Morning Light (2008)

Fifteen young sailors... six months of intense training... one chance at the brass ring. This documentary tells the story of a group of intrepid and determined young men and women, on the ... See full summary »

Director:

Mark Monroe

Writers:

Leslie DeMeuse (conceived by), Roy Edward Disney (conceived by)

Stars:

Chris Branning, Kate Theisen, Chris Schubert

Cast

Credited cast:
Chris Branning	...	Himself
Graham Brant-Zawadzki	...	Himself
Chris Clark	...	Himself
Roy Edward Disney	...	Himself
Charlie Enright	...	Himself
Jesse Fielding	...	Himself
Robbie Kane	...	Himself
Steve Manson	...	Himself
Chris Schubert	...	Himself
Kate Theisen	...	Herself
Mark Towill	...	Himself
Genny Tulloch	...	Herself
Pieter van Os	...	Himself
Patrick Warburton	...	Opening Sequence Narrator (voice)
Chris Welch	...	Himself

Storyline

Fifteen young sailors... six months of intense training... one chance at the brass ring. This documentary tells the story of a group of intrepid and determined young men and women, on the cusp of adulthood, as they embark on life's first great adventure. Racing a high-performance 52-foot sloop in the TRANSPAC, the most revered of open-ocean sailing competitions, the crew of "Morning Light" matches wits and skills in a dramatic 2300 mile showdown against top professionals. From their earliest training sessions in Hawaii conducted by world-class teachers through their test of endurance on the high seas, they form an unbreakable bond in the process of becoming a singular team that is greater than the sum of its parts.

---

Plot Keywords:

yachting | 

---

Taglines:

A 2500 mile journey that will change the course of their lives forever.

---

Genres:

Documentary | Sport

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 March 2009 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Morning Light

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$129,295, 19 October 2008

Gross USA:

$275,497

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$275,776

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Followed by Morning Light: Making the Cut (2008)

---

Soundtracks

Everyone's a VIP To Someone
Written by Ian Parton, Laura Nyro, Fred Neil
Performed by The Go! Team
Licensed courtesy of Memphis Industries Limited, London exclusively licensed to SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (UK) Limited. By arrangement with SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT,
EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. and Third Palm Music.

User Reviews

impressively shot documentary

Since 1906, boaters from all corners of the globe have gathered to compete in the Transpacific Yacht Race, a two-week-long sailing competition that extends across more than 2,000 miles of open ocean, starting in Los Angeles and ending in Honolulu. In 2007, Roy Disney and a team of expert trainers sponsored a hand-picked crew of young sailors - ages 18 to 23 - to compete in the event (indeed, it was the youngest team in the history of the race). Named after the 52-foot boat on which they sailed, "Morning Light" is a documentary account of both the preparation for that race and the race itself.

The movie spends much of the first half focusing on the grueling training the youngsters underwent as part of the process of whittling down the group of 15 hopefuls to a final crew of just 11.

Directed by Mark Monroe, "Morning Light" is a wholesome, upbeat, fast-paced documentary with razor-sharp editing (by Monroe and Paul Crowder) that really gets the adrenaline pumping, and cinematography (by Josef Nalevansky) that truly makes you feel like you're a part of the action. Through interviews, we get to know a little about the youngsters themselves, what motivates them, what excites them about sailing, and what it means to them personally to make - and, indeed in some cases, to not make - the final cut.

With its inspirational, shoot-for-the-stars pop-rock soundtrack, MTV-style editing techniques and "Real World" communal setup (albeit a squeaky-clean one), the movie is clearly aimed at a younger audience. And there are times when the film does feel a little too "Disneyfied" for its own good (did none of these young adults ever once swear?). But folks of any age will be able to thrill to this film, provided they have a spirit of adventure - armchair variety or not.