Disney’s new film one of “the finest hours” you will spend

Joseph Cardenas/Contributing Writer

The Walt Disney Company follows yearly tradition by premiering a movie based on a true story. Their latest leap, “The Finest Hours” is no exception. Based on the 1952 Pendleton rescue mission, chronicled in the 2009 book “The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Most Daring Sea Rescue” by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman, the film follows the events of the book. It stars Chris Pine (“Star Trek”, “Into The Woods”), Casey Affleck (“Interstellar”, “Tower Heist”), Holliday Grainger (“Cinderella”, “Anna Karenina”) and Eric Bana (“The Hulk”, “The Time Traveler’s Wife”).

Following several months after meeting his girlfriend Miriam (Grainger), Bernard Webber (Pine) starts to face an internal struggle with what he feels and what he wants when Miriam proposes to him. Since we’re talking about the early ‘50’s, the men that work at the Coast Guard station with him make a laughing matter out of it. Meanwhile, two oil tankers off the coast of Cape Cod are caught in a nor’easter storm that tears both ships apart. On one of the tankers, the S.S. Pendleton, some of the crew surprisingly still remain and are forced to weather the storm and keep what’s left of the tanker afloat until help can reach them. Daniel Cluff (Bana), Chief Warrant Officer of the station, sends Webber and three other men out on a rescue mission to bring back the surviving crew, braving treacherous waters and a deadly winter storm.

While certainly not the best film of all time, and surely not the best the year would have to offer, it was still a very great spectacle. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, anticipating what could possibly happen with just the right amount of suspense to keep the audience wanting more. It’s a truly thrilling adventure, filled with well paced writing and well placed emotion. Pine and Grainger not only play well off each other but also prove they can carry the intensity of the film on their own. The star of the pair, though, is Grainger, who takes you along the emotional journey she goes on.

The film is rated PG-13 and is playing in theaters, including in Real-D 3D. A great watch if you’re looking for something to pass the time until the summer blockbusters. It’s nothing groundbreaking or spectacular, but without a doubt, a very good movie.

Image from Flickr