The Finest Hours (2016 film)

The Finest Hours

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Craig Gillespie
Produced by
  • Dorothy Aufiero
  • James Whitaker
Screenplay by
Based on The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue 
by Michael J. Tougias
& Casey Sherman
Starring
Music by Carter Burwell
Cinematography Javier Aguirresarobe
Edited by Tatiana S. Riegel
Production
company
Distributed by Walt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures
Release dates
  • January 25, 2016 (2016-01-25) (TCL Chinese Theatre)
  • January 29, 2016 (2016-01-29) (United States)
Running time
 117 minutes[1]
Country United States
Language English
Budget $70–80 million[2][3]
Box office $52.1 million[4]

The Finest Hours is a 2016 American biographical historical disaster drama-thriller film directed by Craig Gillespie and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. The screenplay, written by Eric Johnson, Scott Silver, and Paul Tamasy, is 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.[5] The film stars Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Holliday Grainger, John Ortiz, and Eric Bana, and chronicles the true account of the 1952 United States Coast Guard rescue of the SS Pendleton, after it split apart during a nor'easter off the New England coast.[6][7][8]

The Finest Hours was released in the Disney Digital 3-D, RealD 3D, and IMAX 3D formats on January 29, 2016.[9]

Plot

Bernard "Bernie" Webber, a crewman at the Coast Guard station in Chatham, Massachusetts on Cape Cod, has fallen in love with a local girl, Miriam Pentinen. The two plan to marry on April 16, but in accordance with Coast Guard regulations, Bernie must seek permission from the station's commander, Daniel Cluff. On the day he is due to ask permission, the oil tanker SS Pendleton shears in half off the Chatham coast after getting caught in a nor'easter. With the majority of the station's crew already underway with the rescue of the similarly-afflicted SS Fort Mercer, Bernie is dispatched to pilot his lifeboat to rescue the Pendleton; Bernie selects Andrew Fitzgerald, Ervin Maske, and Richard P. Livesey as his crew.

Meanwhile, the Pendelton's engineer, the senior officer on the stern of the ship, which contains most of the crew, organizes the surviving seamen to steer the sinking stern of the tanker onto a submerged reef, where it can lodge until rescuers arrive.

When Miriam hears that Bernie is leading the rescue effort, she, like a number of other townspeople, thinks this is a suicide mission. Few people in Chatham trust Cluff, since he isn't from the area and doesn't know its treacherous weather. Miriam even goes as far as to drive to the station and repeatedly demand that Cluff call Bernie back. Cluff refuses, and brusquely orders Miriam out.

Between the Chatham harbor and the open sea lies a bar, a series of shoals that are very dangerous even in good weather. Bernie must time bursts of his engine to ride each approaching wave before it breaks as he pilots the 36500 across the bar. He manages to make it over the bar, though in the process he loses his compass.

Bernie steers the 36500 to the stricken tanker. Even though his boat is only designed to take on 12 people, Bernie manages to rescue 32 crewmen. The stern of the Pendleton begins sinking more rapidly during the rescue and goes down shortly after the last crewman comes aboard Bernie's boat. Relying on his knowledge of the coast and prevailing winds in place of his compass, Bernie steers the 36500 toward home--a task made more difficult as Chatham loses power. However, Miriam and the other townspeople drive their cars to the pier and turn on their headlights to guide Bernie in.

A closing segment briefly documents the aftermath of the rescue using photographs from the actual events. Two months later, Bernie and Miriam are married; they stay together for 58 years until Bernie's death in 2009. Webber and his crew receive the Gold Lifesaving Medal.

Cast

Production

Development

Walt Disney Pictures acquired the screen rights to the 2009 novel, The Finest Hours in August 2011.[7][19] Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson wrote the script based on the book and interviews they conducted with survivors.[7][20] In May 2013, Robert Schwentke was hired to direct the film.[21] However, Schwentke left the project to direct The Divergent Series: Insurgent, and was replaced with Craig Gillespie in April 2014.[10] Casting was done from April through October 2014.[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]

Filming

Principal photography began on September 8, 2014, in Quincy, Massachusetts.[22] On October 27, the film was being shot at Fore River Shipyard in Quincy.[23] They were also set to film at various South Shore locations and then move to Chatham, Massachusetts in December.[23][24] In early December, filming was taking place in the town of Marshfield.[25] Affleck was seen playing piano at Symphony Hall in Boston on December 12, during the Chatham shoot,[26] and expressed to the Boston Globe that his experience shooting the film was "one of [his] best".[26] Production designer Michael Corenblith reproduced the interior of the Pendleton.[27] Post-production lasted a year, with the film requiring nearly 1,000 visual effects shots.[3] Moving Picture Company (MPC) were responsible for creating the majority of those shots.[28]

