The Finest Hours: A Different Kind of Hero

The Finest Hours (2015 PG-13), directed by Craig Gillespie, tells the true story of a 1950’s Coast Guard rescue against all odds.

This movie is about heroes.  The people who sign up to serve their country in war and in peace, and risk their lives for others.  The women who wait.  The men who avoid panicking, and fight against the odds to keep their sinking ship intact until rescue.

 Holliday Grainger as Miriam and Beau Knapp as Mel Gouthro ©Disney Enterprises. CR: Claire Folger.

Yet the strongest person in the film is the fiance, the girl who barges in to tell the Coast Guard commander to bring her man back.  And also the Coast Guard widow, who packs her young kids in the car during a storm to take food to the community center for the survivors, if there are any.

The other heroes are unlikely heroes.

Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck) and Tchuda Southerland (Josh Stewart) struggle to keep their ship, the SS Pendleton, from sinking.

Casey Affleck plays chief engineer Ray Sybert, an introvert who would rather tinker with his dials and engines than lead a crew. Yet he must, and reluctantly rises to the challenge of confronting much stronger personalities to do what must be done to save the ship.

Chris Pine plays Bernie Webber of the Coast Guard, a shy man who lives in the shadow of his big brother’s heroics. He leads a crew of four to almost certain death, knowing he is the only chance the stranded men have.  He can barely make eye contact, he is so shy.

Chris Pine is known for playing larger than life characters, so it is really fun to see him act out such a submissive character.

• STARSHIP CAPTAIN

Zachary Quinto, Spock, and Chris Pine, Captain James T Kirk in Star Trek

• PRINCE

Anne Hathaway, Princess Mia, and Chris Pine, Prince Nicholas, in a scene from the motion picture “Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.”  photo by Ron Batzdorff

• THE BIG BROTHER PRINCE WHO MOCKS HIS LITTLE BROTHER PRINCE’S HEARTBREAK

Love that scene from Into the Woods!

Back to our movie….Watch “The Finest Hours.”  Enjoy the performances.  Marvel at the daring rescue. Envy the 1950’s dresses.  Root for the survivors as the ship sinks.

Bring a jacket to the theater…Watching that terrible blizzard and rough seas makes a person cold!

Somebody to Love: Happy Feet at the Drive-In

At a local middle school, Full Moon Drive In has started showing movies in a dirt parking lot on a huge inflatable screen.  A food truck provides Italian dinners, and another has typical movie snacks.  You can watch from your car or in chairs up front.  We sat in the cool night air and watched a great movie!

In Happy Feet (PG 2006), Emperor Penguins find their soul mates through song.  One little penguin, Mumble, who cannot sing expresses his joy through tap dancing.  He simply cannot keep his happy feet still, but how will he fit into a society that frowns on dancing?

Happy Feet Trailer  (that’s Hugh Jackman as the dad!)

The fun is how the songs are mixed together and, in some cases, revamped to the story. Here is the mama penguin Norma Jean (Nicole Kidman) being courted:

“Somebody to Love” is a great song written by Freddie Mercury for the rock group Queen. It’s a soulful song questioning a life without love.  See how Gloria (Brittany Murphy) sings it to Mumble (Elijah Wood), who just can’t sing, but tap dances instead.

From frozen Antarctica to a fairytale, “Somebody to Love” has also been used in Ella Enchanted (PG 2004).  Ella (Anne Hathaway) must obey everything she is told to do, and ends up reluctantly singing at a restaurant for giants.

Now watch and listen to the original “Somebody to Love,” performed by Queen in 1976.  These guys are not just rockers, but can hold their own against any choir!  Listen to how precisely the three backup singers work (one of them is even Freddie Mercury himself).

Movies are fun because they creatively play with great songs!  Do you have any favorite music that has been used in movies?

Stars of Les Mis Sing Live at the Academy Awards!

Watch it Here!

We are fans of Les Miserables at our house (actually, my husband only tolerates it.) So my teenaged daughters and I were happy to see this medley performed live by the actors at the Oscars!