New Disney Sports Movie is Must Watch to Get in Olympic Spirit That You Could Easily Miss

This weekend I watched Disney's newest streaming movie, Young Woman and the Sea, and I was thrilled with the sports biopic. It delivers heart, a thrilling true story, and a wonderful burst of adrenaline.

The movie tells the story of Trudy Ederle, one of the first female swimmer Olympians and the first woman to swim the English Channel. Throughout this true story, Ederle fights societal norms to become the greatest athlete in the world at that time. According to the post film credit sequence text, “there has never been a larger parade for an athlete in the history of New York City”.

This a forgotten story of an incredible athlete that everyone can connect with. Here's a little more on who should watch and some general thoughts on what makes it stand out.

Who Needs to See This New Disney Movie?

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As I was watching this movie, I was thinking of so many people in my life. By the time I was an hour into watching Young Woman and the Sea, I was already getting ready to shoot off texts letting friends and family know that they had to watch this streaming movie that could easily slip by in the deluge of streaming movies and shows.

I haven't had that feeling of a strong need to recommend a movie like this for a long time. Something about the underdog optimism of the movie feels like the best sports movies out there like Remember the Titans and Miracle. Watching this movie is a perfect addition to the ongoing Olympics theme. Though it isn't the focus of th movie, a key part of Ederle's athletic development is her Olympic victories.

The movie highlights a bond between two sisters and their evolving relationship with immigrant parents. The mother is quiet but highly supportive while the father struggles with balancing belief in his kin with traditional old-world practices.

While the movie highlights sisters and their relationship with their parents, this movie is for everyone.

Thoughts on the Movie

Watching the trailer for the movie I worried that scenes of her swimming the channel could stretch on and get dull. That wasn't the case. The creative team on the movie did a great job moving the plot forward and keeping the time and competition in the water interesting.

The most frustrating moments of the movie come as the male trainers refuse to give Trudy Ederle and the other female swimmers the proper training and support throughout their swimming journey. Watching this movie at the same time as the Paris Olympics kick off it is nearly impossible to comprehend how far our understanding of sports has come. In Young Woman and the Sea, far too often trainers restrict the women from performing at their highest caliber. It is difficult to imagine what these athletes could have delivered if they were properly supported. That is the conflict of the movie. It's Trudy Ederle vs the world who wants to see her fail for a multitude of reasons.

Daisy Ridley, of the new Star Wars franchise, delivers a wonderful performance in the starring role. Her character is a fighter who, through sheer will, is able to time and time again beat supposedly terrible odds in life and sports. As a young girl Ederle beats measles that was supposed to be fatal and the channel swim is acknowledged throughout the movie as something many men failed at before she attempted. If this weren't a true story, some of the plot points would be almost too incredible.

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You can stream Young Woman and the Sea on Disney Plus now.

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