It was the biggest oil spill in U.S. history. Oil spewed into into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 days straight, and April 20, 2010, is still a painful memory for many of us. Deepwater Horizon is based on the New York Times article about the disaster, as told from the perspective of the heroic crew members who risked their lives to stop the oil spill. It focuses only on the event itself, not the environmental impact after the events of April 20th.
Mark Wahlberg recreates that fateful day both as the movie’s lead actor (he plays Mike Williams) and producer. When the movie begins, he is beginning a 21-day shift as a mechanic on the Deepwater Horizon, a floating offshore drilling rig south of Louisiana.
As soon as Mike arrives on the helicopter for his shift, there are hints of the disaster to come. A crew is leaving early without completing their assignment: to test the cement barrier of the drilling pipe on the ocean floor. Because of this, the camera shows us, they missed cracks that are quickly growing. In addition, the rig itself is in disrepair, with phones and fire alarms out as well as more vital systems, both seen and unseen.
British Petroleum (BP), who leases the rig, maintains that the cement barrier test is unimportant. Mike and his boss, Mr. Jimmy (played by Kurt Russell), adamantly disagree. The groups compromise by doing another test, which the rig appears to pass — until suddenly oil starts seeping between the machinery. Within minutes, the oil rig transforms from a massive symbol of the power of 21st century technology into a gigantic fireball that can be seen from 40 miles away.
For those who love action and drama, this movie has it all: fire, explosions, daring rescues, final leaps just in the nick of time. For those who also are curious about what happened that day, there is also so much to appreciate here. “Mike is an easy guy to like — a family man, an everyday hero — thrust into what is basically a horror scene,” said my husband. “His colleagues on the rig are equally likeable and ordinary. It is powerful to watch their bravery — although also tragic.”
An argument could be made that this movie should be “required viewing” for Americans to understand exactly what happened and why for the BP oil spill. It has very little material that anyone would object to (although some necessary, truthful violence), so it would be appropriate to watch as a family with middle school-aged and older children, too. This is an important one done very well — don’t miss it.
Movie times: click here
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Actors: Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, Kate Hudson
Rating: PG-13 (for language and violence)
Running Time: 1 hour and 47 minutes
