Paul greengrass captain phillips, based off of the 2009 maersk alabama hijacking, takes based off a true story to a new level. Captain phillips star barkhad abdi and director defend depiction of somali pirates. All is routine for the crew of the alabama until captain phillips spots two small blips on the ships radar. The uss bainbridge, a naval destroyer, was patrolling the area while fbi and other u.
Oct 10, 20 you too can hunker down in captain phillips lifeboat, as he did when abducted by pirates off the coast. Captain phillipsthe lifeboat lose control and the u. Richard phillips had been held hostage on a lifeboat after pirates tried to. But during the final moments in tight quarters in captain phillips, we at least have hanks as our beacon of humanity. Richard phillips was taken hostage aboard one of the maersk alabamas lifeboats. While the media closely covered captain phillips rescue from the lifeboat by. Based on a true story, the film focuses on the alabamas commanding officer, captain richard phillips twotime academy awardwinner tom hanks, best actor, 1993, philadelphia. But because captain phillips is a big, american studio picture that aims to wow audiences as well as awards voters, greengrass also has to portray good guys and bad guys, winners and losers, and hang those tags on people and struggles that cant be categorized so easily in.
Though he was still held by pirates in a drifting lifeboat thursday night, his wife, andrea, said she was. Somali pirates in talks with elders and fbi over us hostage richard phillips. Somali pirate, navy seals and dangerous days at sea is about as eyerolling as an autobiography in which bernie madoff describes himself as a financial hero. The actual lifeboat used in captain phillips as on display at the volo auto museum. Oct 11, 20 captain phillips, a movie that insistently closes the distance between us and them, has a vital moral immediacy. This true story of captain richard phillips and his crew pirates boarded their cargo ship off the somali coast in 2009 is a rippedfromtheheadlines film. From the 20 film captain phillips starring tom hanks. Navy was on the scene, but richard phillips did not see how they could possibly rescue him. Heres a look at the facts surrounding the 2009 hijacking of the maersk alabama. Captain phillips movie news and cast updates tv guide.
The captain is all conflict in the movie from being held hostage on the lifeboat to leading the pirates around the ship. The world watched as phillips, abducted from the mv maersk alabama after its botched hijacking, drifted in a lifeboat with his captors, surrounded by u. When you visit the museum, you can view the lifeboat upon which captain richard phillips was held hostage for five days before being rescued on april 12. Richard phillips says he has gone back business as usual since being. This time he is transporting food, water and relief supplies around africa and with a new crew to boot.
Apr 12, 2009 captain phillips, a former boston taxi driver so they have to denigrate the captain, by trying to make it sound like he went from driving a taxi to being a merchant marine captain. Richard phillips was captain of the us container ship called the maersk alabama that was hijacked in 2009 by pirates from the nation of somalia. When you visit the museum, you can view the lifeboat upon which captain richard phillips was held hostage for five days before being rescued on april 12, thanks to the accuracy of navy seal snipers. Richard phillips born may 16, 1955 is an american merchant mariner and author who served. It was written with stephan talty and published by hyperion on april 6, 2010 and on audio by tantor. The real crew from the maersk alabama that was taken by somali pirates state that the film account of their hijacking was less based on a true story and far more an account of revisionist historical fiction. Although the crew eventually repelled the attackers, capt. Travel thru history 25 facts about captain phillips and the. When the navy sends some officers to check on captain phillips tom hanks in the lifeboat, najee faysal ahmed gets. Here, the 28yearold actor talks about growing up in minneapolis, auditioning for his role in captain phillips, and how he went from driving a limo to stealing scenes from tom. Captain phillips 20 not here to negotiate scene 810. Justjust however many times it takes, pump it and youre in the water and on the go. The pirates escaped to a lifeboat, taking the captain with them. Merchant marine captain richard phillips arrives for an interview fresh from a game of pickup basketball and a trip to the town dump.
Captain phillips is a 20 american biographical dramathriller film directed by paul greengrass and starring tom hanks and barkhad abdi. Visit captain phillips maersk alabama lifeboat at navy seal. Richard phillips still sailing seas after 2009 pirate attack. While i wasnt in the captains position and wont secondguess him, a captains duty. Of irish descent, phillips was born in massachusetts, and graduated from winchester high school in 1973. Oct 11, 20 in the new film captain phillips, viewers shouldnt look to the movie for the complete story. In the captain phillips movie, tom hankss character tries to tell the pirates that they had pushed the ship too hard and that it was broken. Phillips turns his head as muse enters the lifeboat. Maersk alabama hijacking, incident involving the seizure of a u. Ali aden elmi was one of three somali pirates killed in the gulf of aden in april 2009 after seizing control of the mv maersk alabama and holding captain richard phillips for ransom in a lifeboat.
