Surfwise (2008)
100 %
Reviews Counted: 35 Fresh: 35 Rotten:0 Average Rating: 7.6/10
Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins
Theatrical Release: May 9, 2008 Limited
Box Office: $177,980
Synopsis: One need not be a surfing fanatic to find something interesting in SURFWISE, Doug Pray's thought-provoking documentary about the legendary and unconventional Paskowitz family. The first family in surfing became famous for its large size, for earning countless trophies, and for its... [More]
Genre: Sports/Recreation
Director: Doug Pray
Producer: Graydon Carter, Tommy Means, Matthew Weaver, Jonathan Paskowitz
Composer: John Dragonetti
Producer: Graydon Carter, Tommy Means, Matthew Weaver, Jonathan Paskowitz
Composer: John Dragonetti
Buy It On DVD
Reviews
Pray's fast-paced editing matches the Paskowitzes' rootless existence, though at times it's difficult to keep track of who's who.
Comment
08/01/08
The most fascinating parts of the movie explore how the Paskowitz children -- who are now in their 30s and 40s -- continue to adjust to a more 'normal' lifestyle.
07/31/08
A provocative documentary about a man who dropped out to follow a dream that gradually evolved into something not unlike a nightmare.
07/18/08
Top Critic
Not just the story of one man's obsessive quest to find harmony on a plank of wood, Surfwise offers a cautionary tale about parenting, homeschooling (camper-schooling, actually), sibling rivalries and family sacrifice.
06/26/08
Top Critic
Surfwise is a graceful, searching film that seems to have missed no opportunity to reveal truths about parents and children and how they come to understand each other.
06/20/08
The film's director, Doug Pray, has been able to track down each and every Paskowitz child, and he weaves their memories together with old home movies, still photos and news clippings to create an evocative portrait of their lives.
06/20/08
Top Critic
A riveting documentary that focuses more on weird family dynamics than big waves.
06/19/08
Top Critic
Some documentarians think like essayists, propagandists, abstract painters, or magazine reporters. Doug Pray approaches his documentaries as though he's writing books.
06/19/08
The unorthodox upbringing of the Paskowitz clan is the subject of Surfwise, the story of a family who lived on the road, camped at the beachfront and fashioned its own vanguard version of 1960s-'70s alternative lifestyles.
06/19/08
Top Critic
...captures both the lure of the proto-hippie life and the often unresolved tensions...
06/19/08
Surfwise spills the gripes, the frustrations and the pain onto the screen like damaged driftwood finally feeling the steadiness of shore after a long, stormy voyage at sea.
06/16/08
There are too many unanswered questions and a suspicious forced happy ending, but Surfwise is still a fascinatingly voyeuristic and emotionally powerful movie.
06/13/08
Top Critic
In the end, Surfwise is a fascinating portrait of a family that manages to be both radical and conventional, divided but still tightly bound by blood.
06/08/08
[Director] Pray backs away from the unpleasant stuff rather quickly, which seems a little disingenuous. But he's got a great subject, and when he's riding it at full throttle the film is absolutely charming.
06/06/08
Having previously dug into Seattle grunge (1996's Hype!) and hip-hop scratch (2001's Scratch), filmmaker Pray continues his subculture-immersion studies in this revealing portrait of Dorian 'Doc' Paskowitz.
06/06/08
It's a complex and conflicted look at a family, torn apart by rifts and yet still bonded by love.
05/30/08
[Filmmaker Doug Pray] does an admirable job of allowing his subjects to represent themselves.
05/29/08
The story is essentially Doc's, but the more compelling aspect of Surfwise is the obvious question: Are the kids dysfunctional or what?
05/28/08
An honest look at a complicated human situation,... it turns out to be a darker film than might be expected.
05/23/08
Top Critic
The movie feels exhaustive in its loaded 90-something minutes, showing and telling us much while leaving the meaning of the tangles and twists in this family open to interpretation. For once, the tip of the iceberg is enough.
05/23/08
Top CriticRelated Forums
(2008 release/Docu/Rated R)-SURFWISE nabs critics and audiences alike (city-to-city)!
by: ReelReviewer.com 6/4
by: ReelReviewer.com 6/4
no school?
by: nancy4film 5/21
by: nancy4film 5/21
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