The Perfect Storm Wikipedia pages

We need your help documenting history. »

The Perfect Storm (book)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

The Perfect Storm
A True Story of Men Against the Sea
ThePerfectStorm.jpg
First edition cover

Author
Sebastian Junger
Country
United States
Language
English
Subject
Andrea Gail, 1991 Perfect Storm, shipwrecks
Genre
Creative nonfiction
Publisher
W. W. Norton & Company

Publication date
 May 17, 1997
Pages
xii, 227
ISBN
ISBN 0-393-04016-X
OCLC
35397863

Dewey Decimal
 974.4/5
LC Class
QC945 .J66 1997
The Perfect Storm is a creative nonfiction book written by Sebastian Junger and published by W. W. Norton & Company in 1997. The paperback edition (ISBN 0-06-097747-7) followed in 1999 from HarperCollins' Perennial imprint. The book is about the 1991 Perfect Storm that hit North America between October 28 and November 4, 1991, and features the crew of the fishing boat Andrea Gail, from Gloucester, Massachusetts, who were lost at sea during severe conditions while longline fishing for swordfish 575 miles (925 km) out. Also in the book is the story about the rescue of the three-person crew of the sailboat Satori in the Atlantic Ocean during the storm by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tamaroa (WMEC-166).
The book was adapted for the film of the same title, directed by Wolfgang Petersen and released in 2000. The Satori is renamed Mistral in the movie, and the since-retired USCGC Tamaroa is portrayed by a newer, 210-foot medium-endurance cutter.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Crew members on the Andrea Gail
3 Other important people
4 Book controversy
5 References
6 External links

Plot[edit]
The book follows the lives of the swordfishing crew of the Andrea Gail and their family members before and during the 1991 Perfect Storm. Among the men boarding the Andrea Gail were Billy Tyne, Alfred Pierre, David "Sully" Sullivan, Michael "Bugsy" Moran, Dale "Murph" Murphy, and Bobby Shatford, each bringing their own intelligence, physical strength, and hope on board with them. The men were raised with the expectation that they would become fishermen. As "Sully" said, even before they had left for their long journey, "It's the money ... If I didn't need the money I wouldn't go near this thing."[1]
Much of the early part of the book gives detailed descriptions of the daily lives of the fishermen and their jobs, and is centered around activities at the Crow's Nest,[2] a tavern in Gloucester popular with the fishermen.
The latter part of the book attempts to reconstruct events at sea during the storm, aboard the Andrea Gail as well as rescue efforts directed at several other ships caught in the storm, including the attempted rescue of pararescuemen who were themselves caught in the storm. Lost from the New York Air National Guard HH-60 helicopter was TSgt. Alden "Rick" Smith.[3] A week-long search off the South Shore of Long Island failed to find his remains. Surviving the helicopter crash were Maj. David Ruvola, Capt. Graham Buschor, SSgt. Jimmy Mioli and TSgt. John Spillane, the second pararescueman aboard.
All six crew members of the Andrea Gail were missing, presumed dead. The ship and crew were never found. A few fuel drums, a fuel tank, the EPIRB, an empty life raft, and some other flotsam were the only wreckage ever found.
Crew members on the Andrea Gail[edit]
Frank W. "Billy" Tyne, Jr. – Captain of the Andrea Gail. A good fisherman with a reputation of being a prosperous fishing captain. Billy was once married to Jodi Tyne who at the time of the story is Billy's ex-wife.
Reed "Bobby" Shatford – Born March 22, 1961, Bobby was a native of Gloucester, Massachusetts. In his high school years, Bobby played lacrosse. Before boarding the Andrea Gail, he lived above his favorite hang-out, The Crow's Nest, where his mother, Ethel, would tend the bar. Bobby was dating Christina "Chris" Cotter, whom he met through his sister, Mary Anne. Chris soon became his fiance. Bobby had two children from a previous marriage. He accepted the spot on the Andrea Gail because he needed money to pay the child support that he owed his ex-wife. Bobby planned this fishing trip to be the last one before settling down and marrying Chris. It was said that Bobby was not only the youngest fisherman on the boat, but the most inexperienced as well.
Dale "Murph" Murphy – In the story Murph is 33 years old. He is from Bradenton Beach, Florida. He is physically described to have shaggy black hair, a thin beard, and Mongolian eyes. Murph has a 3 year old child and an ex-wife named Debra. Murph is the cook for the Andrea Gail.
David "Sully" Sullivan – A hired fisherman who served to replace a worker on the Andrea Gail who dropped out of the job. Sully is well known in Gloucester for saving his entire crew on one fishing voyage.
Michael "Bugsy" Moran – A crew member on the Andrea Gail. Described as an amiable person with a crazy reputation.
Alfred Pierre – Described by Junger as, "An immense, kind Jamaican from New York City." Before departure Pierre is described as going back and forth in deciding whether he is going on the fishing trip or not. He does eventually go on the trip. Pierre is also described to be shy yet well-liked.
Other important people[edit]
Bob Brown – The owner of the Andrea Gail. Captain Billy Tyne is known for 'hate talking' to Brown and often sends messages to him through Captain Greenlaw. Junger describes Brown's reputation in Gloucester as complex. He is known for being a successful owner but criticized for being a risk taker. To some he is known as "Suicide Brown."
Linda Greenlaw – Greenlaw is captain of the Hannah Boden (sister ship to the Andrea Gail) and a friend of Billy Tyne. The two captains were in radio contact with one another before the Andrea Gail went down.
Albert Johnston – Johnston was captain of the F/V Mary T and part of the Atlantic swordfishing fleet that sailed from Gloucester and the last person known to have spoken with Captain Billy Tyne before the Andrea Gail was lost at sea. Aboard the F/V Mary T were Captain Johnston's brothers Captain Paul Johnston and Captain Timothy 'Timmy' Johnston. The Johnston family operated a successful swordfish and fishing tackle business. The Johnston family operated many different fishing vessels, most recently the F/V Canyon Explorer.
Charlie Reed – Former captain of the boat. Reed gives commentary throughout the book on the boats' history.
Ethel Shatford – Bobby's mother, and the owner of the Crow's Nest.
Christina Cotter – Bobby's fiancee
Book controversy[edit]
While there have been disputes over the context and research of the book, there have been controversies that surround the movie The Perfect Storm. Families of two crew members sued the film makers for the fictionalization of events which happened prior to the loss of the Andrea Gail.[4] In 2005, the Florida Supreme Court ruled against the family of Captain Tyne by a 6-2 vote.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Junger, Sebastian (2000). The Perfect Storm. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. p. 38.
2.Jump up ^ "Ethel Shatford Preston". Crow's Nest. Retrieved 2010-02-17.
3.Jump up ^ Junger, Sebastian (2000). The Perfect Storm. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. p. 209.
4.Jump up ^ "Court Revives 'Perfect Storm' Lawsuit". St. Petersburg Times Online. Retrieved 2010-02-17.
External links[edit]
Perfect Storm Foundation
The story of the Andrea Gail, GloucesterTimes
 


