White Squall (1996)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Ridley Scott

Writers (WGA):

Charles Gieg Jr. (book) and
Felix Sutton (book) ...

Release Date:

2 February 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

The strongest force in nature is the will to survive.

Plot:

Teenage boys discover discipline and camaraderie on an ill-fated sailing voyagee.

Plot Keywords:

Sailing | Ship | 1960s | Squall | Storm

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jeff Bridges	...	Captain Christopher 'Skipper' Sheldon
Caroline Goodall	...	Dr. Alice Sheldon
John Savage	...	McCrea, Albatross Crewman / English Teacher
Scott Wolf	...	Charles 'Chuck' Gieg / Narrator
Jeremy Sisto	...	Frank Beaumont
Ryan Phillippe	...	Gil Martin
David Lascher	...	Robert March
Eric Michael Cole	...	Dean Preston
Jason Marsden	...	Shay Jennings, Albatross First Mate
David Selby	...	Francis Beaumont
Julio Oscar Mechoso	...	Girard Pascal, Albatross Cook (as Julio Mechoso)
Zeljko Ivanek	...	Coast Guard Capt. Sanders
Balthazar Getty	...	Tod Johnstone
Ethan Embry	...	Tracy Lapchick
Jordan Clarke	...	Charles Gieg

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sexuality and a traumatic shipwreck.

Runtime:

129 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Danish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Norway:11 | Netherlands:12 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #34325) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:L (original rating) | South Korea:15 | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | France:U | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Beaufort, South Carolina, USA

Company:

Hollywood Pictures

Trivia:

The real Chuck Gieg and Tod Johnstone went on to fight in the Vietnam War, three years after the Albatross sank. Both returned safely.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Gil is telling the story of his brother's death after his nightmare, his face alternates between being sweaty and dry between shots.

Quotes:

Captain Christopher "Skipper" Sheldon: Nothing happens on this ship that I don't know about. She speaks to me in the night. So don't test me, not even a little.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

Soundtrack:

IN THE MOOD

A few good perfectly stormy A&F models

Well, maybe it isn't that bad. Some moments are touching, others genuinely harrowing. And Jeff Bridges always comes up with something surprising. But, "true story" though it may be, "White Squall" is overwhelmed by its obvious schematic and Ridley Scott's signature gloss. Each young crewmember has a stamped-on singular defect, Scott Wolf's tomcruisy precociousness is particularly grating, and for all the magnificent ocean scenery and blather about boys being forged into men, we're shown precious little of the day-to-day grunt/teamwork that's at the core of the whole business. Add to this the greatest assemblage of immaculate white t-shirts and bronzed, hairless torsos since Abercrombie met Fitch, and a potentially gritty, moving story lies trapped in amber.