ALL IS LOST: The Movie

[sparau]

Originally Posted by thomm225

This movie was somewhat based on the book Adrift by Steven Callahan.

Several people have said this in the thread, do you mean it that the writer used it as a source or that you see similarities? Cause suicidal guy lived or died within 8 days Thats hollywood for you perhaps...

Originally Posted by thomm225

It is such an awesome book I hope folks that are complaining about what a crappy movie All is Lost is will read this book.

Sounds a worthwhile read, I've only read a couple of articles about him.

[Neo]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Read Stephen Callahan's book Adrift.

It will make you feel better. The movie seemed to be loosely based on that book anyway:

Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea: Steven Callahan: 0046442257329: Amazon.com: Books

one review:

Callahan, a marine architect, lost his boat in a storm off the Canary Islands while engaged in a singlehanded race across the Atlantic in 1981. Luckily, he carried far more than the basic emergency equipment required, e.g., a six-person raft. Before sinking he was able to recover his emergency equipment bag and his life raft. Callahan admits to having read the survival accounts of Maurice and Maralyn Bailey ( Staying Alive , 1974) and Dougal Robertson ( Survive the Savage Sea , 1973) and even had the latter's manual Sea Survival (1975) with him in the raft. What makes his story different was his lack of a companion. Through his own ingenuity he learned how to spear fish, fix his solar still, and even repair his holed raft. This is a real human drama that delves deeply into a man's survival instincts. It should be read by anyone venturing offshore in a small boat. John Kenny, San Francisco P.L.

Tremendous Book!
I read "Adrift" many years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday. It was such an honest accounting of his failures and successes. He opened up completely, conveying in a very real way, not just the events but the very real emotions that many would find difficult to acknowledge, even to themselves. Quite the opposite of "All Is Lost".

[sparau]

Originally Posted by Neo

Tremendous Book!
I read "Adrift" many years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday. It was such an honest accounting of his failures and successes. He opened up completely, conveying in a very real way, not just the events but the very real emotions that many would find difficult to acknowledge, even to themselves. Quite the opposite of "All Is Lost".

Callahan holds a university degree in Philosophy.

Ok, I'm completely sold on checking this out. Cheers. Sounds infinitely better than Zen and the Art of Motorcycle maintenance

[Neo]

Originally Posted by sparau

I had avoided any reviews or info on this movie until I saw it last night. Thanks for the laugh today reading this thread.

I found it a bit too slow, some scenes he's staring off meaningfully for a minute or two of screen time.

I didn't mind the lack of any speech or his casual demeanour as it seriously made me think he was in a VERY different headspace. In fact it made me spend my time saying out loud "are you insane?", "Surely you know your position and where the f&*^ is a compass?", "Oh, here we go again !", "get a battery, a pump…", "stuff something into the hole in the deck, ffs!", "what, not a single water bottle?"

Luckily we watched it at home as it was an entirely frustrating character to behold, which i assume what they wanted to portray.

Neither of us realised the end was possibly symbolic for entering an afterlife, however we both said it seemed again stupid or unlikely that he would have survived giving up and then swimming.

I went in expecting, and was very willing to accept, sailing inconsistencies as long as there was some beautiful sailing and emotional drama. There was neither.

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by thomm225

This movie was somewhat based on the book Adrift by Steven Callahan. It is such an awesome book I hope folks that are complaining about what a crappy movie All is Lost is will read this book.

First Callahan was 29 years old at the time, he had read several books on survival at sea, (he even had Dougal Roberson's book with him) he was a marine architect, he built the boat he was sailing which was a 21' sailboat he called Napoleon Solo, and he was on a return trip from having already sailed this boat to England from the US.

In all, Callahan spent 76 Days crossing the Atlantic in a Six Man Avon Life Raft.

Dougal Robertson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Steven Callahan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Where did you read or hear the movie was somewhat based on "Adrift"? I've read a lot about the movie and never heard that, and I sure don't see the connection. Steve Callahan was a consultant to the movie makers of "Life of Pi" working closely with the producer and director on that movie. Could you be confusing the two?

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Doodles

Where did you read or hear the movie was somewhat based on "Adrift"?

I didn't read or hear that it was based on the book, but since I have read the book (several times) and have seen the movie it's an easy connection to make.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Doodles

Where did you read or hear the movie was somewhat based on "Adrift"? I've read a lot about the movie and never heard that, and I sure don't see the connection. Steve Callahan was a consultant to the movie makers of "Life of Pi" working closely with the producer and director on that movie. Could you be confusing the two?

I haven't seen Life Of Pi and did not finish the book, but doing a quick search online I did find:

Now Playing: Redford Adrift | High-Def Digest: The Bonus View

Director Chandor is no stranger to disaster films. His 2011 effort ‘Margin Call’ was one of the best films of that year and featured a thinly veiled depiction of the Lehman Brothers collapse during the 2008 financial crisis. This time, he’s crafted what seems to be an unofficial adaptation of the book ‘Adrift: Seventy Six Days Lost at Sea’, which chronicled the story of Steven Callahan, a man who found himself in an almost identical real-life plot on the Atlantic Ocean in in 1981. The parallels are so striking between the two works that I was curious why this wasn’t a straight-up adaptation.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by sparau

Ok, I'm completely sold on checking this out. Cheers. Sounds infinitely better than Zen and the Art of Motorcycle maintenance

