Young Woman and the Sea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Young Woman and the Sea |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Joachim Rønning |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Jeff Nathanson |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Amelia Warner |
| Cinematography | Oscar Faura |
| Editing by | Úna Ní Dhonghaíle |
| Studio |
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| Distributed by | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| Release date(s) | May 16, 2024 (Los Angeles) May 31, 2024 (United States) |
| Running time | 129 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Money made | $1.9 million |
Young Woman and the Sea is an exciting 2024 American movie. It tells the true story of a real person, so it's called a biographical film. It's also a sports film because it's all about swimming!
The movie was directed by Joachim Rønning and written by Jeff Nathanson. It's based on a book from 2009 by Glenn Stout. Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films made the movie.
The main star is Daisy Ridley, who plays Gertrude Ederle. Gertrude was an amazing American swimmer. She became the very first woman to swim across the English Channel. The movie also features Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Stephen Graham, Kim Bodnia, Christopher Eccleston, and Glenn Fleshler in other important roles.
The idea for the film started in 2015. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer bought the rights to the book. In 2020, Walt Disney Pictures took over the project. The main filming happened in May and June 2022.
Young Woman and the Sea first showed in Los Angeles on May 16, 2024. It was originally planned for the Disney+ streaming service. But after people loved it in special screenings, Disney decided to release it in movie theaters for a short time. It came out in the United States on May 31, 2024. Critics gave the movie very good reviews.
The Story of Trudy Ederle
Trudy's Early Life and Love for Swimming
The story begins in New York City in 1914. A young girl named Trudy Ederle gets sick with measles. She sees a terrible accident: a burning ferry sinks, and many people die. Trudy's mother is very sad about this.
She learns that many women died because they couldn't swim. So, she decides Trudy's brother and sister, Meg and Henry Jr., must learn to swim. Trudy isn't allowed in the water because she's sick. But Trudy gets better!
She becomes very interested in swimming. When she is 12, she convinces her father, Henry, to let her swim. Trudy and her siblings join the Women's Swimming Association. Their coach is the strong-willed Charlotte Epstein.
At first, Coach Epstein prefers Meg. But she agrees to train Trudy too. Trudy quickly gets better at swimming. Over time, Trudy becomes an amazing swimmer. She breaks many world records. Meg's progress is much slower.
Olympic Dreams and New Challenges
In 1924, the American Olympic Union (AOU) asks the Ederle family about the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. Only Trudy is offered a spot on the team.
The U.S. women’s team gets a new coach, Jabez Wolffe. He is a swimmer who tried to cross the English Channel but failed. Coach Wolffe is not fair to the women. He doesn't let them train properly. Because of this, Trudy only wins bronze medals in the 100-meter freestyle and 400-meter freestyle.
Trudy returns to New York feeling disappointed. She finds out that her sister Meg got engaged while she was away. Her father arranged the marriage.
The English Channel Challenge
Trudy meets Bill Burgess, who was the second person to successfully swim the English Channel. This meeting inspires Trudy. She decides she wants to swim the Channel too!
She asks Coach Epstein for help. They go to James Sullivan from the AOU to ask for money to support her attempt. Sullivan doesn't think women should be athletes. He says he will only help if Trudy can swim from New York to New Jersey in three hours.
Trudy easily beats the time limit and gets the money. But she is forced to have Wolffe as her coach again.
In France, Trudy trains at Cap Gris-Nez. She becomes friends with Benji, another swimmer trying to cross the Channel. Trudy and Wolffe often argue. He tries to control her training.
After Benji has a difficult attempt, Trudy starts her first Channel swim on July 10, 1926. Wolffe guides her, and Trudy starts well. However, Wolffe seems to give her tea that makes her confused. This causes her to stop her swim.
While Trudy is recovering, her father and Meg come to take her home. But Burgess stops them. He offers to train Trudy, as he suspects Wolffe did something wrong.
A Second Chance and Triumph
Trudy is determined. She secretly leaves before going home. She starts getting ready for another attempt. She makes Burgess promise not to save her if she fails again.
Meanwhile, Sullivan finds out Trudy is trying again. He tells the news reporters. On August 6, 1926, Trudy begins her second attempt. This time, Burgess, Henry, and Meg are her support team.
