MAIDEN

The documentary MAIDEN takes place in the late 1980s, a time when the idea of an all-women’s sailing team was such an inconceivable notion, that it was taken as a joke. However, one girl would not accept this view and decided to make this dream come true. Tracy Edwards didn’t know how she was going to do it, as all the odds were against her, but she was determined. Before Tracy changed the game, the only role for women on the sailing trip was the job of the chef, and even then, women only made up about 1% of the entire competition crew. Having done the job of chef previously for another crew, Edwards decided being a chef on a sailing ship wasn’t enough for her.

Without knowing how she even could make it happen, Tracy announced she was going to create the first all-women’s crew, and women came from all over the world to be a part of it. She and a close childhood friend carefully chose from a list of candidates to make a wholesome team. However, racing in the Whitbread Round the World Race requires massive financial backing, something to which Tracy didn’t have any access. Being the first all-female crew, there were no corporations that were jumping at the chance to sponsor a team they didn’t believe would succeed. Also, Tracy had no previous successes for a reference, so she spent years trying to come up with the funds to race. Finally, she turned to an old friend, King Hussein of Jordan, who fully funded the trip.

Tracy mortgaged her house to buy a beat up old ship, and she and the crew worked tirelessly to fix it up to working condition. At last, the girls were ready to compete. The discouragement from everyone around them was overwhelming, however. The reporters who covered the race made many chauvinistic comments about Tracy’s all female crew. Also, the competing teams doubted the women could even make it past the first leg of the race.

So, Tracy and the rest of the crew had to prove to themselves and the rest of the world that their anatomy didn’t determine their quality of life or performance. They went above and beyond to show that their amount of strength could not be shaken by circumstances or by the doubting skeptics surrounding them.

MAIDEN is an inspiring documentary to an audience of any sorts, centered around a group of unstoppable women who have the passion and drive to accomplish anything. The entire crew is interviewed in the present day. They recall all the madness they endured 30 years ago. Besides the crew, other people who were involved in the race, such as competitors and reporters. They also recall their opinions of this all female team back in the 1980s. They remember how they felt about these headstrong women, and how they feel about them now.

There is a moderate amount of questionable content throughout this movie. Although the movie is positive overall, as well as an undoubtable theme surrounding Hebrews 12:1, there is no overt mention of God. MAIDEN has some brief foul language and a reference to getting drunk after finishing a tough job. However, MAIDEN’s overarching message is that of a conqueror through perseverance and hard work. MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older children.