I think you'll enjoy it. Check out the preface and the Intro here:

Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea: Steven Callahan: 0046442257329: Amazon.com: Books

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by thomm225

I haven't seen Life Of Pi and did not finish the book, but doing a quick search online I did find:

Now Playing: Redford Adrift | High-Def Digest: The Bonus View

Director Chandor is no stranger to disaster films. His 2011 effort ‘Margin Call’ was one of the best films of that year and featured a thinly veiled depiction of the Lehman Brothers collapse during the 2008 financial crisis. This time, he’s crafted what seems to be an unofficial adaptation of the book ‘Adrift: Seventy Six Days Lost at Sea’, which chronicled the story of Steven Callahan, a man who found himself in an almost identical real-life plot on the Atlantic Ocean in in 1981. The parallels are so striking between the two works that I was curious why this wasn’t a straight-up adaptation.

I'd say that a huge stretch of the imagination. I've read "Adrift" (many years ago now) and have seen "All is Lost" and other than they both involve a single-handed sailor who loses his boat I don't see any other parallels. I think the reviewer knew more about movies than sailing and didn't see the huge differences in the two stories.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Doodles

I'd say that a huge stretch of the imagination. I've read "Adrift" (many years ago now) and have seen "All is Lost" and other than they both involve a single-handed sailor who loses his boat I don't see any other parallels. I think the reviewer knew more about movies than sailing and didn't see the huge differences in the two stories.

Well then it appears your mind is going Uncle Doodles. There are tons of parallels. I can lay it out for you tomorrow maybe.

Maybe it's time for you to sell me your boat ...................I'm only thinking about your safety here.

Tom

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Well then it appears your mind is going Uncle Doodles. There are tons of parallels. I can lay it out for you tomorrow maybe.

Please do.

[thomm225]

1. They both hit something at sea that damaged their boats.

3. They were both sleeping at the time.

2. Identical life rafts

3. Both tied their boat to the life raft and made trips back to the boat for additional supplies.

4. They both charted their positions on a map and knew where they were. They knew were the shipping lanes were and drew them on the map.

5. Both had sextants although Callahan made his out of a couple pencils.

6. Both used solar stills.

7. They were both alone.

8. There was not much dialogue.

9. Both were passed by multiple ships.

10. Both shot flares when ships appeared.

11. They noted their drift progress on their maps which was positive incentive for them (and us watching or reading)

12. They both figured All Was Lost.

13. Callahan repaired his (21') sailboat the first time it was damaged at sea although he did return to shore to do those repairs. Captain Redford tried to fix his at sea.

14. There was a small living colony of fish and marine life on and around Callahan's life raft after a few weeks, and they showed something similar in the film briefly.

15. Both had sharks swimming below and around them at times.

16. They both fished although Callahan did a much better job at it with his spear gun even after it failed.

17. Both watched their boats that were low in the water and almost sunk for long hours from their life rafts.

18. They both had lots of time to think about their situation and how hopeless it was which I though the film showed pretty well with a lone air filled life raft on the open ocean.

They probably should have just made the film totally based on Callahan's book rather than just using parts of it.

I've only seen the movie once so i'm sure there are more similarities but this is a start.

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by thomm225

1. They both hit something at sea that damaged their boats.

3. They were both sleeping at the time.

2. Identical life rafts

3. Both tied their boat to the life raft and made trips back to the boat for additional supplies.

4. They both charted their positions on a map and knew where they were. They knew were the shipping lanes were and drew them on the map.

5. Both had sextants although Callahan made his out of a couple pencils.

6. Both used solar stills.

7. They were both alone.

8. There was not much dialogue.

9. Both were passed by multiple ships.

10. Both shot flares when ships appeared.

11. They noted their drift progress on their maps which was positive incentive for them (and us watching or reading)

12. They both figured All Was Lost.

13. Callahan repaired his (21') sailboat the first time it was damaged at sea although he did return to shore to do those repairs. Captain Redford tried to fix his at sea.

14. There was a small living colony of fish and marine life on and around Callahan's life raft after a few weeks, and they showed something similar in the film briefly.

15. Both had sharks swimming below and around them at times.

16. They both fished although Callahan did a much better job at it with his spear gun even after it failed.

17. Both watched their boats that were low in the water and almost sunk for long hours from their life rafts.

18. They both had lots of time to think about their situation and how hopeless it was which I though the film showed pretty well with a lone air filled life raft on the open ocean.

They probably should have just made the film totally based on Callahan's book rather than just using parts of it.

I've only seen the movie once so i'm sure there are more similarities but this is a start.

Thanks. I think you missed your calling. :roll eyes:


Oh, I thought of a couple more.

19. The ocean was in both.

20. Both boats had sails.

21. Both were men.

I could go on but ...

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Doodles

Thanks. I think you missed your calling. :roll eyes:


Oh, I thought of a couple more.

19. The ocean was in both.

20. Both boats had sails.

21. Both were men.

I could go on but ...

I knew you were going to say something like the above.. And that's fine. Here's a picture of your hero.

Hey, this picture kinda reminds me of a similar thing happening in the book Adrift by Steven Callahan.

[Palarran]

I haven't read all of the posts in this tread. Just wanted to comment like so many others that this sure was a crappy movie. Pretty much in all respects. My daughter said "It was a great idea, and that's it". I kind of think Redford ripped off his customers because he spent near nothing making this movie and it had to be intentional.