The Finest Hours

Set in 1952, this rescue-adventure story follows a treacherous Coast Guard mission to save the crew of an oil tanker that split apart during a ferocious storm off the coast of Cape Cod. In an extended prologue, shy Coast Guard captain Bernie Webber (Chris Pine) and his buddy (Beau Knapp) go on a soda shop double-date, where Bernie meets Miriam (Holliday Grainger), the spunky telephone switchboard operator who becomes his fiancée. When a massive nor'easter hits the New England coast, the SS Pendleton—a T2 oil tanker bound for Boston—cracks in two, leaving more than 30 men stranded on its sinking stern. As senior officer, first assistant engineer Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck) immediately takes charge of the bickering crew. Meanwhile, at the Coast Guard station, Warrant Officer Daniel Cluff (Eric Bana) orders Webber and his crew to traverse the notoriously perilous Chatham harbor shoals to rescue the survivors in a motorized, 36-foot wooden boat, facing frigid temperatures, monstrous waves, hurricane-force winds, and poor visibility. Based on Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman's 2009 nonfiction book, this is formulaically directed by Craig Gillespie as an old-fashioned profile in courage. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include the behind-the-scenes segments “Brotherhood” (2 min.) and “The Finest Inspiration: The U.S. Coast Guard” (2 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is “Against All Odds: The Bernie Webber Story” on the real-life rescue (14 min.), deleted scenes (5 min.), the production featurettes “Two Crews” (2 min.) and “What is Your Finest Hour?” and a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing film that plays fast and loose with the facts.] (S. Granger)