“Young Woman and the Sea” effortlessly evokes vintage sports films.

TFD – “Young Woman and the Sea,” starring Daisy Ridley, hits US theaters on May 31. This engaging biopic tells the inspiring story of Trudy Ederle’s historic swim across the English Channel. Don’t miss this heartfelt film that captures human spirit and tenacity.

The only creases in “Young Woman and the Sea” are probably the ones Daisy Ridley got from spending so much time in the sea, but it really shouldn’t matter because the film tells such an engaging genuine story so skillfully. The nearly impossible, breathtaking act of getting there is more important in this situation, much like Trudy Ederle swimming the English Channel.

Despite its echoes of Ernest Hemingway, the title almost sounds like the marketing department gave up on something more appealing, but in reality, it’s taken from the book “Young Woman and the Sea: How Trudy Ederle Conquered the English Channel and Inspired the World,” which serves as the basis for the movie.

Furthermore, the film was supposed to debut on Disney+, but producer Jerry Bruckheimer (and, based on trade papers, encouraging audience testing) convinced the studio to try its luck in the increasingly shark-infested theater space, where its future is still unknown.

Whatever perspective one takes, “Young Woman” has a lot of vintage appeal, portraying the victory of the human spirit and tenacity that uplifts the spirit (thanks in large part to Amelia Warner’s musical composition). In that sense, it becomes part of an illustrious canon of legendary sports films, possibly surpassing even its more contemporary counterparts, the swim-themed Netflix production “Nyad” and George Clooney’s Olympic drama “The Boys in the Boat.

Since her well publicized “Star Wars” role, Ridley has continued to be involved in smaller films, but none more effectively highlight her natural charm than this one. However, it’s difficult not to support Trudy, who was born to German immigrants. She overcame a childhood case of measles and the “old ways” that her father, Kim Bodnia, deemed necessary. Trudy went on to become an Olympic swimmer, competing in the 1924 Games before attempting the arduous 21-mile swim of the English Channel two years later.

Ederle had to contend with strong currents both in and out of the water, the latter in the form of overt sexism. However, she was supported by her sister Tilda Cobham-Hervey (who played Helen Reddy in the film “I Am Woman”), her demanding coach Sian Clifford, and another swimmer (Stephen Graham) who saw her potential and grit.

While both screenwriter Jeff Nathanson (2019’s “The Lion King”) and director Joachim Rønning (Norway) have experience with Disney, “Young Woman and the Sea” has the vintage vibe of live-action films that were popular long before worrying about opening times became a top priority.

The obligatory newsreel and ending crawl only give the narrative more weight and make it seem a little more relevant than it did one hundred years after Ederle’s Olympic debut.

“Young Woman and the Sea,” which will be available for streaming or theater viewing, is a lesson in the straightforward power of a skillfully told tale—the type that has the ability to simultaneously uplift and wash over you.

On May 31, “Young Woman the Sea” opens in US theaters. The rating is PG.