The Lightship (1985)

A trio of robbers, two brothers and their twisted genius leader, invade a lightship, but don't reckon on the crew fighting back.

Director:

Jerzy Skolimowski

Writers:

Siegfried Lenz (book), William Mai (screenplay),

Stars:

Robert Duvall, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Tim Phillips

3 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Robert Duvall	...	Calvin Caspary
Klaus Maria Brandauer	...	Captain Miller
Tim Phillips	...	Thorne
Arliss Howard	...	Eddie
William Forsythe	...	Gene
Michal Skolimowski	...	Alex (as Michael Lyndon)
Robert Costanzo	...	Stump
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tom Bower	...	Coop
Badja Djola	...	Nate

Storyline

Just when US Coast Guard captain Miller takes his teenage son Alex to his lightship off the coast of Virginia, Calvin Caspary and two criminal accomplices, on the run for the police, decide to hijack it. What the crazy trio didn't count on is that this small crew doesn't just keep taking it lying low, they will put up a fight. Alex hides dad's gun and wrestles his his war past and courage.

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Plot Keywords:

boxing | bathing | ethnic hatred | racial slur | fist fight | 

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Taglines:

The guiding light in a sea of treachery.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 September 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Killers at Sea

Filming Locations:

Sylt, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

CBS Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

[first lines]
Alex: [narrating] My old man was a captain in the Coast Guard. We never saw too much of each other. Most of the time he was away at sea. But this time I was lucky. He made it to my graduation.

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Connections

Remade as Das Feuerschiff (2008)

User Reviews

Routine crime-drama set on the high-seas

There isn't much new in this gangsters-take-ship-and-crew-hostage drama, except that it takes place on a floating Light Ship. Having endured 14 months of duty on one of these floating torture chambers myself, I can tell you that nothing this exciting ever took place. All we ever did was bounce up and down and listen to a fog-horn, day and night. Too bad Duvall wasn't out there then, we could have keel-hauled him for making this very inaccurate flick!