Captain phillips is a multilayered examination of the 2009 hijacking of the u. The three actors were found among the large somali population in minnesota. The movie captain phillips was based off the real piracy take over of the cargo ship, the maersk alabama, by somali pirates in 2009. It is through director paul greengrasss distinctive lens simultaneously a pulsepounding thriller, and a complex portrait of the myriad effects of globalization. Maersk alabama lifeboat and mk 25 sniper rifle from easter seal rescue the maersk alabama was captured by somali pirates on april 8, 2009. It is through director paul greengrasss distinctive. Captain phillips director on authenticity, casting somali pirate i didnt want johnny depp video. How navy seals managed a daring rescue of captain richard. The producers of the captain phillips film visited the museum in the process of recreating the lifeboat and interiors for the set. Somali pirates, navy seals, and dangerous days at sea phillips, richard, talty, stephan on.
Six years ago navy seal sharpshooters rescued maersk. Apr 12, 2009 somali pirates in talks with elders and fbi over us hostage richard phillips. Captain phillips, a former boston taxi driver so they have to denigrate the captain, by trying to make it sound like he went from driving a taxi to being a merchant marine captain. Richard phillips still sailing seas after 2009 pirate. During his schooling, phillips worked as a taxi driver in boston.
Mariner details life aboard a lifeboat somali pirates have been holding richard phillips, captain of the maersk alabama, for four days now aboard a lifeboat. Another key is that captain phillips was shot on the high seas on an actual container ship, an actual lifeboat and a skiff just like the real pirates use. Richard phillips praises tom hanks lowkey portrayal of a harrowing. Phillips manages to save his crew but is taken for ransom in a lifeboat, potentially laying down his own life to save his. The real vermont star of captain phillips is still at the.
The film is inspired by the true story of the 2009 maersk alabama hijacking, an incident during which merchant mariner captain richard phillips was taken hostage by somali pirates in the guardafui channel led by abduwali muse. Oct 11, 20 the actor visited phillips, a cargo ship captain. He is the sole survivor of four pirates who hijacked the mv maersk alabama in april 2009 and then held captain richard phillips for ransom. His pleas for assistance are at first met with skepticism but after he fends off one attack, the second leads to a confrontation that will eventually involve the u.
English pronunciation help info is a convicted somali pirate. Hostage captain freed after us firefight with somali pirates piracy. Captain phillips is based on the true story of captain richard phillips played by tom hanks in the film, the captain of the maersk alabama, a shipping container vessel that was boarded by four somali pirates in 2009. Federal court in chicago rejects appeal of convicted. Oct, 20 all of this is the basis for captain phillips, starring tom hanks as the titular, reallife hero. In the new film captain phillips, viewers shouldnt look to the movie for the complete story.
Elmi is renamed walid elmi in the film captain phillips 20, and is shown to be the lifeboats driver. Somali pirates, navy seals, and dangerous days at sea is a book by captain richard phillips, the captain of the container ship mv maersk alabama when it was hijacked in 2009. Captain phillips is a film that even choosy customers might prefer on bluray. After his leader, abduwali muse, was lured off of the lifeboat and onto the navy destroyer uss. Richard phillips born may 16, 1955 is an american merchant mariner and author who served as captain of the mv maersk alabama during its hijacking by somali pirates in april 2009. It doesnt depict the aftermath inside the lifeboat or the criminal investigation that followed. Once the lifeboat is surrounded, it becomes clear to all inside that no one not even phillips is guaranteed to get out of this alive.
Phillips was held captive in the lifeboat by suspected somali pirates for. I was actually a limo driver, the actor tells thegrio about his job prior to making the film. On easter sunday, april 12, 2009, us special operations forces, included seal team 6, staged a dramatic rescue of a us captain of cargo ship who had been taken hostage by somali pirates. The guidedmissile destroyer uss bainbridge tows the lifeboat from. Captain phillips one of two hanks releases this fall, along with disneys saving mr. By jim castagnera special to the history place 12714.
Phillips was taken hostage in a lifeboat and subsequently freed by navy seals after they killed three of the pirates and. Somali elders and four gunmen holding a us ship captain captive on a lifeboat in the indian. It is through director paul greengrasss distinctive lens simultaneously a pulsepounding thriller, and a. Captain richard phillips freed as us snipers kill three. For the duration of the film, phillips was a brave man. Captain phillips 20 not here to negotiate scene 810 movieclips.
Rescue on the high seas dateline nbc newsmakers nbc news. Manhunt underway for porsche driver accused of fleeing scene. Trending watch hans berglund ceo of arizona company fired after calling uber driver racial slur. When you visit the navy seal museum in fort pierce, florida, you can board the lifeboat upon which captain richard phillips was.
