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Story

Rip Tide is about Cora (Debbie Ryan), an American teenager living in New York. Her mother (Danielle Carter) is the head of a top New York modelling agency and Cora is on track to a lucrative editorial modelling contract. One day, during a shoot, Cora feels overwhelmed by the stifling environment and frustrated by a lack of connection with her busy mother. As Cora rushes out in an emotional state, someone takes a video of her as she tumbles down the stairs. The video goes viral on social media, leaving Cora an outcast and on the verge of ruining her modelling career.

Needing to escape the attention, Cora takes a flight to Australia to stay with her Aunt Margot (Genevieve Hegney) in a sleepy little surf town on the coast. Aunt Margot is an ex pro-surfer, who is still recovering from the loss of her husband a year earlier. Cora takes some time to adjust to the rhythm of life in Australia but gradually she reconnects with nature and with her own buried aspirations, working out what she really wants from life.

Themes

Career choices and aspirations; mother-daughter relationships and tensions; grief at the loss of a partner; online bullying

Violence

None of concern

Sexual references

Rip Tide has some romantic references, including when Cora and Tom flirt with each other.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

None of concern

Nudity and sexual activity

Rip Tide has some very mild semi-nudity and romantic activity. For example:

  • Cora and Tom kiss and hold each other.
  • Margot and Owen dance together and hold each other.
  • Tom has his wetsuit pulled down to his waist, exposing his torso.

Product placement

None of concern

Coarse language

None of concern

Ideas to discuss with your children

Rip Tide is aimed at pre-teens and younger teenagers. It has lovely cinematography of the Australian coast line, good female role models and positive messages for young people.

Rip Tide isn’t recommended for children under seven years, because it lacks interest for them. You might want to talk about some of the movie’s mildly disturbing themes with children aged 7-11 years.

The main message from this movie is to follow your dreams, even when your parents have different ideas about what’s best for you.

Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include:

  • the therapeutic benefits of connecting with and being active in nature
  • the importance of strong relationships.

Rip Tide raises several issues that you could discuss with your children, including:

  • ambition and money
  • superficial beauty standards
  • online bullying
  • grief.

Supported By

  • Department of Social Services

Raising Children Network is supported by the Australian Government. Member organisations are the Parenting Research Centre and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute with The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Community Child Health.

Member Organisations

  • Parenting Research Centre
  • The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne
  • Murdoch Children's Research Institute

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