Surf's Up

Synopsis: This story follows a teenage rock hopper penguin named Cody Maverick from his hometown of Shiverpool, Antarctica, where all of the other penguins think he's nothing but a surfing fool, to the "Big Z Memorial Surf Off" on Pen Gu Island. Young Cody is determined to win the most important competition in the world of penguin surfing in honor of "Big Z," a deceased surfing legend whom he has idolized since childhood. But the waves in Pen Gu are different than in Shiverpool, and the competition is steep. The current champ, egotistical Tank Evans, isn't just about to let this little penguin knock him from first place without a fight. When Cody wipes out and encounters Geek, a recluse aging former surfer, living in the jungle, he learns some important lessons about life and surfing, and even teaches Geek a thing or two.
Director(s): Ash Brannon, Chris Buck
Production: Sony Pictures
  Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 17 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.7
Metacritic:
64
Rotten Tomatoes:
79%
PG
Year:
2007
85 min
$58,867,694
Website
8,709 Views


Quiet on the set. And we're rolling.

Cody Maverick interview, take one.

Why are you guys here

to interview me?

It's what we do.

We're a reality film crew.

Should I know some of the questions

before we start?

- No. They're easy.

- Okay.

- Can you stand on that box, please?

- Oh, yeah.

Right there? What is that?

- What is that?

- A sound thing. It's a microphone.

What's up, man? I'm Cody.

And you're what, 14, 15 years old?

Seventeen years of age.

And any other skills

besides surfing?

Like what?

Like singing and dancing?

Yeah. Yeah.

No, not me, man. I just surf.

- Loser.

- I just...

Cut it out, Glen. Stop, man.

We're here to make

a movie about Cody.

- Does he have to be here?

- It's gonna be great.

Can I get in line now to not see it?

We'll re-slate.

Since we're talking about surfing,

give us your thoughts about surfing.

Surfing. Surfing.

- Where do I start?

- How about at the beginning?

Okay, well...

So as soon as there was the first wave,

right? There was the first surfer.

All they needed was, like,

a piece of driftwood...

...a block of ice or something like

that, and then they were off.

And they were hooked, man.

They were hooked.

Up till recent times, you had

your old dudes. Your hang-six cats.

These old guys used to lay down

with these huge, humongous boards.

These guys were the pioneers...

...but nobody saw

what surfing could really be...

...until Big Z did it.

- Could you tell us who Big Z was?

- Who was Big Z?

You're asking the right guy.

You got that far. Z is everything.

Big Z is surfing.

I mean, he's...

There may well as not have been

an ocean before Z.

They invented the ocean for him.

He lived so hard

because he wasn't afraid to live.

He wasn't afraid to die.

He came to Antarctica

when I was just a kid.

Man, it was the biggest thing

that ever happened here.

And suddenly there he was.

Just floating over the water.

Hovering, you know, like weightless.

He could've walked up to anyone...

...and he walks right up to me.

And he gives me this awesome,

one-of-a-kind Big Z necklace.

And then he tells me,

"You know, kid, never give up.

Find a way,

because that's what winners do. "

He was the greatest.

Everyone looked up to him,

respected him, loved him.

And one day, one day

I'm gonna be just like him.

And I've been surfing

ever since I can remember.

It's hard to imagine my life

when I wasn't surfing.

I want to get out of here,

and this is my ticket out.

I'm really good, man.

I'm the best on the island.

I know it sounds cocky for saying that,

but, I mean, I am, like the best.

I was born and raised here

in Shiverpool.

Lived here my whole life.

That's where they sort the fish. It's

the dumbest thing I've ever heard of.

But yeah, I worked there

just to pacify my mom a little bit.

Good old Shiverpool.

This place sucks, bro.

I worked my way up from the sardine

pile, then to the mackerel pile...

...and I ended up

on the gefilte fish pile.

- All hard work.

- Not like some I could mention.

Yes, this farkakte kid

with the thing on the water.

My house?

Over there. You see it

right there with the surfboards?

Yeah, I just live here with me

and my brother, Glen, my mom.

