The Finest Hours

The Finest Hours is one of those rare movies that blends intense action with genuine emotional depth. Based on the true story of a daring Coast Guard rescue in 1952, the film delivers not only edge-of-your-seat suspense but also a heartfelt reminder of courage, duty, and sacrifice. The storm sequences are absolutely gripping — the visuals are powerful without being overdone, and you can really feel the danger and chaos of the open sea. But what makes this film stand out is the human story at its core. Chris Pine gives a strong, grounded performance as Bernie Webber, portraying a quiet kind of bravery that feels incredibly authentic. The rest of the cast also shines, especially during the scenes on the sinking oil tanker, where survival feels minute-to-minute. The film does a great job of showing ordinary people doing extraordinary things, without turning it into over-the-top Hollywood drama. The Finest Hours is beautifully shot, emotionally resonant, and deeply respectful of the real events it’s based on. If you enjoy true-story dramas, inspiring rescue tales, or just a well-made film with heart, this one is absolutely worth your time.

Absolutely a great movie!

I had read "The Finest Hours" by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman and recommend it highly. I had high hopes for this movie adaptation of the book, and have to say that Disney did not disappoint. This movie is a film about the courage of seemingly ordinary people under great stress, and is faithful to the spirit of the rescue and the traditions of valor that run deep in the US Coast Guard. On February 18, 1952 two World War Two era T-2 tanker ships, the "Pendleton" and the "Fort Mercer" split in half within 40 miles of each other in a terrible storm off the northeast United States. Amazingly, portions of each ship remained afloat and the rescue effort was extremely confused at the outset as nobody was sure where the pieces were or what was still floating. The book details the travails of both ships, but the film focuses almost exclusively on the "Pendleton". A crew of four was sent from the USCG station at Chatham, Massachusetts on the 36-foot rescue boat CG-36500 (which, by the way, is now preserved in a museum) under the command of Bernie Webber, here played to perfection by Chris Pine. The act of going out in that weather was heroic enough, but the rescue itself became legendary in USCG circles, and the onscreen depiction here is nearly perfect. Water is very hard to digitally model, but effects have gotten much better since "The Perfect Storm" was made, and here they look great. The "Pendleton" sets are amazingly realistic and the digital compositing of the stern of the ship against the frothing backdrop of the ocean is superb. Throughout the acting is first rate, though I'm unsure that the character of Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck) would have actually been so shy and retiring at the outset of the drama. "The Finest Hours" is a great movie that I highly recommend for all adults and mature children. It's clean enough for all kids, though very young kids may be scared by some of the very realistic and frankly terrifying images of foundering ships. Disney did a great job with this one, and director Craig Gillespie ("Million Dollar Arm") shines through as one of the most versatile and capable in Hollywood. The DVD includes two very short extras, both of which were promotional shorts, one on the mission and people of the US Coast Guard, and one a behind the scenes look at the cast and production.

This was a film that I originally saw in theaters. I liked it, and wanted to add it to my Blu-ray/Digital collection so I could re-watch it and share it with friends and relatives, but I couldn't make myself give this more than 4 out of 5 stars in my post-theater review. I don't find myself driven to change that rating (for the film) here, but do like that the Blu-ray offers several bonuses, especially deleted scenes and the other bonuses, including Against All Odds: The Bernie Webber Story featurette. In my original review, I used some words such as these: (edited slightly here) I went and caught this (in theatre) today. I found it to be fairly enjoyable, though I would have liked a little less of the love story and a bit more of the drama. Perhaps it should have just been a little longer so the love story didn't get shortened in exchange for more of the drama. I would caution that the movie tends to be a bit dark and hard to see things as clearly as you might wish. Given that the events occur mostly at night, in dark water, this should be expected, but it does leave you straining a little to find the tiny object you want to follow as it perhaps gets shoved around by the wind and seas. Well worth watching, though I can't say this is 5 stars for me. My original quick review also had noted the following: If you can catch it at matinee pricing, it should be easily worth that. Oh, I'm told by others that the 3D is really not worth it, so I wouldn't spend extra to see it in 3D. There was no apparent 3D Blu-ray release for this one, so you can ignore that comment for sure. The matinee pricing doesn't really apply to the Blu-ray or DVD release either, though I suppose that isn't quite true as it should perhaps be re-worded to say if you can find this on sale, it becomes a better bargain. Those with family that are in the coast guard will find extra value here, and those that enjoy "based on true stories" will also enjoy this a bit more, though I should be careful to note that "based on a true story" doesn't mean that there hasn't been some creative license with the story. For the actual story, doing some research on the interwebs would be a good thing. The story here is close enough to enjoy and have an appreciation for what happened in the actual events, but I would also like to know the actual true story and enjoy stories such as this one when they are closer to the actual events. Rated PG-13, this is a family friendly tale, but it is tense, dramatic, and at times, as noted in my original comments above, hard to see. The dark night, rain and storminess means a dark screen throughout much of this film. Finding the relatively small craft on the screen is difficult at times and really can't be helped, again because of the size and scope of what is going on in the film. Chris Pine does a good job in his role as the hero, as does Casey Affleck. Christian Bale doesn't get much screen time, and time he does have leaves us all thinking that his character was not a great leader. Whether that was actually true or not will depend on the results of the research you do about the actual events. Holliday Grainger does well enough with her role, though she seems to be a bit strong for the era that she was portraying and that may have added to my own frustrations with the love story aspect of the film. While I didn't mind that portion of the film that much, I can't say I didn't find myself wishing for more of the drama of the rescue or the efforts just to stay alive and less of the concern of the heartsick lover who may have seen her bethrowed for the last time. In the end, I like the film, and that leaves me at the 4 stars just for the film. The Blu-ray is a nice one, but I had hopes perhaps for more bonus materials. Oddly enough, though I originally stayed away from the 3D in theatres, I would actually have sprung for 3D for the home release if it had been available (now that I have a 3D capable TV in the home, it isn't as wasteful to me as it used to be).

Great movie

This is a great movie based on a true story. They did great making it.

This is my new favorite movie! I can watch it over and over again.

Great story and movie well directed and produced.