Categories: 1991 Perfect Storm
1997 books
American non-fiction books
W. W. Norton & Company books


Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages
Deutsch
Edit links
This page was last modified on 11 August 2014 at 12:14.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Perfect_Storm_(book)









We need your help documenting history. »

The Perfect Storm (book)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

The Perfect Storm
A True Story of Men Against the Sea
ThePerfectStorm.jpg
First edition cover

Author
Sebastian Junger
Country
United States
Language
English
Subject
Andrea Gail, 1991 Perfect Storm, shipwrecks
Genre
Creative nonfiction
Publisher
W. W. Norton & Company

Publication date
 May 17, 1997
Pages
xii, 227
ISBN
ISBN 0-393-04016-X
OCLC
35397863

Dewey Decimal
 974.4/5
LC Class
QC945 .J66 1997
The Perfect Storm is a creative nonfiction book written by Sebastian Junger and published by W. W. Norton & Company in 1997. The paperback edition (ISBN 0-06-097747-7) followed in 1999 from HarperCollins' Perennial imprint. The book is about the 1991 Perfect Storm that hit North America between October 28 and November 4, 1991, and features the crew of the fishing boat Andrea Gail, from Gloucester, Massachusetts, who were lost at sea during severe conditions while longline fishing for swordfish 575 miles (925 km) out. Also in the book is the story about the rescue of the three-person crew of the sailboat Satori in the Atlantic Ocean during the storm by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tamaroa (WMEC-166).
The book was adapted for the film of the same title, directed by Wolfgang Petersen and released in 2000. The Satori is renamed Mistral in the movie, and the since-retired USCGC Tamaroa is portrayed by a newer, 210-foot medium-endurance cutter.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Crew members on the Andrea Gail
3 Other important people
4 Book controversy
5 References
6 External links

