The Perfect Storm (2000)

An unusually intense storm pattern catches some commercial fishermen unaware and puts them in mortal danger.

Director:

Wolfgang Petersen

Writers:

Sebastian Junger (book), William D. Wittliff (screenplay) (as Bill Wittliff)

Stars:

George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, John C. Reilly

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 25 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Clooney	...	Billy Tyne
Mark Wahlberg	...	Bobby Shatford
John C. Reilly	...	Dale 'Murph' Murphy
Diane Lane	...	Christina Cotter
William Fichtner	...	David 'Sully' Sullivan
John Hawkes	...	Mike 'Bugsy' Moran
Allen Payne	...	Alfred Pierre
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio	...	Linda Greenlaw
Karen Allen	...	Melissa Brown
Cherry Jones	...	Edie Bailey
Bob Gunton	...	Alexander McAnally III
Christopher McDonald	...	Todd Gross
Michael Ironside	...	Bob Brown
Rusty Schwimmer	...	Irene 'Big Red' Johnson
Janet Wright	...	Ethel Shatford

Storyline

In October 1991, a confluence of weather conditions combined to form a killer storm in the North Atlantic. Caught in the storm was the sword-fishing boat Andrea Gail. Magnificent foreshadowing and anticipation fill this true-life drama while minute details of the fishing boats, their gear and the weather are juxtaposed with the sea adventure.

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Plot Keywords:

storm | fish | fishing | sea | death | 

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Taglines:

In the Fall of 1991, the "Andrea Gail" left Gloucester, Mass. and headed for the fishing grounds of the North Atlantic. Two weeks later, an event took place that had never occurred in recorded history.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language and scenes of peril

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 June 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Una tormenta perfecta

Filming Locations:

Dana Point, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$140,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$41,325,042, 2 July 2000, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$182,618,434

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$328,718,434

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.,Baltimore Spring Creek Productions,Radiant Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX SDDS (8 channels) DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

George Clooney, Dash Mihok, and John C. Reilly previously appeared together in The Thin Red Line (1998).

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Goofs

The majority of sailboats have a keel, a lead-filled blade that extends from the bottom of the boat to provide straight line tracking and acts as a counterbalance for the wind blowing against the sails. When the "Mistral" takes a wave and rolls 360-degrees, there is no keel visible.

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Quotes

Bobby Shatford: [in the bridge of the Andrea Gail] Skip, what are we gonna do about those numbers? They suck.
Captain Billy Tyne: The boys are talking? About how I lost it? Billy Tyne's lost it? Things get a little slow they're ready to draw and quarter you. I didn't think you would go along with them.
Bobby Shatford: It's not that, Skip. I'm out here because I need the money.
Captain Billy Tyne: You know, last trip I thought you had something to offer. But you know, you're just a punk.
Bobby Shatford: Hey, you promised me a shitload of fish!
Captain Billy Tyne: You'll get a shitload of fish. I've ...

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Connections

Referenced in Melissa & Joey: The Perfect Storm (2010)

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Soundtracks

Hungry Heart
Written by Bruce Springsteen
Performed by Bruce Springsteen
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

Not a novel

Having survived (barely, on land) the "No Name Storm" of 1991 on the coast of New England, I assure you this was a true story (I'm mentioning this for the New Zealand poster who said it was adapted from a novel and others who may not realize it really was a *true* story). Obviously, we can't know what was actually said or done once the Andrea Gail lost radio contact (and isn't that true of any movie based on "historical fact" - we can only surmise the actual dialog and conversations that may have taken place). However, the characters were based on the actual crew members and the Coast Guard did have to ditch one helicopter during the storm - from a story I read in People magazine, I'd say the portrayal of the Coast Guard's actions were accurate. I can't say I liked this movie - perhaps remembering the terror of that night (I lived in a seaside town and the ocean had come over the seawall and was filling up streets 3 and 4 blocks in from the beach) makes it difficult for me to watch this movie as entertainment. In answer to one post here, Clooney said that the Boston accent is one of the most difficult and he didn't even want to attempt it - Markie Mark is from Boston so it wasn't a stretch for him. The special effects are phenomenal of course...I just wish it had a different ending. By the way, the statue of the fisherman at the ship wheel shown at the beginning of the movie is an actual Gloucester landmark (and you can see it on Gorton frozen seafood products which come from Gloucester) - the legend on the base of the monument says, "Those that go down to the sea in ships..."