For audiences that are looking for a biographical film that tries to represent as accurately as possible how undertaking such a big swim feels,Nyadis the better choice. The film was directed by documentary duo Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vaserhelyi, who are known for their adrenaline-pumping documentaryFree Solo,Nyadbeing their first narrative feature film. Because of this, the directors show a clear vision of what the film’s action-heavy scenes should look and feel like, and they manage to keep the swimming scenes interesting andkeep viewers at the edge of their seats throughout.
BothYoung Woman and the SeaandNyadare worth a watch, especially for those who love big achievements in sports. Both the real-life women did amazing things, and both films celebrate them for that.Young Woman and the SeaandNyadare equally empowering films about women going after what they want.
Young Woman and the Sea
Cast
Daisy Ridley stars as the accomplished swimmer who was born to immigrant parents in New York City in 1905. Through the steadfast support of her older sister and supportive trainers, she overcame adversity and the animosity of a patriarchal society to rise through the ranks of the Olympic swimming team and complete the staggering achievement – a 21-mile trek from France to England.
