SURFERS and Christians packed a movie house in Hemingways Mall at the weekend for a showing of the epic true-life surf tale, The Perfect Wave , which stars East London surfer, model and World Contest Tour surfing commentator 26-yearold Rosanne Hodge.
The R26-million movie also features Clint Eastwood’s son Scott, and former Charlie’s Angels star Cheryl Ladd.
It tells of how, in 1982, Kiwi surfer Ian MacCormack was thought dead after being stung by a jellyfish but “woke from the dead” after having an out-of-body experience.
He came to in a morgue to find a doctor writing out his death certificate. MacCormack went on to become a Christian evangelist.
Hodge’s father, recently retired chartered accountant Steve, 60, said of the first showing in East London: “People were sitting in the aisles.”
His daughter, who lives in San Clement in California, is also the face of Roxy’s outdoor fitness range and surfs the legendary Lower Trestles spot. She had a “lot of fun” while making the film.
Steve, a 1960s teen surfer who returned to surfing at the age of 40, said: “We are super- stoked about the movie, seeing her surf and even having a talking part.
“Her Eastern Cape accent there, but was disguised.”
Surfing scenes in the movie were shot in Cape Town, Jeffreys Bay and Durban.
Steve said his daughter was “tuned in to the spiritual side” but was not an evangelist.
East London surfer-journalist Nick Pike said: “The film was set down to show at Ster-Kinekor in Vincent Park, but since its closure, we will now be screening it for free at River Park on Wednesday at 5pm and 7.30pm.”
“The fabulous Miss Hodge is fast becoming East London’s own surfing version of Charlize Theron. This is her second movie role, the first being parts she acted and surfed in Blue Crush 2,” he said.
“More than just our own local surfing heroine in the movie, East London audiences will enjoy beautiful South Africa on the big screen, along with Indonesia, Australia, Mauritius and other exotic locations.”
While Cape Town film critic Theresa Smith described the film as “an awkward mix of surfer spirituality and hit-you-over-the-head reborn Christian fundamentalism”, Pike said: “The miracle of Ian’s return to life is being enjoyed by audiences across the world.
“The successful production of this movie was not without some miracles of its own. MacCormack is a full-time pastor in ministry in the UK, a far cry from the atheist, ‘endless summer’ hedonist surfer he used to be.”
Local surf darling stars in true drama screened in EL today
The R26-million movie also features Clint Eastwood’s son Scott, and former Charlie’s Angels star Cheryl Ladd.
It tells of how, in 1982, Kiwi surfer Ian MacCormack was thought dead after being stung by a jellyfish but “woke from the dead” after having an out-of-body experience.
He came to in a morgue to find a doctor writing out his death certificate. MacCormack went on to become a Christian evangelist.
Hodge’s father, recently retired chartered accountant Steve, 60, said of the first showing in East London: “People were sitting in the aisles.”
His daughter, who lives in San Clement in California, is also the face of Roxy’s outdoor fitness range and surfs the legendary Lower Trestles spot. She had a “lot of fun” while making the film.
Steve, a 1960s teen surfer who returned to surfing at the age of 40, said: “We are super- stoked about the movie, seeing her surf and even having a talking part.
“Her Eastern Cape accent there, but was disguised.”
Surfing scenes in the movie were shot in Cape Town, Jeffreys Bay and Durban.
Steve said his daughter was “tuned in to the spiritual side” but was not an evangelist.
East London surfer-journalist Nick Pike said: “The film was set down to show at Ster-Kinekor in Vincent Park, but since its closure, we will now be screening it for free at River Park on Wednesday at 5pm and 7.30pm.”
“The fabulous Miss Hodge is fast becoming East London’s own surfing version of Charlize Theron. This is her second movie role, the first being parts she acted and surfed in Blue Crush 2,” he said.
“More than just our own local surfing heroine in the movie, East London audiences will enjoy beautiful South Africa on the big screen, along with Indonesia, Australia, Mauritius and other exotic locations.”
While Cape Town film critic Theresa Smith described the film as “an awkward mix of surfer spirituality and hit-you-over-the-head reborn Christian fundamentalism”, Pike said: “The miracle of Ian’s return to life is being enjoyed by audiences across the world.
“The successful production of this movie was not without some miracles of its own. MacCormack is a full-time pastor in ministry in the UK, a far cry from the atheist, ‘endless summer’ hedonist surfer he used to be.”
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