Plot[edit]
The book follows the lives of the swordfishing crew of the Andrea Gail and their family members before and during the 1991 Perfect Storm. Among the men boarding the Andrea Gail were Billy Tyne, Alfred Pierre, David "Sully" Sullivan, Michael "Bugsy" Moran, Dale "Murph" Murphy, and Bobby Shatford, each bringing their own intelligence, physical strength, and hope on board with them. The men were raised with the expectation that they would become fishermen. As "Sully" said, even before they had left for their long journey, "It's the money ... If I didn't need the money I wouldn't go near this thing."[1]
Much of the early part of the book gives detailed descriptions of the daily lives of the fishermen and their jobs, and is centered around activities at the Crow's Nest,[2] a tavern in Gloucester popular with the fishermen.
The latter part of the book attempts to reconstruct events at sea during the storm, aboard the Andrea Gail as well as rescue efforts directed at several other ships caught in the storm, including the attempted rescue of pararescuemen who were themselves caught in the storm. Lost from the New York Air National Guard HH-60 helicopter was TSgt. Alden "Rick" Smith.[3] A week-long search off the South Shore of Long Island failed to find his remains. Surviving the helicopter crash were Maj. David Ruvola, Capt. Graham Buschor, SSgt. Jimmy Mioli and TSgt. John Spillane, the second pararescueman aboard.
All six crew members of the Andrea Gail were missing, presumed dead. The ship and crew were never found. A few fuel drums, a fuel tank, the EPIRB, an empty life raft, and some other flotsam were the only wreckage ever found.
Crew members on the Andrea Gail[edit]
Frank W. "Billy" Tyne, Jr. – Captain of the Andrea Gail. A good fisherman with a reputation of being a prosperous fishing captain. Billy was once married to Jodi Tyne who at the time of the story is Billy's ex-wife.
Reed "Bobby" Shatford – Born March 22, 1961, Bobby was a native of Gloucester, Massachusetts. In his high school years, Bobby played lacrosse. Before boarding the Andrea Gail, he lived above his favorite hang-out, The Crow's Nest, where his mother, Ethel, would tend the bar. Bobby was dating Christina "Chris" Cotter, whom he met through his sister, Mary Anne. Chris soon became his fiance. Bobby had two children from a previous marriage. He accepted the spot on the Andrea Gail because he needed money to pay the child support that he owed his ex-wife. Bobby planned this fishing trip to be the last one before settling down and marrying Chris. It was said that Bobby was not only the youngest fisherman on the boat, but the most inexperienced as well.
Dale "Murph" Murphy – In the story Murph is 33 years old. He is from Bradenton Beach, Florida. He is physically described to have shaggy black hair, a thin beard, and Mongolian eyes. Murph has a 3 year old child and an ex-wife named Debra. Murph is the cook for the Andrea Gail.
David "Sully" Sullivan – A hired fisherman who served to replace a worker on the Andrea Gail who dropped out of the job. Sully is well known in Gloucester for saving his entire crew on one fishing voyage.
Michael "Bugsy" Moran – A crew member on the Andrea Gail. Described as an amiable person with a crazy reputation.
Alfred Pierre – Described by Junger as, "An immense, kind Jamaican from New York City." Before departure Pierre is described as going back and forth in deciding whether he is going on the fishing trip or not. He does eventually go on the trip. Pierre is also described to be shy yet well-liked.
Other important people[edit]
Bob Brown – The owner of the Andrea Gail. Captain Billy Tyne is known for 'hate talking' to Brown and often sends messages to him through Captain Greenlaw. Junger describes Brown's reputation in Gloucester as complex. He is known for being a successful owner but criticized for being a risk taker. To some he is known as "Suicide Brown."
Linda Greenlaw – Greenlaw is captain of the Hannah Boden (sister ship to the Andrea Gail) and a friend of Billy Tyne. The two captains were in radio contact with one another before the Andrea Gail went down.
Albert Johnston – Johnston was captain of the F/V Mary T and part of the Atlantic swordfishing fleet that sailed from Gloucester and the last person known to have spoken with Captain Billy Tyne before the Andrea Gail was lost at sea. Aboard the F/V Mary T were Captain Johnston's brothers Captain Paul Johnston and Captain Timothy 'Timmy' Johnston. The Johnston family operated a successful swordfish and fishing tackle business. The Johnston family operated many different fishing vessels, most recently the F/V Canyon Explorer.
Charlie Reed – Former captain of the boat. Reed gives commentary throughout the book on the boats' history.
Ethel Shatford – Bobby's mother, and the owner of the Crow's Nest.
Christina Cotter – Bobby's fiancee
Book controversy[edit]
While there have been disputes over the context and research of the book, there have been controversies that surround the movie The Perfect Storm. Families of two crew members sued the film makers for the fictionalization of events which happened prior to the loss of the Andrea Gail.[4] In 2005, the Florida Supreme Court ruled against the family of Captain Tyne by a 6-2 vote.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Junger, Sebastian (2000). The Perfect Storm. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. p. 38.
2.Jump up ^ "Ethel Shatford Preston". Crow's Nest. Retrieved 2010-02-17.
3.Jump up ^ Junger, Sebastian (2000). The Perfect Storm. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. p. 209.
4.Jump up ^ "Court Revives 'Perfect Storm' Lawsuit". St. Petersburg Times Online. Retrieved 2010-02-17.
External links[edit]
Perfect Storm Foundation
The story of the Andrea Gail, GloucesterTimes
 


Categories: 1991 Perfect Storm
1997 books
American non-fiction books
W. W. Norton & Company books


Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages
Deutsch
Edit links
This page was last modified on 11 August 2014 at 12:14.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Perfect_Storm_(book)











We need your help documenting history. »

The Perfect Storm (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search


The Perfect Storm
Perfect storm poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
Wolfgang Petersen
Produced by
Gail Katz
Screenplay by
William D. Wittliff
Bo Goldman (uncredited)
Based on
The Perfect Storm
 by Sebastian Junger
Starring
George Clooney
Mark Wahlberg
Diane Lane
John C. Reilly
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
William Fichtner
Bob Gunton
Karen Allen
Music by
James Horner
Cinematography
John Seale
Edited by
Richard Francis-Bruce
Distributed by
Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date(s)
June 30, 2000

Running time
130 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$120 million[1]
Box office
$328,718,434
The Perfect Storm is a 2000 American biographical disaster drama film directed by Wolfgang Petersen. It is an adaptation of the 1997 non-fiction book of the same title by Sebastian Junger about the crew of the Andrea Gail that got caught in the Perfect Storm of 1991. The film stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, William Fichtner, John C. Reilly, Diane Lane, Karen Allen and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.[2] The film was released on June 30, 2000, by Warner Bros. Pictures.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Authenticity
4 Reception
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

