Synopsis

After returning to Gloucester with a disappointing catch, the swordfishing boat Andrea Gail heads back into the North Atlantic in search of a better haul. Far from shore, Captain Billy Tyne and his crew encounter a rare collision of weather systems that produces enormous waves and hurricane-force winds. Their struggle becomes a desperate fight for survival against an overwhelming sea.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is based on Sebastian Junger's 1997 creative nonfiction book, which reconstructed the 1991 disaster involving the fishing vessel Andrea Gail and other boats caught in the North Atlantic storm.

• The Andrea Gail and all six members of its crew disappeared in October 1991. The vessel was never found, although searchers recovered scattered debris and equipment.

• The production filmed in Gloucester, Massachusetts, as well as on studio stages and in California. A replica fishing boat called Lady Grace was used during production and was photographed with Junger and members of the cast.

• The movie's opening depiction of the Andrea Gail returning with a poor catch is a dramatic invention. In reality, the crew reportedly came back from that trip with a substantial catch.

• The relationship between Billy Tyne and Linda Greenlaw was also expanded for dramatic purposes. The real Tyne and Greenlaw were reportedly only minimally acquainted.

• Some exterior storm footage was filmed near Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Additional ocean scenes relied on large-scale practical rigs, computer-generated water, digital compositing, and miniature or replica boat work.

• None of the fish used in the movie were real. The production used rubber fish for dead catches and animatronic fish for living ones.

• The film received Academy Award nominations for Best Sound and Best Visual Effects at the 73rd Academy Awards.