50
Metascore
6 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 70Directed by Australian filmmaker Sarah Spillane, the picture is appealingly breezy, though it does have its share of tense moments involving killer waves and charcoal-toned stormy skies. Mostly, it’s an anthem of teenage independence and daring, the story of one young woman who set her sights on a dream while still a child and willed it into reality just a few years later.
- 63Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreTrue Spirit doesn’t add anything fresh to the genre, just fresh faces and Aussie pluck, with even the tunes . . . pretty much on the nose. But that’s what “feel good” movies often are, comfort food, with the occasional surprise, a “darkest hour,” a little pathos and a lot of heart.
- 60Los Angeles TimesNoel MurrayLos Angeles TimesNoel MurrayGive credit to Spillane for making sure that this movie isn’t just about the heartwarming highs, but about the hard work it took to reach them.
- 50The New York TimesNicolas RapoldThe New York TimesNicolas RapoldThe message of manifesting your goals reigns supreme, which is great, but it’s worth mentioning that Watson’s willpower benefits from the privileges of financial security, family support and a curmudgeonly-turned-selfless coach.
- 50RogerEbert.comMatt Zoller SeitzRogerEbert.comMatt Zoller SeitzWatson's memoir and the 2010 documentary about her achievement, "210 Days," are altogether more thorough and nuanced looks at this story, though of course that's nearly always true of documentaries that tell the same story as works of fiction.
- 20The GuardianLuke BuckmasterThe GuardianLuke BuckmasterThe cast of True Spirit had no such chance: the schmaltz and mushiness overpower everything. The film’s daytime-soap vibes render an unquestionably inspiring true story into an experience that feels so false, so rinky-dink, I had to remind myself it was based on real life.