Big waves in a big ocean and a young girl with a big dream. 

“True Spirit”, is a film, based on a true story, about 16-year-old Jessica Watson, played by Teagan Croft, who had a dream to be the youngest person to circumnavigate around the world, nonstop and unassisted. The movie came out on January 26 of this year.

The movie begins with showing clips of Watson’s childhood with her family that show she grew up chasing dreams of sailing. She lived next to the ocean all of her life and had always loved everything that had to do with the water. 

By the age of 10, Jessica already had her heart set on her plan. After revealing it to her family, she spent six years practicing sailing, studying, and making sure that when she decided to turn her dream into reality she was completely prepared.

She experienced a lot of challenges such as strong winds and storms, loneliness and trouble reading coordinates and the map due to her dyslexia. There was also the fact that a lot of people, including news broadcasters, were counting on her downfall and making it known that they didn’t think that she could do it. 

The best part of this movie was the showcase of Watson’s determination and how she didn’t let even the toughest challenges stop her. She was set on her dream even though not a lot of people believed that she could do it. 

Her braveness to sail around the world by herself at only 16-years-old is unimaginable. Her story is nothing short of amazing and inspirational to younger kids. This movie really teaches children to dream big and push beyond the limits, regardless of what others might think. 

Another thing that was interesting was that there was real footage of Jessica Watson and her family and her getting off the boat at the end of the movie. It was a cool addition to the story and it helped to picture what the actual event and experience was like.  

However, one thing that could be improved is that the movie didn’t show a lot of the family’s experiences and emotions with having their 16-year-old out on the ocean by herself. There were some points, but not very many and it is imaginable that there would be a lot of hardships for the family. 

Overall, this movie is very inspiring and told a true story very well. The actors portrayed the real people very effectively and the events created suspense and excitement. It is a heartfelt, emotional drama documentary that captures the experiences of a courageous young girl with a big dream.