Plot[edit]
In October 1991, the swordfishing boat Andrea Gail returns to port in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with a poor catch. Desperate for money, Captain Billy Tyne (Clooney), convinces the Andrea Gail crew to join him for one more late season fishing expedition. The crew heads out past their usual fishing grounds in the Grand Banks, leaving a developing thunderstorm behind them. Initially unsuccessful, they head to the Flemish Cap, where their luck improves. At the height of their fishing the ice machine breaks; the only way to sell their catch before it spoils is to hurry back to shore. After debating whether to sail through the building storm or to wait it out, the crew decides to risk the storm. However, between the Andrea Gail and Gloucester is a confluence of two powerful weather fronts and a hurricane, which the Andrea Gail crew underestimates.
After repeated warnings from other ships, the Andrea Gail loses her antenna, forcing Captain Linda Greenlaw (Mastrantonio) of sister ship Hannah Boden to call in a Mayday. An Air National Guard rescue helicopter responds, but after failing to perform a midair refuel, the helicopter crew ditch the aircraft before it crashes, and all but one of the crew members are rescued by a Coast Guard vessel, the Tamaroa. The Andrea Gail endures various problems. With 40-foot (12 m) waves crashing on top of the deck, a broken stabilizer ramming the side of the ship, and two men thrown overboard, the crew decide to turn around to avoid further damage by the storm. After doing so, the vessel encounters an enormous rogue wave. Billy tells Bobby (Wahlberg) to apply full power to ride over the wave; it seems that they may make it over, but the wave starts to break and the boat capsizes. Billy elects to go down with his ship, the rest of the crew are trapped and only Bobby manages to surface as he watches the boat go under; however, without a life jacket, he has no chance of surviving. He is last seen all alone among the waves. There are no survivors and the film ends with Linda reading the eulogy at the memorial service, followed by Christina and Bobby's mother, Ethel, consoling each other on the dock and Billy's voice soliloquising about what it means to be a swordboat captain.
Cast[edit]
George Clooney as Frank William "Billy" Tyne, Jr., captain of the Andrea Gail, a swordfishing boat. Billy is a divorced father of two daughters, who is determined to undertake one last fishing trip before the end of the season to make up for a recent string of poor catches.
Mark Wahlberg as Robert "Bobby" Shatford, the least experienced of the crew of the Andrea Gail. Bobby is the son of Ethel Shatford, the owner of the Crow's Nest, and boyfriend to Chris Cotter. He enjoys commercial fishing, but his deepening relationship with Chris (coupled with her reluctance to let him sail again) creates conflict within himself and between the couple. Yet, he is compelled by the potential to earn more money at sea than he could make with a job on shore to sign on for one last trip.
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Linda Greenlaw, the captain of the Hannah Boden. Linda and Billy both captain ships for the same owner and maintain a friendly rivalry. She is concerned about Billy and his crew's going out in what she considers dangerous weather. Linda is the last to speak to the Andrea Gail.
Diane Lane as Christina "Chris" Cotter, girlfriend of Bobby Shatford. She does not want Bobby to go on the trip because of a bad feeling she has about it. She spends her time during the last fishing trip decorating an apartment she has rented as a surprise for Bobby to symbolize her commitment to him.
John C. Reilly as Dale "Murph" Murphy, crewmember on the Andrea Gail. Murph is a veteran fisherman who is divorced with a son with whom he's very involved. Murph has a rocky relationship with crewmember David "Sully" Sullivan that is eventually resolved during the trip.
William Fichtner as David "Sully" Sullivan, crewmember on the Andrea Gail. He signed on for the trip at the last minute when another fisherman suddenly backed out. Sully and Murph initially have an antagonistic relationship that is fueled in part by Sully's past involvement with Murph's ex-wife, although the details are not made clear in the film.
Michael Ironside as Bob Brown, owner of the Andrea Gail and the Hannah Boden. Although Brown seems to harbor a deep-seated recognition of Tyne's skills at catching fish, he nevertheless pressures Tyne over the latter's recent inability to bring in larger hauls, resulting in an uneasy relationship between the two.
Bob Gunton as Alexander McAnally III, owner of the Mistral, a yacht caught in the storm.
Karen Allen as Melissa Brown, crewmember on the Mistral.
Cherry Jones as Edie Bailey, crewmember on the Mistral.
Allen Payne as Alfred Pierre, one of the crew of the Andrea Gail.
John Hawkes as Michael "Bugsy" Moran, a member of the Andrea Gail crew. Bugsy's somewhat comic inability to connect with women appears to change on the eve of the trip, when he meets a divorced mother at the Crow's Nest, who later comes to the dock to see him off. They hint at the prospect of a budding relationship that fatefully never materializes.
Janet Wright as Ethel Shatford, Bobby's mother.
Christopher McDonald as Todd Gross, a Boston meteorologist working for the WNEV-TV (the present day WHDH-TV).
Dash Mihok as Sgt. Jeremy Mitchell, crewmember on the New York Air National Guard rescue helicopter.
Authenticity[edit]
Most names were not changed for the fictional film. The families of certain crew members of the Andrea Gail sued the producers in federal district court in Florida, claiming that their names were used without their permission, and that facts were changed.[3] The film only claims to be "based on a true story". It differs in many ways from the book, starting with the fictionalization of the material into a "story". The film also continues to narrate the story of the Andrea Gail after its last radio contact. As the boat and the bodies of the Andrew Gail were never found, these final events (e.g., the decision to change course, the 180° knockdown, etc.) are entirely speculation.
Contrary to the movie's storyline, Captain Linda Greenlaw says she did not place a distress call on behalf of the Andrea Gail. "Without a distress call (directly) from the imperiled vessel, the Coast Guard will not initiate a search until the vessel is five days overdue in port," Greenlaw said. The 1993 U.S. Coast Guard's investigative report said that the Andrea Gail was experiencing 30-foot waves and winds from anywhere from 50 to 80 knots around the time of the last communication. The conditions, though threatening, were probably not unfamiliar to Tyne who had been a successful fisherman for about a decade on other vessels, taking trips to the Grand Banks and fishing off Florida, the Carolinas, and elsewhere.[4]
