Disclosure: I received complimentary passes to see Disney’s The Finest Hours. All opinions are my own.
Ever watched a movie that made you want to be a better person? Disney’s Finest Hours is a movie that inspired me to be more courageous. Courage is defined as the ability to do something that frightens someone. Courage is something I need more of to advance my life and even this blog. Stepping out of my comfort zone doesn’t come easily for me. The Finest Hours showcases the story of two men who made choices that required large doses of courage.
Disney’s The Finest Hours is based on the book, The Finest Hours: The True Story of a Heroic Sea Rescue (True Storm Rescues). I am hoping for some more insight on the characters and events from reading the book, but thank Disney for sharing this amazing mission that everyone should know about.
Disney’s The Finest Hours Movie Review
Disney knows how to tell a story. They did not fail in this movie. The main characters, Ray Sybert and Bernie Webber, are fully developed, and I felt as if I completely understood their struggle. Ray Sybert was the first assistant on the tanker that split in two. He reminded me of me, soft-spoken and not really a leader. He was knowledgeable in tanker design and was the only person that could keep the crew alive. It was amazing to see his journey to become a leader. Bernie Webber was a man who was known for always doing the right thing, the honorable thing. When his Warrant Officer sent the order to rescue the people on the tanker, he surprised everyone with how he handled the mission, including me.
Overall, the movie goes at a rather slow pace. I think they could of made it a few minutes shorter or added some more details that would of made the story better. Other than the 2 main characters and Bernie’s girlfriend, the other characters were more of an afterthought, in my opinion. Since this is a true story, you know how the ending is going to go. Not many parts of the movie were surprising.
Once the movie ends, you are able to see pictures of the real people the actors portrayed.
I give Disney’s The Finest Hours 4/5 stars. A wonderful movie that shows the integrity and courage of our National Coast Guard!
Here is a special featurette:
OFFICIAL BOILERPLATE:
A heroic action-thriller, “The Finest Hours” is the remarkable true story of the most daring rescue mission in the history of the Coast Guard. Presented in Digital 3D™, Real D 3D and IMAX® 3D, the film will transport audiences to the heart of the action, creating a fully-immersive cinematic experience on an epic scale. On February 18, 1952, a massive nor’easter struck New England, pummeling towns along the Eastern seaboard and wreaking havoc on the ships caught in its deadly path, including the SS Pendleton, a T-2 oil tanker bound for Boston, which was literally ripped in half, trapping more than 30 sailors inside its rapidly-sinking stern. As the senior officer on board, first assistant engineer Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck) soon realizes it is up to him to take charge of the frightened crew and inspire the men to set aside their differences and work together to ride out one of the worst storms to ever hit the East Coast. Meanwhile, as word of the disaster reaches the U.S. Coast Guard station in Chatham, Massachusetts, Warrant Officer Daniel Cluff (Eric Bana) orders a daring operation to rescue the stranded men. Despite overwhelming odds, four men, led by Coast Guard Captain Bernie Webber (Chris Pine), set out in a wooden lifeboat with an ill-equipped engine and little, if any, means of navigation, facing frigid temperatures, 60-foot high waves and hurricane-force winds.