The Finest Hours tells the incredible true story of the greatest small-boat rescue in United States Coast Guard History. When an oil tanker shears in half during a nor’easter off a New England coast in 1952, Bernie Webber(played by Chris Pine) and his small crew decide to brave the storm and go rescue the men abandoned on the tanker.
The story this film is based on is truly remarkable and showcases some remarkably brave men, and although the film mostly honors the efforts by these men, it ultimately falls flat. There is nothing wrong with the film, but there is nothing really memorable other than the actual story it is based on.
From a writing and directing standpoint, the film is incredibly subpar. The filmmakers have a hard time balancing the heroic and romantic parts of the story, resulting in a jarring and uneven experience. A majority of the first act of the film is spent focusing on the love story between Webber and Miriam (Holliday Grainger), which is fine, but the romance just gets in the way for the other two acts and does not add anything to the film.
Acting across the board is pretty unremarkable as Chris Pine cannot seem to nail a Boston accent, but does show some moments of charm. Eric Bana and Ben Foster really seem to phoning it in, which is understandable given the stinted writing.
The heroic acts and the true story depicted in The Finest Hours are worthy enough to be put on the big screen, but the writing, directing, and bland acting ultimately makes for a forgettable experience.
BONUS FEATURES
The bonus features on the Blu-ray of The Finest Hours matches the averageness of the film. There is a 14-minute featurette, “Against All Odds: The Bernie Webber Story,” that includes interviews from Webber relatives and Chatham residents that grew up on the story. It’s a solid watch, but sadly that’s as interesting as the bonus features get.
There are a couple of deleted scenes that are very forgettable, and then four incredibly short shorts that feature real Coast Guard officers explaining their own finest hours and how the actors got ready for their rescue scenes. They are each only one or two minutes long and would be more interesting if they would have gone into more detail.
WHERE TO WATCH: (powered by JustWatch)
| Producer: | Dorothy Aufiero and James Whitaker |
| Release Date: | Blu-ray was released on May 24, 2016 |
| Starring: | Chris Pine, Holiday Grainger, Casey Affleck, and Eric Bana |
| User Rating: | |
| Writer: | Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson |
| MPAA Rating: | PG-13 |
| Director: | Craig Gillespie |
| Distributor: | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| External Info: | Official Site |