Release

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures originally set The Finest Hours for release on April 15, 2016 and then October 9, 2015,[29] until announcing a final release date of January 29, 2016.[9] The first trailer for the film was released on July 8, 2015.[30] A second trailer was released on November 11, 2015.[31] The Finest Hours opened the Coronado Island Film Festival on January 15, 2016.[32] The film held its world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California on January 25, 2016.[33] Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment will release the film on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download on May 24, 2016.

Reception

Box office

As of March 6, 2016, The Finest Hours has grossed $27.3 million in North America and $23.6 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $51 million.[4]

The film was released in North America on January 29, 2016, alongside Kung Fu Panda 3, Fifty Shades of Black, and Jane Got a Gun. The film was projected to gross $10–13 million from 3,143 theaters in its opening weekend.[34][35] The film grossed $375,000 from its Thursday night previews and $3.3 million on its first day.[36] It went on to gross $10.3 million in its opening weekend, finishing 4th at the box office.[37]

In March 2016, Variety reported Disney was expecting losses of around $75 million from the film.[38]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 63%, based on 152 reviews, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The site's consensus states, "Old-fashioned to a fault, The Finest Hours will satisfy those seeking a traditional rescue drama – but may leave more adventurous viewers wanting more."[39] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 58 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[40] On CinemaScore, audiences gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale.[37]

Soundtrack

The Finest Hours (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Film score by Carter Burwell
Released January 29, 2016 (2016-01-29)
Genre Soundtrack
Label Walt Disney
Carter Burwell chronology
Anomalisa
(2015)		 The Finest Hours
(2016)		 Hail, Caesar!
(2016)

All music composed by Carter Burwell[41].

No. Title Length
1. "Meeting Miriam"    
2. "It's Starting to Snow"    
3. "Pendleton Jump"    
4. "Split"    
5. "Lost Our Lights"    
6. "You Don't Have to Come Back"    
7. "I Hope You Didn't Kill Us"    
8. "Volunteers"    
9. "The 36500"    
10. "The Bucket Line"    
11. "That Man Shouldn't Have Sent Them"    
12. "Crossing the Bar"    
13. "Pendleton Push"    
14. "We're All Alone"    
15. "Four Men Lost"    
16. "Rescue"    
17. "Big Man, Big Sea"    
18. "The Going Down"    
19. "Safe Harbor"    
20. "Haul Away Joe" (performed by Kodaline)  

