The Coast Guard makes a daring rescue attempt off the coast of Cape Cod after a pair of oil tankers are destroyed during a blizzard in 1952.The Coast Guard makes a daring rescue attempt off the coast of Cape Cod after a pair of oil tankers are destroyed during a blizzard in 1952.The Coast Guard makes a daring rescue attempt off the coast of Cape Cod after a pair of oil tankers are destroyed during a blizzard in 1952.
- Writers
- Scott Silver(screenplay by)
- Paul Tamasy(screenplay by)
- Eric Johnson(screenplay by)
- Stars
- Writers
- Scott Silver(screenplay by)
- Paul Tamasy(screenplay by)
- Eric Johnson(screenplay by)
- Stars
- Writers
- Scott Silver(screenplay by)
- Paul Tamasy(screenplay by)
- Eric Johnson(screenplay by)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIt is implied that the captain of the Pendleton was responsible for the sinking because of an error in judgment. The Pendleton was a T2 style tanker that, as with other "liberty ships," was built in haste during the Second World War to support the Allies in Britain. The limited building facilities resulting from the rush of shipbuilding resulted in the T2 ships being built in two sections (bow and stern) and later joined at the middle. They had a known issue in that they tended to break in half when facing the combination of cold seas and extreme weather. By insisting on maintaining 7 knots, the captain was hoping to reach a port as quickly as possible, in order to limit the amount of stress on the ship and to avoid metal fatigue that might lead to a break-up. He was balancing the threat of a broken weld versus breaking the ship in two. If he had complied with the engineer's request and dropped to 3 knots, the break-up would have happened anyway, but farther out to sea. It is likely that, while losing his life and that of the other seven crewmen in the bow, his decision made it possible for the lives of the other half to be saved. In contrast to what has been reported elsewhere, the broken weld had little to do with the ship being broken in half. Rather, the weld broke due to the same strain that caused the ship to break in half.
- GoofsThe engine room was not that of a T-2 tanker. T-2 tankers were turbo electric drive which means a steam turbine drives a generator which powers a 6000 hp electric synchronous AC motor. T-2 propulsion is controlled by levers which connect the motor to the generator and control the speed of the generator. If the seawater rose to the level shown in the movie, there would be no propulsion possible because all the necessary pumps and the main motor were located in the lower engine room and would have been submerged. Flooding of the boilers themselves would not have been an issue but the fuel pumps would also have been submerged.
- Quotes
John Stello: The old man don't know what he is doing. He sends you out to die. You can't make it over Chatham bar on a day like this. You can't stay afloat with half a ship neither.
Bernie Webber: Well, Mr. Stello, in the Coast Guard to say you gotta go out. But they don't say you gotta come back in. That's regulation, you know.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Wazzu on Film: Kung Fu Panda 3 and the Finest Hours (2016)
- SoundtracksThe Hucklebuck
Written by Roy Alfred, Andy Gibson, Albert Shubert
Performed by Frank Sinatra with Axel Stordahl and His Orchestra
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
Review
Featured review
All Life is Precious
Now, that's what I call a good film. It may still be January, but The Finest Hours definitely doesn't feel like a film that came out in the midst of Hollywood's dumping ground month. It's directed by Craig Gillespie and stars Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Holliday Grainger, and Eric Bana. It tells the story of one of the most daring and dangerous U.S. Coast Guard missions in history as Bernie Webber, played by Pine, led a crew aboard a motor boat to save the survivors of the splitting of the SS Pendleton.
First off, it's unbelievable that this is even a true story. I constantly thought to myself throughout the film that there's no way they actually get through this alive. It's even more amazing when you see the real life pictures and records of the events in the closing credits. It's also one of those films that makes you enjoy your time away from the storms on water and appreciate every second on land. But besides the remarkable story, I got sucked in with the acting of Pine, Affleck, and Grainger. Grainger plays Pine's love interest back home in Massachusetts and at times the screen time on her can become distracting. Grainger was good in the role, but the time spent on the motor boat and Affleck's crew on the ship was much more intriguing.
Another understandable complaint this film has been getting is its noticeable CGI. When you compare it to films like Life of Pi, Interstellar, or even Titanic from 20 years ago, it doesn't even come close to holding its own against those. But with its lower budget and poignant story, I think you can forgive some of its more obviously green screen moments. The film does have plenty of 'true story clichés' used to bring our emotions to the breaking point, but I never felt like they over did it. I was so enthralled with what was happening that when the film does get to its emotional climax, I had to hold back tears. That's a tribute to Gillespie's direction and the incredible score by the newly Oscar nominated, Carter Burwell.
+Unbelievable story
+Great lead performances
+Timely score
-Some CGI overstayed its welcome
-Some cuts back to Grainger's character weren't necessary
7.7/10
First off, it's unbelievable that this is even a true story. I constantly thought to myself throughout the film that there's no way they actually get through this alive. It's even more amazing when you see the real life pictures and records of the events in the closing credits. It's also one of those films that makes you enjoy your time away from the storms on water and appreciate every second on land. But besides the remarkable story, I got sucked in with the acting of Pine, Affleck, and Grainger. Grainger plays Pine's love interest back home in Massachusetts and at times the screen time on her can become distracting. Grainger was good in the role, but the time spent on the motor boat and Affleck's crew on the ship was much more intriguing.
Another understandable complaint this film has been getting is its noticeable CGI. When you compare it to films like Life of Pi, Interstellar, or even Titanic from 20 years ago, it doesn't even come close to holding its own against those. But with its lower budget and poignant story, I think you can forgive some of its more obviously green screen moments. The film does have plenty of 'true story clichés' used to bring our emotions to the breaking point, but I never felt like they over did it. I was so enthralled with what was happening that when the film does get to its emotional climax, I had to hold back tears. That's a tribute to Gillespie's direction and the incredible score by the newly Oscar nominated, Carter Burwell.
+Unbelievable story
+Great lead performances
+Timely score
-Some CGI overstayed its welcome
-Some cuts back to Grainger's character weren't necessary
7.7/10
helpful•1410
- ThomasDrufke
- Jan 30, 2016
Details
Box office
- 1 hour 57 minutes
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