Rip Girls (2000)

Rip Girls is the kind of Disney Channel movie that sneaks up on you: sunlit and easygoing on the surface, but with a real emotional backbone about family, identity, and the places that shape us. Set against the warm, breezy beauty of Hawaii, it follows a 13-year-old discovering surfing and photography as she reconnects with her past, and the film lets those passions feel earned rather than packaged. Camilla Belle brings a grounded sincerity to Sydney, and Joyce Chopra directs with a calm confidence that makes the relationships—especially between daughter and father—feel lived-in, not lecture-y. It’s not a high-stakes, twisty drama, but if you want a heartfelt coming-of-age story with genuinely good vibes and strong role models, this one is an unexpectedly solid ride.

Rip Girls is clearly aiming for a warm, family-friendly coming-of-age story: a grieving teen reconnects with her dad, discovers surfing and photography, and unearths pieces of her mother’s past against a postcard Hawaii backdrop. The problem is it often feels like a made-for-TV grab bag of earnest lessons and convenient turns, with a glossy “island changes you” vibe that can come off unrealistic and a bit simplistic. If you need tight plotting, nuanced drama, or a romance that actually sparks, this will likely feel forgettable and less than the sum of its parts. Still, Camilla Belle is likable, and if you’re in the mood for gentle, low-stakes comfort viewing with scenic beaches and a sweet message, it does that job well enough.