Director Craig Gillespie harrowing sea adventure based on the real-life events of a miraculous rescue potently washes onto Blu-ray in The Finest Hours (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Rated PG-13, $39.99, 117 minutes).
On Feb. 18, 1952, U.S. Coast Guard member Bernie Webber (played energetically by Chris Pine) was told to assemble a small crew of sailors off the Chatham, Massachusetts, coast and make an unbelievably brave, or frightening foolish, attempt to save the crew of the oil tanker SS Pendleton after the massive ship split in half in the midst of a dangerous nor’easter.
The near-suicidal challenge required that he and three mates take out to sea in a 36-foot-long, motor lifeboat during a massive storm, fighting 60-foot-tall waves, gale force winds and the ever-present potential of hypothermia.
If that does not intrigue the viewer of this historical drama, an equally compelling subplot finds the crew aboard the tanker, led by chief engineer Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck), coming up with another near-suicidal plan to stay alive to buy enough time for any potential rescue.
The sharp digital transfer plunges viewers back into the 1950s, highlighting period costume designs, vintage automobiles and set pieces. Cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe’s sepia-toned choices present the bygone era through rich yellow and red hues with the snowy scenes awash with blues and greys.
The transfer also spotlights some stunning special effects to reveal what the crews went through while Mother Nature’s angry waves pummeled the small boat.
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Amateur historians will also enjoy the closing credits that feature plenty of archival photos of the men, their mission and the results of their heroic actions.
Extras support the main film but could have been so much deeper, considering the source material.
Best of the bunch is a 15-minute documentary of the actual events spearheaded by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman, co-authors of the book that was adapted for the movie.
The feature touches upon Chatham history and the importance of the U.S. Coast Guard in helping the fisherman as they work along a coast that has been dubbed the “graveyard of the North Atlantic” for its amount of shipwrecks.
The documentary also focuses on the rescue, the life of Bernie and his wife Miriam (featuring an interview with their daughter Pattie Hamilton) and all supplemented with eyewitness accounts from Chatham residents.
An additional, and paltry, 6 minutes of promotional featurettes exist that look at the production while briefly integrating in the work of the U.S. Coast Guard. Suffice to report, an extended look at the history of this distinguished branch of the armed services would heave been most welcomed.
• Joseph Szadkowski can be reached at jszadkowski@washingtontimes.com.
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