Hello everyone! 🙂
Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!
On the 18th of February 1952, the historic United States Coast Guard rescue of the crew of the SS Pendleton took place. On the 18th of February 2022, my parents and I watched ‘The Finest Hours’, a 2016 film that chronicled the event. It was surreal to watch the film on the event’s 70th anniversary.
My parents and I watched ‘The Finest Hours’ on Disney+. I didn’t know anything about this historic rescue before watching the film. It’s extraordinary to learn about a new piece of history and to watch a film about the event on its 70th anniversary. And Storm Eunice was happening in the UK. 😀
I enjoyed the film when I saw it on Disney+. Sadly the film received mixed reviews from critics and was a box office flop in 2016. It’s a shame really. Mind you, ‘The Finest Hours’ wouldn’t get the attention that films like ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ and ‘Captain America: Civil War’ had.
The film’s screenplay was based on ‘The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Most Daring Sea Rescue’ by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman. Again, I wasn’t aware of the event before I saw the film, but it’s interesting to find it’s based on a book that detailed the historic event.
The film stars Chris Pine, who many of you will know for playing Captain Kirk in the ‘Star Trek’ reboot trilogy and Steve Trevor in ‘Wonder Woman’ and ‘Wonder Woman 1984’. He plays Bernie Webber, a Boatswain’s Mate First Class who captains the rescue mission to save the crew of the Pendleton. 🙂
At least Chris Pine is playing a more decent role here compared to ‘People Like Us’. 😀 The film also features Casey Affleck as Ray Sybert and Ben Foster (who played Angel in ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’) as Seaman Richard Livesey. There’s also Eric Bana playing Chief Warrant Officer Daniel Cluff in the film.
Eric Bana played Bruce Banner/the Hulk in the 2003 ‘Hulk’ film and I’ve also seen him in ‘Troy’. He also worked with Chris Pine before, as he played Nero in the 2009 ‘Star Trek’ film. Thankfully, they don’t have a face-off in this film ( :D), though Cluff is quite hard when he orders Bernie out at sea. 😐
The film also features Holliday Grainger (who was in the 2015 film ‘Cinderella’ apparently) as Miriam, who becomes Chris Pine’s love interest in the film. I was startled when Miriam proposed to Bernie instead of it being the other way around. I wish I met more girls like that who propose marriage first. 😀
The film also features Graham McTavish as Frank ‘Pop’ Fauteux in the film. I knew I recognised him from somewhere. Graham McTavish played Dwalin in ‘The Hobbit’ film trilogy. 😀 There’s also Kyle Gallner as Enginemen Andrew Fitzgerald and Michael Raymond-James as A.B. Seaman D. A. Brown. 🙂
There’s as John Magaro as Ervin Maske, Abraham Benrubi as ‘Tiny’ Myers, Keiynan Lonsdale as Eldon Hanan, John Ortiz as Wallace Quirey, Beau Knapp as ‘Gus’ Gouthro, Josh Stewart as Tchuda Southerland, Rachel Brosnahan as Bea Hansen, Matthew Maher as Carl Nickerson and Benjamin Koldyke as Donald Bangs. I found every cast member delivering decent performances throughout. 🙂
The film did start off slowly in the first half with getting to know Bernie and his relationship with Miriam before he ventured off out at sea to rescue the Pendleton crew. It becomes tense when he and his crew journey along on the stormy seas. It’s amazing when most of the crewmembers are rescued on one boat.
‘The Finest Hours’ has been a decent and enjoyable film based on a true historical rescue in 1952, starring Chris Pine. It was good to check out this film and it’s amazing that my parents and I were watching it on the day that it took place 70 years ago. Rarely does that happen with watching a film. 🙂
Thanks for reading!
Bye for now!
Tim. 🙂
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