Adrift 2018

     This film is based on a true story set in 1983 about Tami Oldham and Richard Sharp.  It’s adapted from Tami Ashcraft’s book Red Sky in Mourning: The True Story of Love, Loss, and Survival at Sea.  They met after a chance encounter in Tahiti.  Tami arrived on the schooner Sofia and Richard is a British sailor.  Richard invites Tami for dinner onboard his boat the Mayaluga.  Peter and Christine Crompton are owners of the Hazana and it is a luxury Tintella 44 yacht.  The Crompton's offer Richard $10,000 and a return first class ticket to Tahiti if he will sail their boat to San Diego.  They aren't able to sail the boat themselves because of a family emergency.  Richard agrees as long as Tami can have the same deal.  The Crompton’s agree to this arrangement.  Richard and Tami unintentionally sail the Hazana into catastrophic Hurricane Raymond.

     Over 90% of this movie was filmed at sea.  It goes back and forth between history and now.  History is on Tahiti and now is on the Hazana.  There are scenes in the now where I don’t know if Tami is seeing reality or she is imagining?  Don’t watch this film with anyone that knows about sailing.  They will point out any of mistakes!!  3 1/2* (I liked this movie) 

  

96 min, Action directed by Baltasar Kormakur with Shailene Woodley, Sam Claflin, Jeffrey Thomas, Elizabeth Hawthorne, Grace Palmer, Tami Ashcraft, Siale Tunoka, Kael Damlamian, Lei-Ming Craine, Neil Andrea.

Note:  Imdb 6.6 out of 10, 70% critic 66% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3*, Metacritic 56 out of 100 with 31 critics 6.2 out of 10 with 57 reviews, Empire Online 2* out of 5*, Amazon 4* out of 5* with 291 reviews, Common Sense age 14+,  Positive 4*, Role 4*, Violence 2*, Sex 4*, Language 3*, Consumerism 1*, Drinking, Drugs & Smoking 2*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Pacific Harbor, Rakiraki, Suva, Fiji.  Some filming days began at 4AM with a two-hour boat ride from land.  A daily shoot could last up to 12 hours without any land in sight.  There were times on the open sea when everyone except the director and cinematographer threw up due to severe seasickness.  Richard and Tami actually met in San Diego, not Tahiti.  Tami had been a cook aboard a tall ship before they met.  Richard was sailing around the world with an English girlfriend.  He broke up with the girlfriend to be with Tami.  The Hazana was a 1970’s model Trintella and it had a double- hull design.  The air sealed within the hull gave more buoyancy.  Any outer hull damage would cause a serious leak and increase drag.  Also, water inside the cabin space would cause more drag and weight.