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MESSAGE IN THE MOVIES

On June 23, 2018 the Wild Boars, a boys soccer team, finished practice and went into a nearby cave with an assistant coach to relax and unwind. The location was in Northern Thailand and the boys were comfortable in this favorite hangout. Unfortunately, a torrential rainfall quickly blocked the exit from the cave and the group was trapped in one of the cave interior pockets. There was a quick response from local government and military leaders as well as hundreds of volunteers.

It would not be an easy task. Water would need to be pumped out so that the passage would not be completely flooded. The cave passage was 10 kilometers long with many twists and turns. It would be close to a week before contact could be made. Food would have to be shipped in and efforts made to keep the boys from freezing to death while they waited. And a monsoon was due to arrive in a few days.

What the rescue team really needed were cave divers with experience. Two Brits – Rick Stanton and John Volanthen – were experienced divers with other rescue missions to their credit. They enjoyed the challenge of cave diving and even created some of their own equipment. These two would contact other divers and their team would work alongside the hundreds of others who were already on site. These gifted amateurs had specific skills that could supplement the SEAL teams.

As the world watched, rescue efforts continued for 18 days. Husband and wife documentarians Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Vasarhelyi have combined portions of existing video footage (87 hours), interviews with participants, and reconstructed sets from Pinewood Studios in England to create a compelling true life adventure story.

The directors intentionally left out some of the more upsetting details so that The Rescue could remain family friendly. (Since the story has a happy ending, the filmmakers wanted to keep the movie upbeat and positive.)

According to Wikipedia: “The rescue effort involved more than 10,000 people, including more than 100 divers, scores of rescue workers, representatives from about 100 governmental agencies, 900 police officers, and 2,000 soldiers. Ten police helicopters, seven ambulances, more than 700 diving cylinders, and the pumping of more than a billion liters of water from the caves were required.” And the world prayed.

Two persons lost their lives in the process. No one regretted putting their lives on the line to save 13 people. The Rescue is a stunning reminder that sacrifice for a worthy cause can be a noble, life-affirming group activity. It’s kind of like seeking out lost sheep.

Halo and Pitchfork Rating:

Five halos: An inspiring film about courage, cooperation, and faith.
One pitchfork: Kids in peril.

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