Reporters follow the swim, and people all over the world watch her progress. Trudy gets stung by jellyfish but keeps going. Her final challenge is to swim across the Goodwin Sands to reach England. Her guide boat cannot follow her into the shallow water. Trudy decides to swim alone rather than give up.
By night, her team arrives at Dover. Trudy loses her way in the dark water. But the people in the town light bonfires on the beaches. These fires act as a guide for her.
News of her success spreads quickly. When she returns to New York, Trudy gets a huge parade through the city. She shares this moment with her family and Coach Epstein. She tells everyone they helped her succeed.
At the end of the movie, we learn that Trudy set a new world record for crossing the Channel. She finished in 14 hours and 31 minutes. This was two hours faster than the record held by a man! Trudy later lost her hearing. She spent her life teaching deaf children how to swim. She passed away in 2003 when she was 98 years old.
Meet the Cast
- Daisy Ridley plays Gertrude "Trudy" Ederle: She is an American competition swimmer and an Olympic champion.
- Olive Abercrombie plays Trudy when she was younger.
- Christopher Eccleston plays Jabez Wolffe: He is Trudy's trainer in France. He tried to swim the English Channel many times but never made it.
- Stephen Graham plays Bill Burgess: He is Trudy's hero. He successfully swam the English Channel and inspires her.
- Tilda Cobham-Hervey plays Margaret "Meg" Ederle: She is Trudy's sister.
- Lilly Aspell plays Meg when she was younger.
- Kim Bodnia plays Henry Ederle: He is Trudy's father.
- Jeanette Hain plays Gertrude Anna Ederle: She is Trudy's mother.
- Glenn Fleshler plays James Sullivan: He is the person who helps fund the women swimmers for the 1924 Paris Olympics. Trudy tries to convince him to pay for her English Channel swim.
- Sian Clifford plays Charlotte Epstein: She is Trudy's swimming coach at the Women's Swimming Association (WSA) in America.
- Alexander Karim plays Benji Zammit: He is another swimmer who becomes friends with Gertrude Ederle.
How the Movie Was Made
Getting the Story Ready
In November 2015, producer Jerry Bruckheimer bought the rights to a book called Young Woman and the Sea: How Trudy Ederle Conquered the English Channel and Inspired the World. This book was written by Glenn Stout in 2009. Jeff Nathanson was hired to write the movie script. At first, Lily James was going to play Gertrude Ederle.
Later, in December 2020, Walt Disney Pictures decided to make the film. They thought about releasing it on Disney+. Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman helped oversee the movie's creation for Disney.
Choosing the Actors
Lily James was first chosen to play Gertrude Ederle. But when Disney took over the project, Daisy Ridley was cast in the main role instead.
In March 2022, Tilda Cobham-Hervey joined the cast to play Margaret Ederle. Stephen Graham also joined the movie in an unknown role at that time. In May 2022, Christopher Eccleston was added to the cast.
Filming the Movie
The main filming for Young Woman and the Sea started in early May 2022. It finished on June 18, 2022. Daisy Ridley got special swimming training from Siobhan-Marie O'Connor, who is an Olympic swimmer and coach.
The Movie's Music
The music for Young Woman and the Sea was created by Amelia Warner. She also produced the music with Lorne Balfe. The music was recorded over eight days in London. The movie's soundtrack album was released online on May 31, 2024, by Walt Disney Records.
When the Movie Came Out
The movie first showed to the public on May 16, 2024, in Los Angeles.
Young Woman and the Sea was originally planned to go straight to Disney+. But in January 2024, after people who saw early screenings really liked it, Disney thought about showing it in theaters. This was also because another sports movie, The Boys in the Boat, did well in theaters. They thought a theatrical release would be good to connect with the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics in France.
In February 2024, Disney confirmed the movie would have a limited release in the United States on May 31, 2024. During its time in theaters, it was only shown in the USA, the United Kingdom, and China. Later, it became available worldwide on Disney+ on July 19, 2024.
How the Movie Was Advertised
First pictures from the movie were shown exclusively by People magazine on March 6, 2024. The movie's trailer was first shown at an event called CinemaCon on April 11, 2024. It was then released online for everyone to see shortly after.
