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This movie has a lot of action and suspense, which is what many of us look for in a film. However, it is much more than a story of an event at sea, it is a testimony of what four men of the US Coast Guard in the '50s were willing to do despite the risk to their lives.

A full scale nor'easter stirred the waters of Massechusetts Bay, making the seas dangerously life threatening. Word by two-way radio of vessels being damaged and broken from the force of the waves demanded the local Coast Guard Commander send his men to rescue who they could.

Reluctant, initially, to respond to such a perilous task, to rescue men that may still be alive aboard one sinking vessel, the Pendleton, Boatwainsmate Bernard Webber gathered three volunteer sailors to assist him. The freezing snow, winds, rain and treacherous waters were certainly more than he and his men bargained for when they enlisted.

Webber took the helm of the craft, the size of which could barely hold him and his three man crew through fifty and sixty feet waves, finally reaching, purely by luck, the darkened liner, a 503 foot, 10.448 gross ton tank vessel that, at its start, contained a full cargo of kerosene and heating oil.

Tactics used to keep the Pendleton from sinking are a lesson to watch. During today's rescue efforts, it is the CG's option to use a helicopter for such undertakings, but when the numbers are as many as these survivors, I doubt one trip would end with Webber's results.

The bravery and single-mindedness needed to accomplish what these four men sought to do makes me very proud to know our country has such heroic individuals willing to give their lives to save complete strangers.

I just finished watching "Fear of 13" on Netflix and was blown away by this true life story.

After being mistreated as a boy, Nick Yarris' young naive life took a turn. He chose to act out by doing illegal acts which eventually led him to become more than a mere suspect, but a victim of backward and judgmental law enforcement during the days prior to DNA testing.

Ending up on death row, Nick, through dedication, becomes well educated, borne out of the kindness of one guard who tells him to do one thing. That one act led to intellectual growth, after which Nick begins to seek aid from numerous officials and one particular person/organization.

This is not the sort of story one wants to pause to fix a sandwich or rush to the bathroom, as it is all too engrossing. Throughout the film, Nick is well spoken, tells his life story with words and manners that reflect the person he alone grew to become, despite having been locked in a cell, in solitary confinement, for decades. Not letting all the terrible incidents that took place in confinement to turn him into an evil person, he, instead, became filled with purpose and vision.

This film is a must watch for all fans of liberation. Please, don't miss this one.

This film is one of the most watched movies of my life, not just because it reminds me so much of my own Pennsylvania upbringing, but because of the masterpiece that it is. Unquestionably flawless in its theme, choice of actors, music, script, and accent on locations, the story well displays the great, great sacrifice of the blue collar community borne out of a sort of naive love of God and country.

It was my fortune, in the early 70s, to be skipping from one African and Middle Eastern port to another as a Navy seaman where skirmishes were near nonexistent in that part of the world. Iraq was unknown to Americans then. While I experienced rough waters and hurricanes at sea, in another part of the globe, U.S. soldiers were serving in the killing fields of Vietnam. Not one single man did we lose, compared to the large number of casualties in Nam.

Cavatina, the moving soundtrack written by Stanley Myers and performed by John Williams, adds immensely to the film. Its tenderness fills scenes where loss and hardship saturate the atmosphere to carry with it a sense of hope and restoration.

Robert De Niro is the strength of the story, the glue that keeps all the parts connected, and he plays that part superbly. This role made him a legend in the industry, beyond the fame he acquired from acting the younger Don Corleone in "The Godfather". Sadly, these days, I see him in far too many lifeless films. They have no equal depth, which is what I look for from him.

Meryl Streep and her, at that time, boyfriend, John Cazale, appeared to have no relationship at all. That part of their real lives was well hidden and a surprise to discover months later. So heartbreaking was Cazale's death due to cancer shortly after the finish of this movie. Throughout, Streep was beautiful in appearance and character.

John Savage (Stephen), as a quadriplegic, was most convincing, as was his wife, Rutanya Alda (Angela), the disheartened silent victim of circumstance. Christopher Walken, the winner of the best actor in a supporting role for his portrayal of Nick, the mentally ill drug addict and suicide prone member of the trio, was well deserved. One question surfaces regarding Nick: just where did he find the insight to send his winnings to Stephen who was staying in the VA nursing home?

My recommendation is to view this film numerous times through the years. Its impact will remain with you throughout your life.