THE FINEST HOURS (2016)

Summary:

Based on the incredible true story of the most daring small boat rescue in U.S. Coast Guard history, "The Finest Hours" recounts the events of February 18, 1952. A massive nor'easter strikes the New England coast, ripping apart the SS Pendleton, an oil tanker, off the coast of Cape Cod. With over 30 sailors trapped aboard the rapidly sinking stern section, a desperate rescue mission is launched.

Against all odds, four Coast Guardsmen, led by Boatswain's Mate First Class Bernie Webber, set out in a small wooden lifeboat to brave 60-foot waves and hurricane-force winds. The film is a gripping tale of courage, survival, and the indomitable human spirit in the face of insurmountable danger, as the crew attempts to save the stranded mariners with little hope of success.

Keywords: The Finest Hours, 2016, Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Disaster, Drama, Thriller, True Story, Coast Guard, Rescue.

Plot:

In 1952, Bernie Webber, a reserved U.S. Coast Guardsman stationed in Chatham, Massachusetts, is preparing to marry his girlfriend, Miriam Pentinen. A severe nor'easter hits the coast, causing the oil tanker SS Pendleton to split in half off Cape Cod, trapping 33 crewmen on its stern section. Despite the extreme weather and the unsuitability of their 36-foot motor lifeboat, Bernie is ordered by Chief Warrant Officer Daniel Cluff to lead a rescue mission. He assembles a small crew: Richard Livesey, Andy Fitzgerald, and Ervin Maske, embarking on what seems like a suicide mission.

As Bernie and his crew brave treacherous waves and zero visibility, Miriam, worried for Bernie's life, confronts Cluff, demanding he call off the mission. Meanwhile, on the sinking stern of the Pendleton, engineer Ray Sybert takes charge, rallying the surviving crew to work together to keep the vessel afloat for as long as possible. Bernie's lifeboat loses its compass and windshield, forcing him to navigate by instinct and the diminishing light of the storm. Miraculously, they locate the Pendleton's stern and, against protocol, manage to rescue all 32 surviving crewmen, overloading their small boat. The perilous journey back to Chatham, without a compass and facing the perilous Chatham Bar, tests their resolve to its absolute limit, but they eventually make it back, heralded as heroes.

Cast (Lead Roles):

• Chris Pine as Boatswain's Mate First Class Bernie Webber
• Casey Affleck as Ray Sybert
• Ben Foster as Seaman Richard Livesey
• Holliday Grainger as Miriam Pentinen Webber
• John Ortiz as Seaman Wallace Quirey
• Kyle Gallner as Engineman Third Class Andy Fitzgerald
• Graham McTavish as Frank Fauteux
• Eric Bana as Chief Warrant Officer Daniel Cluff

Crew:

• Director: Craig Gillespie
• Screenplay by: Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson
• Based on the book by: Casey Sherman and Michael J. Tougias
• Producers: Jim Whitaker, Dorothy Aufiero
• Music by: Carter Burwell
• Cinematography: Javier Aguirresarobe
• Edited by: Tatiana S. Riegel

Release Info:

• Original Release Date: January 29, 2016
• Language: English
• Genre: Disaster, Drama, Thriller, Historical
• Running Time: 117 minutes
• Accolades: N/A