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SAR Movie Reviews

“The Guardian”: a movie review by rescue swimmers

Reviewed by Master Chief Aviation Survivalman Larry Farmer, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired) and Commander Hugh O'Doherty, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired)

The recently-released film, "The Guardian," directed by Andrew Davis, and starring Kevin Costner, and Ashton Kutcher, should be essential viewing for those involved with SAR, and for the people in their lives.

"The Guardian" tells its story, with its cast, crew, and script dedicated to getting the details right. With state-of-the-art special effects, a musical score that substitutes well for adrenalin, and a massive loan of hardware, hangar space, and pool time from the USCG and USAF, the movie immerses the viewer into the lives of SAR professionals.

In the past, some fine movies (such as "Island in the Sky," "Flight from Ashiya," "Ordeal in the Arctic," and "The Perfect Storm") have attempted to capture the feel of actual rescue operations, but "The Guardian" succeeds where they have not. Using the framework of USCG Aviation, and specifically, helicopter rescue swimmers, the screenwriter (Ron Brinkerhoff) has taken the nuts and bolts of SAR operations, elements of actual maritime rescues and mishaps, and sewn them together to support his fictional story about a rescue specialist at the end of his career, passing his experience and baton to a capable (but initially unfocused) rookie.

This is not a docudrama or a training film. This is an action movie. There are obligatory "soap opera" subplots, scenes of inter-service rivalry, and a contrived myth in the script. Yet, through five rescue sequences and the middle portion of the film where eager volunteers attempt to become rescue swimmers, the story rises well above its predecessors by providing the viewer more than just glimpses of:

• The value of crew coordination
• The importance of confidence and endurance to a swimmer, when he or she is alone, in the open sea, or in the surf.
• The challenges of hovering over water at night, hoisting personnel and/or rescue equipment to and from rolling vessels that bristle with obstructions, and handling multiple drowning people.
• The hard decisions facing crews, including whether or not to deploy one of their crew to the hazards of a debris-covered, cold, ocean; to what may be "bodies" or "fathers and sons."
• The dangers involved in entering a sinking or submerged object.
• The effects of hypothermia on the patient AND the rescuer.
• The importance of continuing CPR.
• The reality and toll of traumatic stress and survivor's guilt.
• The inevitability of the need to retire from your life's vocation.
• That's a lot of SAR biz in a 2 hour and 15 minute movie!

Costner and Kutcher's respective characters are believable as the older quiet professional and the cocky, know-it-all, newbie. Characters like these do exist in real life! We`ve all worked with people like these two. The film is 90% accurate; that's a lot for any movie! However some elements of the 10% can drive a detail-oriented-insider crazy: Night free-fall deployments into water laced with debris, hoisting to a fishing vessel without using a guideline, igniting pyrotechnics in enclosed spaces, placing a patient with a broken leg into a basket instead of a stokes litter, the commanding officer of the "A" School allowing "free lance training" of students.

Some film critics have slammed "The Guardian" because of its similarities to "An Officer and a Gentleman" and "Top Gun." They also seem to believe that there is no way USCG crews could make rescues in these conditions. Critics are both short-sighted and misinformed. In this instance, they don't seem to remember that some human experiences (rescue swimmer training) often parallel other human experiences (officer and fighter pilot training). Yet, they don't turn around and hammer the latest cinematic love story as a clone of "Romeo and Juliet!"

Our families and friends have an idea of the work we and our colleagues do or have done. This film vividly fills in a lot of blanks. It is the closest we'll ever see of what maritime rescue work is like, on the big screen. In their respect for this honourable profession and their diligence with the details, Davis, Brinkerhoff, cast, and crew have also given to those of us who participate or have participated in the SAR business, a gift. It is a wonderful vehicle for the people in our lives to more fully understand rescue.

Footnote: In the 21-year history of the program, no USCG helicopter rescue swimmer has ever died while deployed from his or her helicopter.

About our reviewers:

Larry Farmer was a career Aviation Survivalman (ASM). He flew as a C-130 dropmaster and loadmaster and a helicopter flight mechanic, from units on the Pacific, Gulf, and Atlantic coasts. After tours of running the ASM "A" School and subject matter specialist desk at the Coast Guard Institute, Larry was assigned in 1985 to be part of the team that put together the helicopter rescue swimmer program. At age 36, Larry graduated from the USN Rescue Swimmer School. For the next six years, he ran the standardization team, guiding units into integrating the use of rescue swimmers into their helicopter operations, and returning to these units to audit and evaluate their operations and continuing training. Larry now works in the rescue and survival equipment industry.

Hugh O'Doherty was a career Coast Guard Aviator. In addition to flying C-130s and three types of helicopters, Hugh served three years, flying on exchange with a Canadian Forces rescue squadron, on Prince Edward Island. He returned to the CG, in 1984. Because of his experience working with and deploying Canadian pararescue personnel, Hugh was also assigned to the team forming the helicopter rescue swimmer program. Hugh was the Chief, Aviation Life Support Section from 1987 to 1990, supervising the implementation of the swimmer program at more than half of the Coast Guard's helicopter units. Hugh now works in corporate aviation.

SAR on the Small Screen

Another SAR film was debuted during SARSCENE 2006 and while it doesn't feature big name stars, the subject matter is one of interest to anyone who has ever acted as a team leader (or wondered why their leader made the decisions they did!) “Ground Search Team Leader” is the film made by Don Blakely and Jim Elderton for the Justice Institute of B.C. (JIBC). The training film is in a mock documentary format and focuses on the often neglected topic of how a team leader prepares and organizes his/her team after orders are received from the search manager.

The film, which was funded by the SAR New Initiatives Fund, is available for free download in English or French on the JIBC website: www.jibc.ca/emergency/programs/SAR/filesLibrary.htm.

The film and its supporting materials are part of the JIBC download library which features resources on a wide range of subjects.