You have to feel bad for Luke (Justin Schwan).

I mean, here he is.  He’s a senior in high school.  He’s about to graduate.  He’s also one of the best surfers on the beach.  Just about everyone who sees him surf says that he should go pro.  More than one person says that God has blessed Luke with amazing surfing ability and obviously, that wouldn’t happen unless Luke was actually meant to do something with that talent.

But his parents …. agck!  His mother (Raquel Gardner) keeps pressuring him to go to church and to say grace before dinner and to attend youth group.  She even invites the new youth pastor (Danny Smith) over to the house so that he can meet Luke.  The youth pastor is so cool that his name is Pastor Shane but Luke’s really not interested in any of that.

Meanwhile, Luke’s father (Greg Carlson) is a hardass cop who is hardly ever home because, according to him, he’s got to go on a stakeout.  Luke’s father has decided that Luke is going to go to college and that he’s not going to waste his time as a pro surfer.  When Luke tries to argue with his dad, Luke is sent to his room and told that he is “under restriction.”  Luke’s a senior in high school but his father treats him like a kid who can be ordered around.   When Luke comes home from a party drunk, his father totally freaks out.  His father freaks out a lot.

Luke’s closest friend is Casey Sanchez (Angel Cruz), who is a natural-born joker who keeps talking about how he’s going to learn how to surf someday.  He encourages Luke to pursue his dreams.  He also encourages Luke to talk to the new girl at school, Jessica (Jessie Nickson).  When you’ve got a friend like Casey, what could go wrong, right?  Unfortunately, Casey is killed in a tragic car accident shortly after attending Shane’s youth group and announcing that he has decided to become a Christian.

Casey’s dead and Luke no longer knows what he wants to do with his life.  Jessica’s attempts to comfort him by telling him that it’s all part of a bigger plan do not provide him with much comfort.  (And, to be honest, saying that God planned for Casey to die so that it can somehow benefit Luke does seem to be a bit callous.)  With the try-outs coming for the national surf team, will Luke be able to get it together or will he lose the spot to his rival and frenemy, Matt McCoy (Andy Shephard)?

Though there’s nothing particularly surprising about the plot, Cutback is a likably earnest film.  Justin Schwan, in particular, gives a sympathetic performance and the film captures the beauty of the beach and the ocean.  If anything, it probably works better as a commercial for surfing than one for religion.  In the end, Luke finds some success and he finds some peace and you’re happy for him, even if it is difficult to accept the idea that Casey had to die for him to do it.