He was a little, teeny, small egg.

He wasn't very impressive.

Glen was the big egg,

Cody was the small egg.

He can't help it.

That's just the way he is.

I mean, he's out there...

...in the water all day

shirking his responsibilities.

You know, hatching these eggs

is a big responsibility.

And my brother, Cody,

he just doesn't understand that.

- He needs to step up and be a man.

- It takes a real man to sit on an egg.

- You know it.

- Quincy, come to Daddy.

He wants to be different.

All the time with the different.

Who's got the time in the day to...

Only six months in a day.

- Thanks for making it.

- Sorry. It was too good to miss.

- Thanks for making it.

- How was it out there?

He's the big brother.

I'm the little brother.

I'm not touching you.

- Not gonna touch you.

- Do you see this?

- Don't. Please?

- I'm not.

He makes sure that I know that.

I had to fight for everything.

Even Mom's tuna casserole.

I'm lucky I survived.

It really wasn't that easy

for him growing up.

Like I said before...

...he never really knew his father.

I'm not really the person to ask about it

because I was too young to remember.

Look, I'm not the only kid

on the island...

...whose dad was, you know, eaten.

- Still, it had to be traumatic.

- No. Not for me, bro. Not for me.

- What's your dream?

- To go away.

- To go away. That's great.

- Do you guys want a drink?

Got to run away

from responsibility and life.

This is unique.

- This is not the norm.

- "I have dreams."

- When is this not happening?

- Don't make that noise.

- Cody!

- It's really disrespectful.

I would never do that.

You just wouldn't make it

out of your mouth.

That's the difference

between you and me.

You know what?

I can't do this anymore.

Mom. Look what you did.

This is for me. This isn't for you.

Why is Glen still here?

Oh, yeah, exactly. Mom!

I don't understand why

everybody's so judgmental.

I understand why Mom's judgmental.

I think it's because she cares,

partially. It's also partially because...

...everyone else is looking at her like,

"Hey, Cody's just a bum.

Cody's this. Cody's that.

Cody's this. "

Cody's me, bro. Let me be me.

When is that gonna start?

You know what they call me?

The dream maker. The dream maker.

I find these kids,

I bring them here...

...and I give them a chance

to be somebody.

You know my greatest joy

as a surf promoter? Finding Z.

Watching him rise to the top.

I still can't believe he's gone.

He was like a son to me, you know?

It was a heart thing, you know?

Can we just take five minutes?

How's my hair? Is it messed up?

I ain't got all day. Is it mussed?

We just have a few more questions

about Big Z.

But right now

I think we're more interested...

...in the Reggie Belafonte story,

and who could blame us?

But Big Z is kind of the focus

of our...

Let's get the coconut filler guy

over here.

And how about the guy

sweeping the sand?

Can we hear your boring story

about your tedious, ridiculous life?

Get your feathers off it! Stop!

I ain't got all day.

I got a big production here.

Roll, okay? Just roll!

Welcome, fans, to another edition

of SPEN Sports.

This is Sal Masakela...

...and we're here at the surfing capital

of the world, Pen Gu Island...

...for a preview of the tenth annual

Big Z Memorial Surf-Off.

Professional surfers

extraordinaire...

...Kelly and Rob tell us...

...what challenges

our surfers are going to face.

First things first, Sal. The wave.

It's the perfect combination...

...of beauty and danger. Even

the pros are terrified of this place.

Hi, Mom.

Dig this, Sal. Section behind me.

It's "The Boneyards."

Few surfers have ventured in there...

...and come out alive.

Are you trying to tell me

people have died here?

Rate this script:5.0 / 5 votes

Don Rhymer

Don Rhymer (February 23, 1961 – November 28, 2012) was an American screenwriter and film producer. He graduated from James Madison University in 1982. He wrote movies like Big Momma's House, The Santa Clause 2, Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London, The Honeymooners, Deck the Halls, and the computer animated mockumentary Surf's Up. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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"Surf's Up" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 13 Nov. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/surf's_up_19174>.

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