In 2011, director Sean McNamara, a Disney and Nickelodeon veteran with an iffy feature track record (see: “Bratz”) had a sleeper success with the inspirational biopic “Soul Surfer.” Its mix of sun, surf, spirituality and teen angst, dramatizing a real-life Hawaiian competitor’s rebound after losing her arm to a shark attack, remains a favorite among audiences for faith-based entertainment. After some less well-received efforts, including last year’s biopic “Reagan,” McNamara is back on old terrain with “Soul on Fire,” centered on a young protagonist struggling after his own near-fatal accident.
Related Stories
Based on John O’Leary’s 2016 memoir-slash-self-help tome “On Fire,” this earnest effort
→ Continue reading at Variety
