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‘ONLY THE BRAVE’
z z z (PG-13)
Firefighters go to hell
and back, emerging
as real-life heroes
BY RAFER GUZMÁN
rafer.guzman@newsday.com
J
oseph Kosinski’s “Only the
Brave” tells the little-known
story of Arizona’s Granite
Mountain Hotshots, a real-
life firefighting crew that in
2013 battled the Yarnell Hill wild-
fire, one of the deadliest in U.S.
history. Trailers promised a
thrilling, macho, flag-waving film,
and “Only the Brave” delivers on
all counts. It would be easier to
knock the movie’s slightly hokey
moments if it weren’t arriving in
theaters during the Northern
California blazes that have killed
more than 40 people and scorched
nextweek
SUBURBICON Julianne Moore
and Matt Damon, right, star in
the Coen Brothers’ latest. See
Sunday’s Fanfare for more
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
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struggles to integrate back into family and civilian life.
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Feeling the heat
and fighting on
T
he Granite Mountain
Hotshots aren’t the only
brave ones. Here are four
films in the same vein of
firefighters risking it all against
forest wildfires, urban conflagra-
tions and other hot spots.
HELLFIGHTERS (1968)
Legendary oil-well firefighter
Red Adair was an adviser on
this film loosely based on his
life and starring John Wayne. In
the poorly received pic, he and
his crew fight fires in Houston,
Malaya and Venezuela.
BACKDRAFT (1991) Massape-
qua’s William Baldwin, of the
Baldwin actor brothers, assists
fire inspector Robert De Niro in
director Ron Howard’s drama
of arson and corruption that
SONY PICTURES
earned Oscar nominations for
sound effects editing, visual
effects and best sound.
more than 200,000 acres.
“Only the Brave” combines gritty
Josh Brolin and his crew battle
the historic Yarnell Hill wildfire in PLOT The story
LADDER 49 (1998) As a
Baltimore firefighter trapped in
realism with manipulative
melodrama, which can be a very
“Only the Brave.”
] Video: newsday.com/movies
of the men who
fought Arizona’s
a burning grain silo-warehouse,
Joaquin Phoenix looks back on
effective formula. Based on a GQ
magazine article by Sean Flynn, movie. These movies aren’t about
historic Yarnell
Hill wildfire in
his life while mentor John
Travolta tries desperately to
“Only the Brave” does a fine job of
bringing us into a rugged Arizona
war, but look and feel as if they
are. Their heroes are men (and
2013.
CAST Josh
save him.
town populated by salt-of-the-earth sometimes women) who, like U.S.
Brolin, Miles FIRESTORM (1998) Pacific
types. Our hero is crew superinten- soldiers, perform a thankless and Teller, Jennifer Northwest convicts brought in
dent Eric Marsh (Josh Brolin), necessary service such as the Connelly to assist on a wildfire break
whose tattoos and Buddhist prayer oil-rig workers in Peter Berg’s free and search for hidden loot,
beads suggest a rough life only “Deepwater Horizon” or the RATED PG-13 while ex-NFLer Howie Long
recently turned around. He sees a bit Boston cops in “Patriots Day” (also (adult themes) pursues them. — FRANK LOVECE
of himself in new recruit Brendan by Berg) or the Coast Guard
McDonough (Miles Teller), a drug sailors in “The Finest Hours.”
LENGTH 2:13
addict trying to clean up and help They endure hellish situations, BOTTOM LINE
raise his newborn. Jeff Bridges and sacrifice themselves for their A solid action-
moseys across the screen as Duane colleagues or for larger causes. adventure film
Steinbrink, a wise fire chief. Women And although they won’t earn that hits much
TOUCHSTONE PICTURES
don’t do much here except worry Purple Hearts or be laid to rest at harder in the
about their men, but Jennifer Con- Arlington, they are seen as midst of the fires
nelly, as Marsh’s wife, Amanda, gives quintessentially, emblematically in Northern
her slim role a flinty edge. American. California.
“Only the Brave” is the latest The movie overall can feel more
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example of an increasingly popular than a little formulaic, but as a
kind of true-life action-adventure tribute to real-life heroes, “Only Joaquin Phoenix is trapped
that might be called the proxy war the Brave” serves its purpose. in a fire in “Ladder 49.”
NEWSDAY, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017
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