(From IMDb.com)
Ishmael and that great, big whale brought to the world from the pen of Herman Melville 165 years ago are back.
Ron Howard, one mammoth director by any standard, has latched onto the prequel, if you will, of what went on in Nantucket back in the day that allowed Melville to open his mind enough to share the horrors of men at sea battling the horrors of a terrible and persistent beast, Mother Nature and their fragile minds.
The movie screenplay by Charles Leavitt had help from three books. Nathaniel Philbrick wrote “In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex,” and it was a non-fiction best-seller in 2000. And Philbrick himself could flip through “The Loss of the Ship ‘Essex’ Sunk by a Whale and the Ordeal of the Crew in Open Boats,” and “Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex, of Nantucket; Which Was Attacked and Finally Destroyed by a Large Spermaceti-Whale, in the Pacific Ocean; With an Account of the Unparalleled Sufferings of the Captain and Crew.” Those came from Tom Nickerson and Owen Chase, respectively.
They were there, obviously, and are the two main characters up on the screen fighting themselves, the big water and the societal ladder and economical needs of 1850s America.
It’s a beautiful cinematic picture, from the little Inn where Melville shows up to meet aging Nickerson — played as a tortured soul from containing such a tale by Brendan Gleeson — to the fragile Essex that sails the seas in search of the whales from which to extract the oil needed to light the lamps of port town Nantucket, Cape Cod, New England and the United States of America.
(From IMDb.com)
The whaling industry is ruled by aristocratic families who are smart enough to enlist first mates such as Owen Chase — played by a tight, taciturn Chris Hemsworth, perfect for this role — and wily enough to dangle the carrot of captainship while bestowing the next trip to green family sailors such as George Pollard — played by as equally concerned but somewhat lightened by privilege Benjamin Walker.
Of course captain Pollard quickly screws up while attempting to show who’s boss to the smarter plebeian first mate and almost loses the ship and the respect of those on the crew who come from the working class. But there is that cousin of his who’ll stick by his side. And thus the dynamic is set as they continue the chase for whales, needed oil and a needed balance to make the ship’s chores work.
Nickerson is a 15-year-old who’s taking all of this in with wide eyes and burning hands as he learns, literally and figuratively, the ropes on his first “Nantucket Sleighride” as his first big whale pulls the smaller boat-off-the-side through the ocean.
But even then, man’s need to control nature is causing a sparsity of whale sightings. On they go for more than a year, until they stumble upon a tale of far-away waters, plentiful whales and that One Huge And Dangerous One.
The 121 minutes sort of crawled along for me as I watched along with a dozen or so at a Friday matinée in the Regal Cinemas theater in the mega shopping, dining and entertainment complex Destiny USA.
The human drama and social complexities between the captain and first mate, the horror of what the three boats of men had to do to survive and the very-sub-plot of man’s lack concern of the dwindling whale population were all more interesting to me than Chase’s endless thoughts and worries about that killer beast. But hardly to Howard, who had committed to chasing the writing of one whale of a legendary novel.
Are you a fan of sailing on the open seas, and if so, why? Have you ever gone whale watching, and if so, what did it feel like to spot a whale? What’s your favorite Ron Howard movie, and why?
Mark Bialczak 
I just saw the trailer for this and thought I might like to see it. Perhaps more visually stunning than a story well told?
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Yes, you got it exactly. Visually, breath-taking, Ali. 🙂
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Seems it shoulda got swallowed by Jonah’s whale.
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Yeah, it got swallowed by public indifference, Carl.
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I’m still trying to get past the first paragraph of the book bro Mark. I’ve been trying to read this since I was about 12, and have never moved past the opening lines. It just bores me stupid after “Call me Ishmael.”
Don’t know why, but maybe it’s because of the old man of the sea thing. Around here it would be the “bubba” attitude, and I’m bubbad out. Also get so seasick thinking about an ocean when I can’t even get my face under water without needing oxygen tanks in the shower. Getting that feeling now bro.
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Some boxes in each life are meant to be left unchecked, sis Angie. 🙂
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I’m petrified of big water, my nerves and I will skip this one.
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Good choice, Apple Pie. This is really big water.
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I hear it bombed, making only about $11M.
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Not surprising to me, Austin. Slow movie week all around. Shoppers instead.
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That movie holds zero appeal for me…
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Your big week has arrived. 🙂
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I know, but I’m not sure I can get in to see it this weekend. It’s going to be so crowded!
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You’re right about that. I’m surprised you didn’t buy in advance.
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I don’t like to be in huge groups of strangers, so I will wait until it quiets down a bit.
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Give it two weeks, maybe. 🙂
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Maybe Christmas Day since I’ll be alone…
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That would be a good day for it, between texts to the Alps or Ireland or where your Rose may be for the big day, Austin.
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I’m thinking that no matter how beautiful this is done, it will get swallowed up by that whale known as Star Wars, Mark. Too bad, I like all of Ron Howard’s films.
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Star Wars rules the world, indeed, Van. Lines formed for Friday midnight already. 😮
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Can’t get on a boat unfortunately, motion sickness gets me every time. My favs are A Beautiful Mind and Apollo 13. This new one looks great cinematically but I don’t know how the story will translate.
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I have to put a Dramamine patch behind my ear to go out on tidal waters, George. I empathize completely. Hey, two good movies you pick here. 🙂
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i’m going to wait on this one, maybe a library rental later….i do like movies of the open sea, and sailed on a boat while in australia, with a bit of dramamine, but really feel safer on land. )
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Good for you to take the leap down there, Beth. And isn’t Dramamine awesome?!
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I have never seen a whale but will never forget the feeling of awe after seeing dolphins in the wild.
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Dolphins! You’re fortunate, Paula, to witness the eee-eee-eee sounds of nature. 🙂
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My favorite Ron Howard movie is Apollo 13, but I am a dork like that. Second favorite isn’t a movie, but all the seasons of “Arrested Development” 🙂
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I don’t think Apollo 13 is dorky at all, J. And ‘Arrested’ lives long in many beautiful minds. ❤
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I did go to the aquarium a couple of times, ha, ha! Sad the movie didn’t quite cut it. It has potential in the plot, director and characters.
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You’re a whale of a seafarer out there in LA, Marissa. ❤
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Bummer. I never enjoyed reading Moby Dick, and if the book is always better than the movie, well then, you know I won’t be watching the movie of a book I didn’t care for.
I like whales 🙂
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Yes, perfect logic, Joey, right down to liking whales. ❤
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I’m trying too hard to keep up with all my blog reading, Mark. I’m going to skip this film. My favorite Ron Howard movie is “Splash.” Feel free to work on a pun in your response.
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No dippy response from me this time, Ann. My work shift starts too soon and I have to get ready.
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You get a wave from me, Mark.
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I love a movie based on history, but sometimes they lack something. remember all the rave reviews on that Abraham Lincoln assassination movie with Sally Field? I thought it was lackluster.. something was missing.
I will probably watch this movie someday, but I would not go to a scary theater, (we all know how unsafe they are nowadays). I might wait a few years when I have free HBO, etc on Direct TV or Dish, whichever one I have at the time.
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Good plan to wait and watch at home, Lorraine. The story has kept 165 years already, after all.
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My husband and I went whale watching a few years ago in Boston while visiting my daughter and her wife. It was incredible seeing those whales. We were fortunate to see many whales that day, including some mothers and babies. They were beautiful.
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I’m glad a few survived the industry of this movie’s era to give you and the family that pleasure, Merril! ❤
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