The Finest Hours

The Finest Hours

Rating 7 out of 10

In 1951 a terrible Winter storm is pounding the New England Eastern seaboard.  Thirty to fifty foot waves and gale force winds.  An oil tanker is trying to weather the storm not far off shore hoping to make calmer waters.  It's an old ship that has been pieced together many times over.  The middle part of the ship is literally held together by welds.  When chief mechanic, Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck)  pleas to the ships captain to slow down fall apart on deaf ears a big wave finally cracks the boat in half.  Somehow the back half of the ship stays a float while the front half (with the captain) promptly sinks to the bottom of the sea.  Thirty plus men are stranded on half a boat in a terrible storm six miles off shore.

This is the early days of the Coast Guard.  No huge tanker ships and cool helicopters to send to a rescue.  They only have smaller torpedo looking boats and four man crews to hopefully aid seamen in trouble.  This day the rescue falls upon young Bernie Webber (Chris Pine) and his three man crew to go out in weather even the local crusty sea captains call suicidal.  Seems the year before he was involved in a failed rescue that ended in the death of some beloved locals where many seem to hold Webber responsible.  He is determined this time he will succeed or die trying.

The acting is very good.  Lots of good character actors.  Ben Foster, Eric Bana and newcomer (to me) Holliday Grainger.  The effects of the freezing cold ocean are very good.  This is an entertaining and heroic movie. The only chink for me is the director or how they edited the movie.  Would have been nice to know how half a ship stayed afloat (never discussed) or what happened in the failed rescue attempt (barely discussed).

For me this is a good movie that could have very easily been a great one.  I recommend it.