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The Perfect Storm (2000)
IMDb Rating 6.1
Front Cover Actor Back Cover
George Clooney Capt. Billy Tyne
Mark Wahlberg Bobby Shatford
Diane Lane Christina 'Chris' Cotter
John C. Reilly Dale 'Murph' Murphy
William Fichtner David 'Sully' Sullivan
Bob Gunton Alexander McAnally III, Mistral Owner
Karen Allen Melissa Brown
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio Linda Greenlaw
Allen Payne Alfred Pierre
John Hawkes Mike 'Bugsy' Moran
Mary Mastrantonio
Plot
Setting out for the one last catch that will make up for a lackluster fishing season, Captain Billy Tyne (George Clooney) pushes his boat the Andrea Gail out to the waters of the Flemish Cap off Nova Scotia for what will be a huge swordfish haul. While his crew is gathering fish, three storm fronts (including a hurricane) collide to create a "perfect storm" of colossal force, and Billy's path back to Gloucester, Massachusetts, takes them right smack into the middle of it. Wolfgang Petersen's adaptation of Sebastian Junger's seafaring bestseller is a faithful if by-the-numbers true-story account of a monster storm that rocked New England in 1991, specifically Tyne's commercial fishing boat and its crew. Junger's tale fashioned a compelling if staid narrative out of seemingly disparate events, but this film adaptation tends to flatten out the story into a conventional if absorbing story of man vs. nature, as the crew fights for survival against the awesome waves the storm kicks up. The central part of the film, which cuts between the Andrea Gail's fight to stay afloat and the attempts of the Coast Guard to rescue a yacht in peril, is suspenseful action of the first degree, aided by some awesome computer-generated waves.

Still, it's a long way to that action, with an extended first act that consists mainly of stoic men, crying women, and a fair amount of "don't go out into the sea" dialogue--in other words, a compelling story has been shoehorned into standard summer movie fare. It's too bad, as Peterson assembled an excellent cast--including Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane, John C. Reilly, and William Fichtner among them--but seems to opt for only a surface exploration of these characters, though Clooney seems to have a touch of Captain Ahab in him. You may still be won over by the movie, but for a more in-depth portrait, go to Junger's book for the missing details. --Mark Englehart

Movie Details
Genre Action; Adventure; Drama; Thriller
Director Wolfgang Petersen
Producer Gail Katz; Wolfgang Petersen
Writer Sebastian Junger; William D. Wittliff; Bill Wittliff
Studio Warner Bros.
Country USA
Language English
Audience Rating PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Running Time 130 mins
Movie Release Date 6/20/2000
Color Color
Personal Details
Format DVD
Seen It Yes
Index 780
Collection Status In Collection
Purchase Date 9/8/2006
Product Details
Region Region 1
Screen Ratio 2.35:1
Layers Single Side, Dual Layer
UPC (Barcode) 085391858423
Chapters 39
Release Date 6/1/2004
Subtitles French
Packaging Snap Case
Audio Tracks English Dolby Digital 5.1
French Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Nr of Disks/Tapes 1
Extra Features
3 Behind-The-Scenes Documentaries
3 Feature-Length Filmmaker/Author/Craftsperson Commentaries
Yours Forever Photo Montage
Conceptual Art Gallery with Director Commentary
Storyboard Gallery
Interactive Menus
Cast/Director/Screenwriter Filmographies
Theatrical Trailer
Scene Access

DVD-ROM Features:
Original Theatrical Web Site
Previsualizing The Storm: Gallery of Craft Minidocumentaries
Virtual Theater: Synchronous Online Screenings and Other Web Events to Be Announced
Theatrical Trailer Sampler
Links
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