Notes

Citations
  1. ↑ "THE FINEST HOURS [2D] (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. January 18, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  2. ↑ Verhoeven, Beatrice (January 29, 2016). "Chris Pine’s ‘Finest Hours’ Limps Out of Port With $375,000 at Thursday-Night Box Office". The Wrap. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  3. 1 2 McGrath, Charles (January 7, 2016). "‘The Finest Hours’ Relives a Perilous, Forgotten Rescue". The New York Times. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  4. 1 2 "The Finest Hours (2016)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  5. ↑ Tougias, Michael J. & Casey Sherman: "The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue"
  6. ↑ Barbo and Webster, pp 87-89
  7. 1 2 3 Fleming Jr, Mike (August 12, 2011). "Disney Acquires Coast Guard Rescue Saga 'The Finest Hours'". Deadline.com. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  8. ↑ Dan Lamothe (July 13, 2015). "The real-life story behind Disney’s forthcoming Coast Guard rescue movie, 'The Finest Hours'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. The daring rescue of those mariners is the subject of a forthcoming Disney movie, 'The Finest Hours.' The first trailer for the film was released last week, underscoring the bravery of the Coast Guardsmen involved in the Feb. 18, 1952, recovery.
  9. 1 2 Cunnigham, Todd (April 9, 2015). "Chris Pine Thriller 'The Finest Hours' Pushed to 2016 by Disney". TheWrap. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 Kit, Borys (April 17, 2014). "Chris Pine in Talks to Star in Disney Coast Guard Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  11. 1 2 Fleming, Mike, Jr. (August 6, 2014). "Casey Affleck In 'Finest Hours' Talks". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  12. 1 2 3 Kroll, Justin (September 15, 2014). "Ben Foster Joins Chris Pine in Disney's 'Finest Hours' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "'Mother's Day' Adds Paul Wesley; More Join Disney's 'The Finest Hours'". Deadline.com. September 25, 2014. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  14. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 2, 2014). "Eric Bana Cast In 'The Finest Hours', Disney’s Sea-Rescue Pic". Deadline.com. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  15. 1 2 Kroll, Justin (August 25, 2014). "'Dark Knight Rises' Actor Josh Stewart Joins Chris Pine in 'Finest Hours'". Variety. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  16. 1 2 Yamato, Jen (August 26, 2014). "'The Finest Hours' Adds 'Outlander's Graham McTavish". Deadline.com. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  17. 1 2 Yamato, Jen (September 9, 2014). "Kyle Gallner Joins Disaster-At-Sea Drama 'The Finest Hours'". Deadline.com. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Finest Hours: Press Kit" (PDF). wdsmediafile.com. The Walt Disney Studios. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  19. ↑ Zakarin, Jordan (September 9, 2014). "Disney Sets Sail on Chris Pine Coast Guard Drama 'The Finest Hours'". TheWrap. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  20. ↑ Graser, Marc; Kroll, Justin (September 20, 2012). "Tim Van Patten eyes 'Finest Hours'". Variety. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  21. ↑ Han, Angie (May 29, 2013). "‘Red’ Director Robert Schwentke to Helm Disney's 'The Finest Hours'". /Film. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  22. ↑ Gettell, Oliver (September 9, 2014). "Chris Pine Coast Guard thriller 'The Finest Hours' shoving off". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
  23. 1 2 "More locations for filming of 'The Finest Hours' on Cape Cod". On Location Vacations. October 29, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  24. ↑ Leggett, Doreen (October 3, 2014). "Disney filming scenes for 'The Finest Hours' in Chatham". wickedlocal.com. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Wednesday, Dec. 3 Filming Locations for Forever, Madam Secretary, Sleepy Hollow, Empire, House of Lies, NCIS L.A., Hail Caesar!, Paper Towns, & more!". On Location Vacations. December 3, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  26. 1 2 "'Finest Hours' is the finest shoot for Casey Affleck". The Boston Globe. December 12, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  27. ↑ Turan, Kenneth (January 28, 2016). "'The Finest Hours' stares down the fiercest of storms without blinking". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  28. ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (February 25, 2016). "PC Whips Up Stormy Seas for ‘The Finest Hours’". Animation Magazine. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  29. ↑ McNary, Dave (January 13, 2015). "Disney Sets Several 2016 Release Dates". Variety. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  30. ↑ Petski, Denise (July 8, 2015). "'The Finest Hours' Trailer: Chris Pine At The Helm Of Harrowing Rescue Mission". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  31. ↑ McNary, Dave (November 11, 2015). "Watch: Chris Pine Braves the Waves in ‘Finest Hours’ Trailer". Variety. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  32. ↑ Galuppo, Mia (December 15, 2015). "Coronado Island Film Festival Unveils Opening, Closing Night Screenings". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  33. ↑ Emery, Debbie (January 25, 2016). "Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Eric Bana Honor US Coast Guard at ‘Finest Hours’ Premiere". The Wrap. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  34. ↑ "‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ Will Dig Box Office Out Of The Snow With $40M+ Opening – Preview". deadline.com.
  35. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (January 29, 2016). "Box Office: 'Kung Fu Panda 3' Trouncing Competition on Friday for $45M Debut". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  36. ↑ McNary, Dave (January 29, 2016). "Box Office: Chris Pine’s ‘Finest Hours’ Opens to Choppy $375,000 on Thursday". Variety. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  37. 1 2 "‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ Kicking Up $13M Friday & $44M-$45M Opening Weekend". deadline.com.
  38. ↑ Rainey, James (March 8, 2016). "Disney Expects $75 Million Loss on ‘The Finest Hours’". Variety. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  39. ↑ "The Finest Hours (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  40. ↑ "The Finest Hours". Metacritic. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  41. ↑ "Walt Disney Records Set To Release "The Finest Hours" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" (Press release). PR Newswire (Burbank, California). January 28, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
References used
  • Barbo, Theresa Mitchell; Webster, W. Russell (2010). The Pendleton Disaster off Cape Cod: the Greatest Small Boat Rescue in Coast Guard History (2015 ed.). Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press. ISBN 978-1-60949-050-8. 
  • Tougias, Michael J.; Sherman, Casey (2009). The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue. New York City, New York: Scribner. ISBN 978-1-4165-6721-9. 
Further reading

External links

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