In the movie, Tyne and his crew agreed to head into the dangerous storm in order to save their fish from spoiling. Greenlaw acknowledged that Tyne did mention having ice problems, but that was not unusual. "My one gripe about [the] movie was how Warner Brothers depicted Billy Tyne and his crew as making a very conscious decision to steam into a storm that they knew was dangerous," said Greenlaw. "That is not what happened. The Andrea Gail was three days into their steam home when the storm hit. Whatever happened to the Andrea Gail happened very quickly."[4]
When asked about the portrayal of "Sully" in the movie, Cathy Sullivan Mustone, an older sister of David "Sully" Sullivan, said she was disappointed. "They made my brother's character out to be a hothead," she said. "I guess every movie needs a villain, but my brother was a funny guy with a loud laugh and a big smile. He had a lot of guts and he loved fishing." In fact, David's bravery and quick thinking made headlines on a different boat—the Harmony. One night during a winter fishing trip, the Harmony began taking on water while tied to another boat. The crew of the Harmony yelled for help, hoping to wake the nearby crew. No one woke, so David dove into the icy water, pulling himself on the ropes that tied the boats together. As a result of his bravery, the Harmony's crew was saved. Mustone said, "At least in the movie, they did represent my brother's bravery in a water rescue scene. He was a good man. And I just know he is at peace in heaven, safe with our Dad."[4]
Furthermore, the crewmembers of Satori (Mistral in the movie) were not rescued by an Air National Guard helicopter but a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter instead. In fact, the Air National Guard helicopter was dispatched from Long Island, New York, during the storm to help save a lone Japanese fishermen on a sinking sailboat 250 miles off the New Jersey coast. Although the yachtsman was later taken off by a Romanian cargo ship, the Air National Guard helicopter was unable to refuel in the air, in zero visibility, on the way back to base on Long Island, and had to ditch. After a heroic search operation by the Tamaroa, four of its men were picked up; one was never seen again.[4]
According to the owner's son, the Satori never made a 360° roll (a capsize), although it had two knockdowns, during which it lay on its side for about 30 seconds.[5] The owner and skipper of the Satori, Ray Leonard, had confidence in the boat, having sailed her in difficult conditions before, whereas his two crewmembers were in a state of panic. He allowed them to make a position report over radio but while Leonard was out of earshot, their tone became so agitated that it was misinterpreted as a Mayday.[5] One of those crewmembers reported that she was so convinced that she was going to die that she wrote her name down and put it into a plastic bag so that her body could be identified when it was finally found, and they believed—quite erroneously—that the boat was close to breaking up. The Coast Guard declared the voyage manifestly unsafe and ordered everyone off-board—including the unwilling skipper.[5] The Coast Guard first tried to take them on board via an inflatable boat, but after it was damaged when trying to approach the Satori they sent a helicopter, which is a much riskier approach as a rescue swimmer must jump in the dangerous seas. The Coast Guard helicopter did not try to lower rescue gear onto the yacht (as shown in the movie, where it gets entangled with the mast), but rather asked the crew of the Satori to jump overboard to meet a rescue swimmer in the water. Leonard eventually complied, wanting to look after his crew in the water, and knowing he wouldn't be able to use U.S. ports for several years if he failed to follow the orders.[6]
In spite of the attempts of Leonard to locate the Satori after the storm while she was still afloat, she was found a few days later washed ashore on a Maryland beach, having sustained no damage after the crew left her. A bag of personal belongings left on deck was still there, showing that the boat suffered no further problems whilst sailing herself. Leonard paid for a 60 ft fishing vessel to drag her off the beach, helped by a channel dug by Park Rangers who had been guarding the boat. He continued to sail the boat until 2000, and she remains in use today.[5] The story is often used as an example of how sailing boats are frequently far more capable than their crew in extreme conditions. Leonard says the bad publicity from the accounts of the storm lost him most of his work delivering boats, and said that he is "not bitter, but I don't think the book or movie explained what sailing's all about. Bluewater sailors are sharp, self-reliant, and proud."[6]
Reception[edit]
The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, Best Visual Effects (Walt Conti, Stefen Fangmeier, John Frazier and Habib Zargarpour) and Best Sound (John T. Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, David E. Campbell and Keith A. Wester), but lost to Gladiator.[7]
The Perfect Storm received mixed critical consensus, holding a 47% approval rating on critic site Rotten Tomatoes with a consensus of, "While the special effects are well done and quite impressive, this film suffers from any actual drama or characterization. The end result is a film that offers nifty eye-candy and nothing else."[8]
The Perfect Storm was a huge box office success. On its opening weekend, the film debuted with $42 million ahead of Sony's The Patriot and eventually brought in over $182.6 million in the United States, and $146.1 million around the world to a total of $328.7 million worldwide.[9]
See also[edit]
106th Rescue Wing
129th Rescue Wing
1991 Perfect Storm
Air Force Pararescue
The Perfect Storm (book)
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Welkos, R.W., 2000. Prepare for Good, Sick Fun. Los Angeles Times, [internet] 7 May p.4. Available at http://articles.latimes.com/2000/may/07/entertainment/ca-27305 (page4) [Accessed 11 August 2010].
2.Jump up ^ Berardinelli, James, The Perfect Storm Film Review – reelviews.net, 2000 (Retrieved on 2007-01-25)
3.Jump up ^ Unger, Howard M. (2002-05-31). "Judge sinks 'Perfect Storm' lawsuit". Sarasota Herald Tribune. Archived from the original on 2007-12-07. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d What really happened to the Andrea Gail?
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d "Satori - Perfect Storm". Westsail Owners Association. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
6.^ Jump up to: a b McCormick, Herb. "THE BOATING REPORT; In the Real Storm, the Skipper, the Crew and the Boat All Survived". New York Times. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
7.Jump up ^ "The 73rd Academy Awards (2001) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-11-19.
8.Jump up ^ The Perfect Storm on RT
9.Jump up ^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=perfectstorm.htm
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Perfect Storm (film)
Official website
The Perfect Storm at the Internet Movie Database
The Perfect Storm at Rotten Tomatoes
The Perfect Storm at Box Office Mojo
Plot and background at reelviews.net


