Aquamarine (2006)

REVIEW
A film with a message, Aquamarine starts as a lighthearted tween romantic comedy starring Sara Paxton as Aquamarine, a mermaid washed ashore in the town of Baybridge, Florida. Two teen girls, Claire (Emma Roberts) and Hailey (Joanna Levesque or Jojo ) are boy-crazy over a lifeguard, Raymond (Jake McDorman). When Aquamarine expresses an interest in Raymond, the girls vow to help her win him over. The mermaid’s father, (a mysterious force that manipulates the weather) claims there is no such thing as love and Aquamarine wants to prove him wrong. Things get interesting when the sun rises, for then a mermaid grows legs until sunset and the old fishtail reappears. Filmed in Australia by first-time feature director Elizabeth Allen, Aquamarine is full of squealing girls, mall-shopping and beach parties. Things get a little sticky when Aquamarine starts wearing talking starfishes for earrings and spouting curses like “bull shark!” Too young to be romantically involved themselves, Hailey and Claire live vicariously through the budding affair between Aquamarine and Raymond. As her secret unfolds, Raymond learns to think beyond boundaries, the girls transcend little girl concerns and Aquamarine learns that love comes from within to give, and is not something that has to be sought outside oneself.