I was still awake long after the lights were out.
The moviegoer in me could not sleep. Our Friday night date night at the movies was still playing in my mind and in my emotions. The movie: The Finest Hours.
“There are moments that change our lives; there are times that test our limits; there are hours that define us.” Disney
Why I liked this movie:
It was based on an extraordinary true story.
Into the teeth of a violent winter gale, a brave, selfless 4-man crew sets out off the coast of New England to rescue men stranded on a broken oil tanker. Hurricane-force winds, freezing, horizontal snow, and 60-foot high waves, made this attempt seem like a suicide mission. Still today, this 1952 heroic effort remains the most daring small boat rescue in Coast Guard history.
The characters are stellar.
Bernie Webber, the Coast Guard Captain and pilot
I relish movies that portray inspiring stories of leaders who selflessly do the right thing even when it is the hard thing. Bernie is such a leader. He
• consistently keeps clarity of focus throughout this drama
• thinks under pressure
• has the gall and good sense to ‘turn the radio off’ when the message is wrong
Miriam, Bernie's fiancé
The romantic side of me smiled. Besides being a good old syrupy love story, this movie introduces us to one strong woman. She is intelligent, tenacious, determined, and desperately in love. Miriam is on land, while the love of her life is at sea.
Andrew Fitzgerald, Ervin Maske, Richard Livesey, the crew
So many of us are not the point person. Yet we give our very lives as we stand right beside these individuals. We find ourselves in situations where we are holding on for dear life, and wondering if we will live to see the next dawn. These were such a people. Despite overwhelming odds, they volunteered to go! At times in the crisis, they disagreed with the plan, and they certainly offered suggestions. But not one of them bailed when his ideas were not taken. These men reinvent the definition of hero as they doggedly demonstrate acts of bravery to save the lives of others.
INSPIRING: my one word description of The Finest Hours. I left inspired, and I left wanting to tell you about this true-to-life drama.
Question: What type of movie do you like to see?
