THE FINEST HOURS trailer sees Chris Pine attempting an epic ocean rescue

the finest hours movie trailer

The Finest Hours trailer previews Disney’s true story rescue movie

The Finest Hours re-tells the true story of “the most daring rescue mission in U.S. Coast Guard history,” and the first trailer for the film paints a picture of heartfelt open ocean heroism. For a disney movie, this looks pretty intense. Set in the early 1950’s, and with plenty of Boston accents on display, The Finest Hours feels like an emotionally charged four-quadrant epic best seen on the big screen. We don’t get many sea-heavy epics, but with this and In the Heart of the Sea (Ron Howard’s upcoming Moby Dick inspiration movie) making waves, maybe we’ll see a few more surface before long.

Watch the first trailer for The Finest Hours, read a plot synopsis, and check out a poster for the film after the jump.

Honestly, the open ocean scares the hell out of me, for various reasons. That said, I thoroughly enjoy these kinds of movies, and The Finest Hours looks like one well worth the watch. It’s the kind of film that endears us to each and every one of the actors on screen and then tears our hearts out when one or more pass away courageously. I’ll definitely be seeing this in theaters when it splashes in on January 29, 2016.

If you’re unfamiliar with the backstory of the daring rescue mission, here’s a plot synopsis for The Finest Hours to fill you in:

On February 18, 1952, a massive nor’easter struck New England, pummeling towns along the Eastern seaboard and wreaking havoc on the ships caught in its deadly path, including the SS Pendleton, a T-2 oil tanker bound for Boston, which was literally ripped in half, trapping more than 30 sailors inside its rapidly-sinking stern. As the senior officer on board, first assistant engineer Ray Sybert soon realizes it is up to him to take charge of the frightened crew and inspire the men to set aside their differences and work together to ride out one of the worst storms to ever hit the East Coast. Meanwhile, as word of the disaster reaches the U.S. Coast Guard station in Chatham, Massachusetts, Warrant Officer Daniel Cluff orders a daring operation to rescue the stranded men. Despite overwhelming odds, four men, led by Coast Guard Captain Bernie Webber, set out in a wooden lifeboat with an ill-equipped engine and little, if any, means of navigation, facing frigid temperatures, 60-foot high waves and hurricane-force winds.

The Finest Hours stars Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Eric Bana, Casey Affleck, Kyle Gallner, Graham McTavish, John Ortiz, and Holliday Grainger. The film was directed by Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl, Fright Night).

the finest hours movie poster