[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Films directed by Wolfgang Petersen


One or the Other of Us (1974) ·
 Die Konsequenz (1977) ·
 Das Boot (1981) ·
 The NeverEnding Story (1984) ·
 Enemy Mine (1985) ·
 Shattered (1991) ·
 In the Line of Fire (1993) ·
 Outbreak (1995) ·
 Air Force One (1997) ·
 The Perfect Storm (2000) ·
 Troy (2004) ·
 Poseidon (2006)
 

 


Categories: 2000 films
English-language films
1991 Perfect Storm
American films
American disaster films
Films about fishing
Films based on non-fiction books
Films directed by Wolfgang Petersen
Films set in 1991
Films set in Massachusetts
Seafaring films based on actual events
Warner Bros. films
Film scores by James Horner




Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages
Български
Català
Deutsch
Español
Euskara
Français
한국어
Italiano
Magyar
Nederlands
日本語
Norsk bokmål
Plattdüütsch
Polski
Português
Русский
Suomi
Svenska
Українська
Tiếng Việt
中文
Edit links
This page was last modified on 4 September 2014 at 13:31.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Perfect_Storm_(film)









We need your help documenting history. »

The Perfect Storm (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search


The Perfect Storm
Perfect storm poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
Wolfgang Petersen
Produced by
Gail Katz
Screenplay by
William D. Wittliff
Bo Goldman (uncredited)
Based on
The Perfect Storm
 by Sebastian Junger
Starring
George Clooney
Mark Wahlberg
Diane Lane
John C. Reilly
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
William Fichtner
Bob Gunton
Karen Allen
Music by
James Horner
Cinematography
John Seale
Edited by
Richard Francis-Bruce
Distributed by
Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date(s)
June 30, 2000

Running time
130 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$120 million[1]
Box office
$328,718,434
The Perfect Storm is a 2000 American biographical disaster drama film directed by Wolfgang Petersen. It is an adaptation of the 1997 non-fiction book of the same title by Sebastian Junger about the crew of the Andrea Gail that got caught in the Perfect Storm of 1991. The film stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, William Fichtner, John C. Reilly, Diane Lane, Karen Allen and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.[2] The film was released on June 30, 2000, by Warner Bros. Pictures.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Authenticity
4 Reception
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

