The Finest Hours (2016)

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.

Director:

Craig Gillespie

Writers:

Scott Silver (screenplay), Paul Tamasy (screenplay)

Stars:

Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chris Pine	...	Bernie Webber
Casey Affleck	...	Ray Sybert
Ben Foster	...	Richard Livesey
Eric Bana	...	Daniel Cluff
Holliday Grainger	...	Miriam Webber
John Ortiz	...	Wallace Quirey
Kyle Gallner	...	Andy Fitzgerald
John Magaro	...	Ervin Maske
Graham McTavish	...	Frank Fauteux
Michael Raymond-James	...	D.A. Brown
Beau Knapp	...	Mel Gouthro
Josh Stewart	...	Tchuda Southerland
Abraham Benrubi	...	George 'Tiny' Myers
Keiynan Lonsdale	...	Eldon Hanan
Rachel Brosnahan	...	Bea Hansen

Storyline

In February of 1952, one of the worst storms to ever hit the East Coast struck New England, damaging an oil tanker off the coast of Cape Cod and literally ripping it in half. On a small lifeboat faced with frigid temperatures and 70-foot high waves, four members of the Coast Guard set out to rescue more than 30 stranded sailors trapped aboard the rapidly-sinking vessel.

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Plot Keywords:

1950s | oil tanker | coast guard | sinking ship | survival | 

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Taglines:

32 survivors, room for 12.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | History | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of peril

Did You Know?

Trivia

The USCGC Bernard C. Webber (WPC-1101) was the first of the new Sentinel class of 58 Coast Guard cutters, each 154 feet in length. She was built in Lockport, Louisiana and commissioned in 2012, some two years after the passing of Bernard Webber. She serves the Port of Miami, Florida.

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Goofs

Once the bow of the Pendleton split from the stern, the lights in this section should have gone out instantly. In the film they remain on until the bow sinks.

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Quotes

Title Card: What Bernie Webber, Richard Livesey, Andy Fitzgerald and Ervin Maske accomplished on the night of February 18, 1952 is still considered the greatest small boat rescue in Coast Guard history. Bernie and Miriam were married on the date she planned. And they remained married for 58 years until Bernie's death in 2009 at the age 81. All four Coast Guardsmen were awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal for their heroic actions.

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Connections

Featured in Wazzu on Film: Kung Fu Panda 3 and the Finest Hours (2016)

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Soundtracks

Haul Away Joe
Arranged by Jason Boland, Vinny May (as Vincent May), Mark Prendergast, Stephen Garrigan
Performed by Kodaline
Courtesy of B-Unique Records (UK) Limited
Under exclusive license to Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited

User Reviews

The Most Daring Rescue of a Crew with a Small Rescue Boat

In 1950, in Cape Cod in Massachusetts, the US Coast Guard station in Chatham receives a distress signal from the oil tankers SS Pendleton and SS Fort Mercer. Commander Daniel Cluff (Eric Bana) assigns the crew formed by Bernie Webber (Chris Pine), Richard Livesey (Ben Foster), Andy Fitzgerald (Kyle Gallner) and Ervin Maske (John Magaro) to rescue the crew of the SS Pendleton in a small enclosed lifeboat. Cluff is warned about the intensity of the storm by Bernie and also by his girlfriend Miriam (Holliday Grainger) but he keeps the order. Meanwhile the SS Pendleton has broken and lost his forward part and his skilled and experienced engineer Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck) assumes the command of the survivors. He uses his abilities to steer the stern in a safer position, grounding it on an unstable bank of sand to avoid sinking.

"The Finest Hours" is based on the most daring rescue of a crew in a blizzard with a small enclosed lifeboat-rescue boat. The heroic work of the US Coast Guard crew is impressive, saving thirty-two survivors from the SS Pendleton. The ability of the engineer Ray Sybert is also praiseworthy. The film is technically impressive with breathtaking action scenes of the rescue operation. The romance is silly and only completes the running time. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Horas Decisivas" ("Decisive Hours")

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 January 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Finest Hours

Filming Locations:

Quincy, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,288,932, 31 January 2016

Gross USA:

$27,569,558

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$52,099,090

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures, Whitaker Entertainment I, Whitaker Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Datasat Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1