Page 16 THE VILLADOM TIMES I & II • November 7, 2012 ‘Chasing Mavericks’ is pleasant, if predictable by Dennis Seuling “Chasing Mavericks” is a movie about the upward climb to success in a particular field, in this case surfing. Jay Moriarty (Jonny Weston) has been thrilled by the power of waves on the Pacific coast since he was a kid. Surfing is his passion, but he knows that, at 15, he has a lot to learn about the sport. Conveniently, next-door neighbor Frosty (Gerard Butler) is also a guy driven by the next big wave, much to the consternation of his wife (Abigail Spencer). With a wife and family, Frosty has to think of his responsibility to them. When Jay pops over for some advice, Frosty sees in him a kindred spirit, but one rough around the edges. Jay lacks discipline and is not knowledgeable enough about weather and currents to take on monster waves. An informal mentorship begins, with Frosty assigning Jay to write essays and learn to hold his breath for at least four minutes, and teaching him endurance. Based on a true story, “Chasing Mavericks” is reminiscent of the relationship of Mr. Miyagi and Daniel Larusso in “The Karate Kid.” Butler’s Frosty is less mysterious in his instructions than Miyagi, but no less rigorous in putting Jay through rough training. He sets down rules and holds Jay to them. If this were a fictional story, it would be easy to critique it as contrived and manipulative. Jay doesn’t have the best home life. He has an alcoholic mother (Elisabeth Shue) and an absentee father. Despite this, he perseveres at what he loves, devoting tremendous energy to bettering himself as a surfer. The relationship between Frosty and Jay deepens from one of teacher-student to a much closer bond, built on trust, shared passion for surfing, and mutual respect. Butler is not the most comfortable fit as Frosty. He conveys the devil-may-care aspect of Frosty’s personality, but is less convincing as the dedicated family man. What is missing in his performance is a sense of compassion for Jay. There is an attempt at this late in the movie, but it never quite works, and Butler comes off a bit too stiff. Newcomer Weston, who has the looks and talent for a promising film career, plays many of his scenes with Butler with head lowered and eyes sheepishly raised, as if in deference and awe. In scenes in which he stares at waves crashing on rocks, his look suggests a person witnessing a true miracle. Weston avoids the cliché of being all wide-eyed and tongue-tied as the apprentice learning from a master. He makes the relationship between Jay and Frosty work, Frosty (Gerard Butler) cautions Jay (Jonny Weston) about the dangers of surfing in ‘Chasing Mavericks.’ and the bond is the glue that holds the film together and keeps viewers involved. The film has some spectacular photography by Oliver Euclid of surfers suspended on gigantic waves with extraordinary grace and beauty. Stuntmen stand in for Weston’s more daring feats in the ocean, illustrating the raw power of nature and the drive of surfers to embrace that fury. The “maverick” of the title refers both to the bigger and more dangerous waves Jay seeks as his abilities increase -- and to Jay himself. Not content to surf at the beach with his pals, he longs to escalate to greater challenges, and these waves are the ones that come along only occasionally when nature’s conditions are right. Rated PG, “Chasing Mavericks” is a pleasant, if predictable, film. In the northeast, surfing is a sport we know about mostly from film or TV documentaries, so getting an inside look at an activity that carries with it real physical danger is informative and entertaining.