RIP TIDE
Australia, 2017, 85 minutes, Colour.
Debby Ryan, Genevieve Hegney, Andrew Creer, Naomi Sequeira, Valerie Bader, Aaron Jefferey, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Danielle Carter, Marcus Graham.
Directed by Rhiannon Bannenberg.
Rip Tide is a small film combining surfing with fashion.
This is very much a film made by women, featuring women, of particular interest to women. But, the men are quite good characters as well…
The story is not unfamiliar. It opens in New York, the world of high fashion, the focus on Cora (Debby Ryan) an 18-year-old who is dominated by her mother, an ambitious businesswoman, whose hopes are being fulfilled in her daughter and who does not realise how little attention she really gives to her daughter as a person. The stage is set for some kind of eruption, especially when the daughter suggests to the designer how the dress could be improved – he is played by Marcus Graham in a very small cameo, mainly having a hissy fit.
Mother and daughter do on in fact am come from Australia and have visited in the past. The contact is the mother’s sister, Margot, a strong screen presence by Genevieve Hegneyi. Her husband died the previous year in a surfing accident and Cora and her mother did not make the funeral. Cora decides to buy a ticket fly to Australia – and there are some humorous moments, at least from the Australian point of view, where Cora really doesn’t understand Australian idiom especially when the genial young surfer, Tom (Andrew Creer), asks how she is going and her response is “where?�. Her mentality is completely focused on first-class in everything.
With the help of Margot and with the help of Margot’s mother-in-law, a very sympathetic old girl, Cora adjusts, is encouraged by the ever smiling, ever-twee, Chicka (Naomi’ Sequeira), and finds that she can surf well, revise memory with the attractive Tom, finds that she might have a possibility of staying back in Australia – and it is all filmed rather glowingly on the New South Wales Illawarra Coast.
Needless to say, there are a few crises, especially when Cora is asked to design dresses for a local celebration, the centenary of women surfers, and she treats one of the local girl models who tears the material to improve the dress exactly as the hissy fit designer in New York treated her. With Chicka’s help, she naturally repents, designs the dresses – and, spoiler alert, it all goes very well!
The other crisis is whether she should return to New York after her mother phones her with news of a new and substantial contract. No spoilers here – everybody will guess has to be a happy ending.
1. The title, expectations? Surfing? The background of fashion?
2. The American worlds, New York City, the contrast with New South Wales, the coast, small town, the surfer life? The score?
3. Cora, the introduction, her age, fashion and style, Australians in New York? The domination of her mother? The world of fashion, her dresses, glasses, reputation? The issue of contracts? Her suggesting changes to the designer and his negative reaction?
4. The character of her mother, busy in New York, forgetting the Australian origins? Pressure on the daughter, the career contracts, not listening to Cora?
5. Cora, the message from Margot, memories of being in Australia as a girl, the invitation to come, the decision, booking the flight, the flight to Australia – the naive American ignorant about Australian customs and style?
6. The coast, the ocean, the beaches, the waves? The house, simple, no wi-fi? The clubs for the training of surfers? The surf community? The ethos?
7. Margot, in herself, the death of Caleb and her fears and grief? Pretending to face her grief? Her rival, Owen, the friendship with Caleb, the company and the training? Her refusal to sell? The bond with her mother-in-law, doing the Tai Chi, the genial mother-in-law and her influence around the house? Margot hurrying to meet Cora, the welcome? The community, seeing the interchange with Owen? Meeting Chicka?
8. Cora and her adjusting, awkward, contact with her mother, going to the surf, succeeding? The memories, the visit to the cave with Tom, the initials? The bond, the romance?
9. Tom as a genial and friendly character?
10. Chicka, always smiling, support for Cora?
11. The local celebration, women are surfers, 100 years? The preparation of the show, Cora agreed to help, the girls, the girl tearing the material, Cora’s anger, repeating the criticism she had received in New York? Changing, forgiveness? The dresses, the day and the display?
12. Margot, sad, not surfing, challenge and Cora, her going, being rescued by Cora?
13. Tom, the clash, the reconciliation?
14. The new contract, going to the airport, the news about Margot, her not going? Her mother, the phone calls, upset?
15. Her mother’s arrival, the two sisters and reconciliation, the show, the reconciliation between Cora and her mother, the happy ending for all concerned?
