Jeri Jacquin
In theatres from director Joseph Kosinski and Columbia
Pictures is a story of bravery, camaraderie and heartbreak that comes with ONLY
TO THE BRAVE.
In Prescott ,
Arizona
Marsh (Josh Brolin) aka Supe runs a Wildland Firefighting
team and his goal is to be certified as a Hotshot crew. Venting to Duane
Steinbrink (Jeff Bridges) who can help make that goal happen, Marsh wants what
is best for his crew.
These two come together when Brendan applies with Station 7
and comes face to face with Marsh and his questions. Not so happy to have
Brendan aboard if Chris MacKenzie (Taylor Kitsch) believing the new guy has
nothing to offer the team.
That team includes Travis (Geoff Stults), Andrew (Alex
Russell), Scott (Thad Luckinbill), Wade (Ben Hardy), Clayton (Scott Haze),
Anthony (Jake Picking), Travis (Scott Foxx), Dylan (Robert Caldwell), Sean
(Kenneth Miller), William (Ryan Cook), Garret (Brandon Bunch), Joe (Matthew Van
Wettering), Kevin (Michael McNulty), John (Nicholas Jenks), Grant (Sam Quinn),
and Brian (Howard Ferguson).
Immediately the team must come together on a fire that is
also finally being observed in order to finally certify Station 7 as an elite
Hotshot Crew. Finally, the Granite Mountain Hotshots come together and the they
all celebrate with family and friends.
Brendan finally finds a connection with his baby daughter
that brings him to wondering if he can continue with the crew. Now roommates,
Chris has also taken an uncle role to Brendan’s daughter. Marsh is also dealing
with family matters when wife Amanda (Jennifer Connelly) decides she wants to
have a family.
It is their final fire together that brings the bravery and
heartbreak to families and the only survivor.
Brolin as Marsh is a tough Supe who wants more than anything
to have his crew become an elite Hotshot crew. His own past issues give him an
understanding when hiring Brendan. Brolin is masterful at taking this role to
the audience to show what it takes to be responsible for 19 other men and a keen
knowledge on firefighting. His presence is strong and I am all in with this
role. Brolin was actually a volunteer firefighter in Arizona , trained and fought some wild-land
fires in Mescal in his earlier years.
Teller as Brendan is a man clearly out of control with his
life and on a path of self destruction. Choosing to change for the little life
that comes into his own motivates him to reach for a goal. Even walking in to
meet Supe, Teller’s portrayal of Brendan is a broken man that is reaching out to
become something bigger than himself. Watching this character grow, Teller
doesn’t hesitate to show the difficulties that Brendan faced and the emotion of
confusion and loss. Kitsch as Chris starts out as a guy who is going to make
Brendan’s life difficult, that is until the brotherhood kicks in and a deep
friendship happens that brings a lightness to the film– so much so that he’s
practically an uncle to Brendan’s daughter.
Connelly as Amanda has her horses while husband Marsh is
gone on long stretches. Having the deal of no children starts to become an
issue for the couple causing a strain that adds to an already stressful job.
Bridges as Steinbrink clearly cares about Station 7 and Marsh and is always
there when anyone needs him. The cowboy hat and southern drawl seems to be
Bridges new type role and I say hey, if it works.
Other cast includes Natalie Hall as Natalie Johnson, Forrest
Fyre as Mayor Worthington, Jenny Gabrielle as Desiree Steed, Nicholas King as
Caden Steed, Barbie Robertson as Marsena Thurston, Jade Kammerman as Stephanie
Turbyfill, Pell James as Claire Caldwell and Andie MacDowell as Marvel
Steinbrink.
ONLY THE BRAVE is a film that is challenging, humorous,
heart thumping and heart breaking all rolled into 133 minutes. It is told with a
mixture of the harshness of being a firefighter in all categories from
structural to Wildland to Hotshots to the gentleness of their homelives. Not a
job for everyone, these men and women do what ever is necessary to save life
and property asking for nothing in return.
In that lies the bravery of what these men and women do. Far
be it from to tell anyone how to say thanks but I personally make it a point to
do so because I respect anyone who can do what most of us can not for whatever
reason. The story is based on true events and the article in GQ by Sean Flynn
called No Exit.
Watching ONLY THE BRAVE I felt such intensity of emotion and
what makes that so is knowing that there is no changing the outcome of the
film. There is also no way to leave this film without choking back the tears or
waves of emotion. The iconic photograph of the team in front of the town’s beloved
juniper tree is not just a photo, it’s a glimpse into a brotherhood of men who
not only did what they loved but did so with bravery.
In the end – it’s not what stands in front of you but who
stands behind you!
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