Braving the elements

NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Friday, July 19th. Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day. Good morning. I’m Nick Eicher.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: And I’m Myrna Brown.

Coming next on The World and Everything in It: a couple of movies debuting today about facing fears and challenging adversity.

Here’s arts and culture editor Collin Garbarino.

COLLIN GARBARINO: First up, the big movie in theaters this weekend is Twisters. It’s kind of like a sequel to the 1996 disaster film Twister, but the two storylines don’t overlap.

In Twisters, Glen Powell plays celebrity storm chaser Tyler Owens.

TYLER OWENS: I’m feeling pretty good, Boone. And if you feel it!

CROWD: Chase it!

TYLER: I said, If you feel it!

CROWD: Chase it!

Playing opposite Tyler is Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kate. A talented scientist who’s hoping to figure out how to prevent tornadoes. Tyler’s intrigued by Kate, but she’s not impressed with his methods.

TYLER: You didn’t say which way we were going yet. Now from what I gather, west we double our chances. East. Well, it’s high risk, high reward.

KATE: Well, go for the reward.

Glen Powell has become a bona fide star, and Twisters is a relatively fun disaster movie. First, the heroes chase the tornadoes, and then we see the tornadoes chase the heroes. But this is the kind of movie that you shouldn’t think about too much. The special effects are pretty cool, but there’s not much attempt at realism and there are plenty of plot holes.

Daisy Ridley, as Trudy Ederle, in a scene from Young Woman and the Sea ©Disney

Our next film isn’t as loud or action packed, but it’s more inspiring and more realistic. Young Woman and the Sea arrives on Disney+ today. It's based on the book of the same name by Glenn Stout about the true story of one of America’s earliest swimming celebrities.

RACE ANNOUNCER: On your mark. Ready. [starting pistol]

Trudy Ederle was born in 1905 to German immigrants living in New York City. Back then there weren’t many options for women’s sports. In the first half of the film she struggles to find training on her way to becoming an Olympian at the 1924 games.

Trudy’s mother wants her daughters to learn to swim. These are the days when women still wore full-length bathing costumes. Trudy’s more traditional father is reluctant.

HENRY EDERLE: It’s indecent for a girl. What would people say?

After Trudy finds a coach, she and her team continue to face obstacles from a society that refuses to believe women can compete.

CHARLOTTE EPSTEIN: You know most men believe that women who exercise will harm themselves? That we’re too weak to run, swim, compete. That our hearts will explode.

For viewers not familiar with sports history, some of the bias against women in competition might sound laughable. Did the medical establishment really think women’s hearts would explode if they raced? Yeah, it did. It’s only been about 50 years since men admitted that women could run marathons.

JAMES SULLIVAN: Ladies, there are lifeguards on both ends for your safety, and a medical doctor is standing by.

Athletes like Trudy Ederle helped change people’s perception of what a woman could accomplish.

But we don’t remember Trudy for her pioneering swims in the pool. It’s her open water swims that gained her worldwide fame. Trudy Ederle became the first woman to swim across the English Channel, and the second half of the movie focuses on her desire to attempt that dangerous feat.

TRUDY EDERLE: I leave for the Channel next week. Brittany.

GERTRUDE EDERLE: You are my child. And the thing you love most it… it terrifies me.

Young Woman and the Sea is rated PG. There are a couple of mild bad words, and a brief glimpse of a burly man’s naked backside as he walks out of the water, but for the most part it’s family friendly. Daisy Ridley, who starred in the most recent Star Wars trilogy, plays Trudy Ederle with a delightful mix of innocent joy and pigheadedness.

REPORTER: 7:15 AM. Air is 48 degrees. Water is 61 degrees. Trudy Ederle is in the water swimming the American crawl.

Of course, the filmmakers don’t stay exactly true to real life with Trudy’s story. They change up how she fared at the Olympics to give her a better story arc. They also compress the timeline and embellish some of her difficulties to ratchet up the drama.

BILL BURGESS: Not even Trudy’s strong enough to swim perpendicular to that tide. She’ll be swept out to sea.

I like Young Woman and the Sea quite a bit. The movie is a mostly historical account of one of America’s forgotten legends. It offers sincerity and humor, while depicting an inspiring woman’s determination.

A couple of scenes get close to offering some preachy feminism, but it really was shameful how the sports world treated women back then. This is a classic sports story that will entertain viewers who enjoy watching an underdog overcome adversity.

I’m Collin Garbarino.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.