Plot[edit]
In October 1991, the swordfishing boat Andrea Gail returns to port in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with a poor catch. Desperate for money, Captain Billy Tyne (Clooney), convinces the Andrea Gail crew to join him for one more late season fishing expedition. The crew heads out past their usual fishing grounds in the Grand Banks, leaving a developing thunderstorm behind them. Initially unsuccessful, they head to the Flemish Cap, where their luck improves. At the height of their fishing the ice machine breaks; the only way to sell their catch before it spoils is to hurry back to shore. After debating whether to sail through the building storm or to wait it out, the crew decides to risk the storm. However, between the Andrea Gail and Gloucester is a confluence of two powerful weather fronts and a hurricane, which the Andrea Gail crew underestimates.
After repeated warnings from other ships, the Andrea Gail loses her antenna, forcing Captain Linda Greenlaw (Mastrantonio) of sister ship Hannah Boden to call in a Mayday. An Air National Guard rescue helicopter responds, but after failing to perform a midair refuel, the helicopter crew ditch the aircraft before it crashes, and all but one of the crew members are rescued by a Coast Guard vessel, the Tamaroa. The Andrea Gail endures various problems. With 40-foot (12 m) waves crashing on top of the deck, a broken stabilizer ramming the side of the ship, and two men thrown overboard, the crew decide to turn around to avoid further damage by the storm. After doing so, the vessel encounters an enormous rogue wave. Billy tells Bobby (Wahlberg) to apply full power to ride over the wave; it seems that they may make it over, but the wave starts to break and the boat capsizes. Billy elects to go down with his ship, the rest of the crew are trapped and only Bobby manages to surface as he watches the boat go under; however, without a life jacket, he has no chance of surviving. He is last seen all alone among the waves. There are no survivors and the film ends with Linda reading the eulogy at the memorial service, followed by Christina and Bobby's mother, Ethel, consoling each other on the dock and Billy's voice soliloquising about what it means to be a swordboat captain.
Cast[edit]
George Clooney as Frank William "Billy" Tyne, Jr., captain of the Andrea Gail, a swordfishing boat. Billy is a divorced father of two daughters, who is determined to undertake one last fishing trip before the end of the season to make up for a recent string of poor catches.
Mark Wahlberg as Robert "Bobby" Shatford, the least experienced of the crew of the Andrea Gail. Bobby is the son of Ethel Shatford, the owner of the Crow's Nest, and boyfriend to Chris Cotter. He enjoys commercial fishing, but his deepening relationship with Chris (coupled with her reluctance to let him sail again) creates conflict within himself and between the couple. Yet, he is compelled by the potential to earn more money at sea than he could make with a job on shore to sign on for one last trip.
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Linda Greenlaw, the captain of the Hannah Boden. Linda and Billy both captain ships for the same owner and maintain a friendly rivalry. She is concerned about Billy and his crew's going out in what she considers dangerous weather. Linda is the last to speak to the Andrea Gail.
Diane Lane as Christina "Chris" Cotter, girlfriend of Bobby Shatford. She does not want Bobby to go on the trip because of a bad feeling she has about it. She spends her time during the last fishing trip decorating an apartment she has rented as a surprise for Bobby to symbolize her commitment to him.
John C. Reilly as Dale "Murph" Murphy, crewmember on the Andrea Gail. Murph is a veteran fisherman who is divorced with a son with whom he's very involved. Murph has a rocky relationship with crewmember David "Sully" Sullivan that is eventually resolved during the trip.
William Fichtner as David "Sully" Sullivan, crewmember on the Andrea Gail. He signed on for the trip at the last minute when another fisherman suddenly backed out. Sully and Murph initially have an antagonistic relationship that is fueled in part by Sully's past involvement with Murph's ex-wife, although the details are not made clear in the film.
Michael Ironside as Bob Brown, owner of the Andrea Gail and the Hannah Boden. Although Brown seems to harbor a deep-seated recognition of Tyne's skills at catching fish, he nevertheless pressures Tyne over the latter's recent inability to bring in larger hauls, resulting in an uneasy relationship between the two.
Bob Gunton as Alexander McAnally III, owner of the Mistral, a yacht caught in the storm.
Karen Allen as Melissa Brown, crewmember on the Mistral.
Cherry Jones as Edie Bailey, crewmember on the Mistral.
Allen Payne as Alfred Pierre, one of the crew of the Andrea Gail.
John Hawkes as Michael "Bugsy" Moran, a member of the Andrea Gail crew. Bugsy's somewhat comic inability to connect with women appears to change on the eve of the trip, when he meets a divorced mother at the Crow's Nest, who later comes to the dock to see him off. They hint at the prospect of a budding relationship that fatefully never materializes.
Janet Wright as Ethel Shatford, Bobby's mother.
Christopher McDonald as Todd Gross, a Boston meteorologist working for the WNEV-TV (the present day WHDH-TV).
Dash Mihok as Sgt. Jeremy Mitchell, crewmember on the New York Air National Guard rescue helicopter.
Authenticity[edit]
Most names were not changed for the fictional film. The families of certain crew members of the Andrea Gail sued the producers in federal district court in Florida, claiming that their names were used without their permission, and that facts were changed.[3] The film only claims to be "based on a true story". It differs in many ways from the book, starting with the fictionalization of the material into a "story". The film also continues to narrate the story of the Andrea Gail after its last radio contact. As the boat and the bodies of the Andrew Gail were never found, these final events (e.g., the decision to change course, the 180° knockdown, etc.) are entirely speculation.
Contrary to the movie's storyline, Captain Linda Greenlaw says she did not place a distress call on behalf of the Andrea Gail. "Without a distress call (directly) from the imperiled vessel, the Coast Guard will not initiate a search until the vessel is five days overdue in port," Greenlaw said. The 1993 U.S. Coast Guard's investigative report said that the Andrea Gail was experiencing 30-foot waves and winds from anywhere from 50 to 80 knots around the time of the last communication. The conditions, though threatening, were probably not unfamiliar to Tyne who had been a successful fisherman for about a decade on other vessels, taking trips to the Grand Banks and fishing off Florida, the Carolinas, and elsewhere.[4]
In the movie, Tyne and his crew agreed to head into the dangerous storm in order to save their fish from spoiling. Greenlaw acknowledged that Tyne did mention having ice problems, but that was not unusual. "My one gripe about [the] movie was how Warner Brothers depicted Billy Tyne and his crew as making a very conscious decision to steam into a storm that they knew was dangerous," said Greenlaw. "That is not what happened. The Andrea Gail was three days into their steam home when the storm hit. Whatever happened to the Andrea Gail happened very quickly."[4]
