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An aging USCG rescue swimmer's team is killed in a horrific rescue mission. Moving into the school, he immediately increases the 18 week curriculum that routinely fails half of the people that attend. Delving into his past, links are found that make him a psychic twin to the older man. His first love is always the rescue mission. That's what I think good film-making is and I for one am throughly impressed by this movie. This leaves him an obviously emotional wreck. Immediately prior to this terrible event, his wife also announced that she cannot take anymore. Here he meets a young man with unlimited potential, but with some secret that seems to hold him back as a team player.
His commender gives him a choice - quit or take a position as an instructor at the USCG training facility in Louisiana. Reluctantly he takes the position. It's a story about a simple topic, illuminated in a way that brings the audience to a higher level of empathy than thought possible. This movie will earn your applause.
the movie was great, but the dvd was damage so we could only watch part of the movie
Well worth watching and I've watched all of the Special Features including the Director's commentary. I've watched this movie so many times that I wore out the first DVD.
As a Red Cross disaster volunteer I witnessed the work of the Coast Guard during Kathrina and at many other disasters since. People don't hear about the Coast Guard much, but if you just think about their name.
I absolutely loved this movie. I only wish they hadn't cut out so much of the movie and it would have been longer.
they have a lot to protect, all the time, not just when we are at war. I loved Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher is one of my favorites.
My son's dog ate my second copy so I'm purchasing a 3rd. It was awesome too.
Makes you appreciate the Coast Guard though. He meets a young man with unlimited potential, but with some secret that seems to hold him back as a team player.
Just prior to this same mission his wife announces that she cannot take anymore. This leaves him an emotional wreck.
Summary: (from Seattle Public Library)"An aging United States Coast Guard rescue swimmer's team is killed in a horrific rescue mission. Once there he immediately increases the 18 week curriculum that routinely fails half of the people that attend.
His commander gives him a choice - quit or take a position as an instructor at the USCG training facility in Louisiana. Reluctantly he takes the position and moves into the school.
"Costner stars as the reluctant yet strenous instructor who mentors Kutchner portraying the hotshot trainee.Good movie yet the ending is not exactly what some viewers may be expecting. :)
Among them is a Michael Phelps like swimmer (Kutcher) who has all the physical tools but needs to be shown the ropes of the craft.Having watched Deadliest Catch - Seasons 1, 2, & 3 on the HISTORY Channel, I could tell that there was a remarkable degree of authenticity to the procedures / terminology / operations of the Coast Guard as they were depicted in this film. As others have doubtlessly pointed out, there are some genuine parallels between the present movie and the 1980s Top Gun (Widescreen Special Collector's Edition). There is the ubiquitous babe-in-the-bar-bet (this time played by Melissa Sagemiller; Kelly McGillis in TG). Afraid that he is on the verge of being washed up, a legendary Senior Chief takes a temporary assignment to teach a new generation of rescue swimmers. This film honors the USCG in the same way that Ladder 49 (Widescreen Edition) honors firefighters. And, of course, there are the haunting flashbacks to a disaster.That said, anyone who wishes to write this movie off as nothing more than the Coast Guard's version of TOP GUN would be sorely mistaken.
Some real-live USCG swimmers were even extras in the film.The motto of the Coast Guard is "So others may live." This is precisely the same motto used by the brave Air Force parajumpers who go behind enemy lines to rescue downed pilots. Like TG, it is about a grizzled veteran (portrayed by Kevin Costner) who is attempting to teach a young hot-shot (Ashton Kutcher) (in TG it was Tom Skeritt & Tom Cruise in these roles). The end credits showed what I had suspected, which was that there was a great deal of collaboration with the Coast Guard during the making of this film. This is a great movie in its own right, and the comparisons to the landmark Navy aviation flick should only be peripheral. In short, this is a terrific story that both intrigues the viewer as well as demonstrates the awe inspiring professionalism of the United States Coast Guard.Unlike TG, this is a movie that's much more about the instructor (Costner) than it is the student. This is a truly fabulous movie that is family friendly and pays homage to the gallant sailors, airmen & swimmers who are in the Coast Guard & uphold this motto as a sacred trust.
I cannot recommend this movie highly enough.
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