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

At the end of the movie, as George Clooney narrates, he mentions, "Blow your air horn and you throw a wave to the lighthouse keeper's kid on Thacher Island." The lighthouse shown during this scene is not on Thacher Island, but is in fact The Eastern Point Lighthouse. Thacher Island has the Twin Lighthouses that look nothing like the one depicted in the film.

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Goofs

Seagulls are visible while the Andrea Gail is fishing at the Flemish Caps. Seagulls are found far at sea in the Atlantic; they can live on and between ships in the area.

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Quotes

Christina 'Chris' Cotter: [sitting on the dock next to each other looking out at the ocean] I'll be asleep, and all the sudden there he is, that big smile. You know that smile. And I say, 'Hey, Bobby - where you been?' but he won't tell me. He just smiles and says, 'Remember, Christina: I'll always love you; I loved you the moment I saw you; I love you now; and I love you forever. There's no goodbyes - there's only love, Christina; only love. Then he's gone. But he's always happy when he goes so I know he's got to be ...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in The 73rd Annual Academy Awards (2001)

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Soundtracks

Heart of Saturday Night
Written by Tom Waits
Performed by Tom Waits
Courtesy of Elektra Entertainment Group
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

A roller coaster ride on water

I was struck by the documentary quality of this film, and couldn't help but look back to an earlier Peterson film, Das Boot, where we got up close and intimate with all the crew of the submarine--where they slept, went to the washroom, their soaking wet clothes, the damp, the stink of unwashed clothes, the claustrophobia on board. I had absolutely no trouble believing that Mark Wahlberg and Clooney were fishermen, trying to earn a hardscrabble living against a tough and unforgiving sea. The movie even starts slowly, giving the viewers insights into their lives at home, why they fish, and why they make the decisions later on in the movie. Then the film starts to slowly build the tension as the storm builds in strength. The special effects were absolutely believable, and Peterson piles on the tension even while breaking it up by adding a parallel rescue at the same time as the Andrea Gail begins to run into trouble. An excellent summer thriller that is a real roller coaster ride--literally and figuratively--on water.