Its safe to say all of the local phillipses and coggios who werent afloat on tuesday night attended the vermont premiere of captain phillips at willistons majestic 10 cinemas. Finally catching this film on its second time around, i found it fascinating. Somali pirates, navy seals, and dangerous days at sea. This lifeboat is call a freefall lifeboat because it would fall off the distressed ship at fast speeds into the water, not lowered slowly like other lifeboats. The most dynamic thing to come from the movie a tad long at 4 minutes is the cat and mouse game that develops between hanks captain phillips and abdi as muse, the young somali pirate who leads the hijackers aboard. The captain was held at gunpoint throughout the film but remained composed.
It was directed by paul greengrass, the british filmmaker who quickened the. The movie about his story and rescue opened friday. Its one of the most emotionally draining climaxes of the year. Get the latest captain phillips news, movie spoilers, casting info and more on. The four brazen pirates in the lifeboat with phillips have indicated they intend to take phillips to. Inside a navy seal rescue the guidedmissile destroyer uss bainbridge tows the lifeboat from the maersk alabama to the amphibious assault ship uss boxer on. Merchant captain taken hostage in 2009 by somali pirates. A captains piracy saga comes to the screen the boston globe. Captain phillips may have taken a few hours or days out of the real. Tom hanks captain phillips commands oscar worthy perfromance. On 16 february 2011, muse was sentenced to over 33 years in u. After his leader, abduwali muse, was lured off of the lifeboat and onto the navy destroyer uss bainbridge, elmi and two other pirates were killed by sniper fire and phillips was rescued.
The captain phillips true story reveals that the reallife captain did in fact try to pretend that the ship was broken in order to delay the progress of the somali pirates. When the navy sends some officers to check on captain phillips tom hanks in the lifeboat, najee faysal ahmed gets nervous and shoots. The only problem, say some members of the real capt. Philips was forced to board a 28foot fiberglass lifeboat with the pirates. Captain phillips is essentially a featurelength compilation of firstworld and thirdworld parallels, but misguided bits like this, and another in which phillips offers the pirates fruit as if hes trying to feed wild, guntoting animals, offputtingly detract from the films objective of thoughtful balance. Phillips, 63, was the captain of the mv maersk alabama in the spring of 2009 when four somali pirates in an open skiff in the indian ocean pursued and boarded the cargo ship he was sailing. It was six years ago this week that navy seal sharpshooters rescued the captain of a cargo ship, the maersk alabama, in africas gulf of aden by simultaneously killing three. Ali, who was born in somalia and grew up in kenya, before coming to minnesota while still in grade school.
Before graduating in 1979, he also worked as a cab driver in boston. Jan 31, 2014 the 20 film captain phillips starring tom hanks is based on a true historical event. Maersk alabama lifeboat national navy udtseal museum. Phillips apparently volunteered to get in the lifeboat with the pirates, acting as a hostage for the alabamas 20 american crew.
A federal appellate court in chicago rejected the argument of convicted somali pirate abduwali abdukhadir muse, shown here in 2009, that he was just 16 during the 2009 hijacking of a. The maersk alabama was captured by somali pirates on april 8, 2009. It was just another day at work for richard phillips, captain of the maersk. Well, im actually driving the lifeboat because they dont. Like any worthy story, its now an easily recommended feature film called captain phillips. For the duration of the film, phillips was a brave man, always putting his life before the crews. Phillips looks at muse with suspicion shane murphy. Phillips enrolled at the university of massachusetts amherst. Richard phillips born may 16, 1955 is an american merchant mariner and author, who served as captain of the mv maersk alabama during its hijacking by somali pirates in april 2009. The lifeboat had recently been on loan to national geographic for its real pirates exhibition at the nauticus marine science museum in norfolk, virginia. Captain of the maersk alabama and a hero on the high seas. The fastmoving dots are heading directly for them and the captain orders his team to antiboarding stations to repel the pirates while he maneuvers to evade the invaders. An american ship captain was held at gunpoint by four somali pirates inside a lifeboat.
Navy, a lifeboat and a hairtrigger situation that could lead to the deaths of. As a result, its amazingly real when the pirates clamber up the side of the massive ship while both vessels roll in the waves and when the seamen and pirates play hideandgoseek below. This is the actual lifeboat used during the filming of captain phillips, starring. To anyone who doesnt know any better democrats, it will sound like getting a job as a merchant marine captain is like answering an ad in the local free times. Paul greengrass does an incredible job of making sure both sides to the story are told, whether it is the side of richard phillips tom hanks or abduwali muse barkhad abdi. Phillips lifeboat is just one of many fascinating items in u.