When asked about the portrayal of "Sully" in the movie, Cathy Sullivan Mustone, an older sister of David "Sully" Sullivan, said she was disappointed. "They made my brother's character out to be a hothead," she said. "I guess every movie needs a villain, but my brother was a funny guy with a loud laugh and a big smile. He had a lot of guts and he loved fishing." In fact, David's bravery and quick thinking made headlines on a different boat—the Harmony. One night during a winter fishing trip, the Harmony began taking on water while tied to another boat. The crew of the Harmony yelled for help, hoping to wake the nearby crew. No one woke, so David dove into the icy water, pulling himself on the ropes that tied the boats together. As a result of his bravery, the Harmony's crew was saved. Mustone said, "At least in the movie, they did represent my brother's bravery in a water rescue scene. He was a good man. And I just know he is at peace in heaven, safe with our Dad."[4]
Furthermore, the crewmembers of Satori (Mistral in the movie) were not rescued by an Air National Guard helicopter but a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter instead. In fact, the Air National Guard helicopter was dispatched from Long Island, New York, during the storm to help save a lone Japanese fishermen on a sinking sailboat 250 miles off the New Jersey coast. Although the yachtsman was later taken off by a Romanian cargo ship, the Air National Guard helicopter was unable to refuel in the air, in zero visibility, on the way back to base on Long Island, and had to ditch. After a heroic search operation by the Tamaroa, four of its men were picked up; one was never seen again.[4]
According to the owner's son, the Satori never made a 360° roll (a capsize), although it had two knockdowns, during which it lay on its side for about 30 seconds.[5] The owner and skipper of the Satori, Ray Leonard, had confidence in the boat, having sailed her in difficult conditions before, whereas his two crewmembers were in a state of panic. He allowed them to make a position report over radio but while Leonard was out of earshot, their tone became so agitated that it was misinterpreted as a Mayday.[5] One of those crewmembers reported that she was so convinced that she was going to die that she wrote her name down and put it into a plastic bag so that her body could be identified when it was finally found, and they believed—quite erroneously—that the boat was close to breaking up. The Coast Guard declared the voyage manifestly unsafe and ordered everyone off-board—including the unwilling skipper.[5] The Coast Guard first tried to take them on board via an inflatable boat, but after it was damaged when trying to approach the Satori they sent a helicopter, which is a much riskier approach as a rescue swimmer must jump in the dangerous seas. The Coast Guard helicopter did not try to lower rescue gear onto the yacht (as shown in the movie, where it gets entangled with the mast), but rather asked the crew of the Satori to jump overboard to meet a rescue swimmer in the water. Leonard eventually complied, wanting to look after his crew in the water, and knowing he wouldn't be able to use U.S. ports for several years if he failed to follow the orders.[6]
In spite of the attempts of Leonard to locate the Satori after the storm while she was still afloat, she was found a few days later washed ashore on a Maryland beach, having sustained no damage after the crew left her. A bag of personal belongings left on deck was still there, showing that the boat suffered no further problems whilst sailing herself. Leonard paid for a 60 ft fishing vessel to drag her off the beach, helped by a channel dug by Park Rangers who had been guarding the boat. He continued to sail the boat until 2000, and she remains in use today.[5] The story is often used as an example of how sailing boats are frequently far more capable than their crew in extreme conditions. Leonard says the bad publicity from the accounts of the storm lost him most of his work delivering boats, and said that he is "not bitter, but I don't think the book or movie explained what sailing's all about. Bluewater sailors are sharp, self-reliant, and proud."[6]
Reception[edit]
The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, Best Visual Effects (Walt Conti, Stefen Fangmeier, John Frazier and Habib Zargarpour) and Best Sound (John T. Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, David E. Campbell and Keith A. Wester), but lost to Gladiator.[7]
The Perfect Storm received mixed critical consensus, holding a 47% approval rating on critic site Rotten Tomatoes with a consensus of, "While the special effects are well done and quite impressive, this film suffers from any actual drama or characterization. The end result is a film that offers nifty eye-candy and nothing else."[8]
The Perfect Storm was a huge box office success. On its opening weekend, the film debuted with $42 million ahead of Sony's The Patriot and eventually brought in over $182.6 million in the United States, and $146.1 million around the world to a total of $328.7 million worldwide.[9]
See also[edit]
106th Rescue Wing
129th Rescue Wing
1991 Perfect Storm
Air Force Pararescue
The Perfect Storm (book)
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Welkos, R.W., 2000. Prepare for Good, Sick Fun. Los Angeles Times, [internet] 7 May p.4. Available at http://articles.latimes.com/2000/may/07/entertainment/ca-27305 (page4) [Accessed 11 August 2010].
2.Jump up ^ Berardinelli, James, The Perfect Storm Film Review – reelviews.net, 2000 (Retrieved on 2007-01-25)
3.Jump up ^ Unger, Howard M. (2002-05-31). "Judge sinks 'Perfect Storm' lawsuit". Sarasota Herald Tribune. Archived from the original on 2007-12-07. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d What really happened to the Andrea Gail?
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d "Satori - Perfect Storm". Westsail Owners Association. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
6.^ Jump up to: a b McCormick, Herb. "THE BOATING REPORT; In the Real Storm, the Skipper, the Crew and the Boat All Survived". New York Times. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
7.Jump up ^ "The 73rd Academy Awards (2001) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-11-19.
8.Jump up ^ The Perfect Storm on RT
9.Jump up ^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=perfectstorm.htm
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Perfect Storm (film)
Official website
The Perfect Storm at the Internet Movie Database
The Perfect Storm at Rotten Tomatoes
The Perfect Storm at Box Office Mojo
Plot and background at reelviews.net


[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Films directed by Wolfgang Petersen


One or the Other of Us (1974) ·
 Die Konsequenz (1977) ·
 Das Boot (1981) ·
 The NeverEnding Story (1984) ·
 Enemy Mine (1985) ·
 Shattered (1991) ·
 In the Line of Fire (1993) ·
 Outbreak (1995) ·
 Air Force One (1997) ·
 The Perfect Storm (2000) ·
 Troy (2004) ·
 Poseidon (2006)
 

 


Categories: 2000 films
English-language films
1991 Perfect Storm
American films
American disaster films
Films about fishing
Films based on non-fiction books
Films directed by Wolfgang Petersen
Films set in 1991
Films set in Massachusetts
Seafaring films based on actual events
Warner Bros. films
Film scores by James Horner




Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages
Български
Català
Deutsch
Español
Euskara
Français
한국어
Italiano
Magyar
Nederlands
日本語
Norsk bokmål
Plattdüütsch
Polski
Português
Русский
Suomi
Svenska
Українська
Tiếng Việt
中文
Edit links
This page was last modified on 4 September 2014 at 13:31.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Perfect_Storm_(film)