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Deepwater Horizon Relives The Gulf Oil Disaster

DETROIT (WWJ) - Deepwater Horizon is a movie that, if it weren't true, would be very hard to believe. The fact that anyone managed to survive that horrific explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico back in 2010 is nothing short of a miracle.

It was on April 20, 2010 when the Deepwater Horizon experienced that massive explosion and fire which caused a seemingly unending oil leak on the bottom of the ocean. Eleven workers onboard the rig were killed, and for nearly 90 days straight, more than 50,000 barrels of oil a day gushed into the Gulf, killing marine life and leaving people all over the world wondering what was to come next.

The movie – which takes its name from the rig - shows ordinary people rising to take on extraordinary circumstances. It shows people who were just trying to do their jobs to the best of their abilities suddenly being forced into survival mode.  It also reveals how human life sometimes takes a back seat to the bottom line.

Mark Wahlberg stars as Chief Electronics Technician Mike Williams, whose job it was to oversee the rig's computers and electrical systems. Following the explosion and the massive fires that overtook the rig, Williams took on a new role: trying to save not only his life, but the lives of the other crewmembers.

Deepwater Horizon does an excellent job showing viewers what the workers onboard that rig were faced with as they tried to survive that unprecedented global disaster. This movie is a captivating tale, indeed, but let's hope it's also one the world learned from.

Along with Wahlberg, the movie stars Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, Gina Rodriguez, Dylan O'Brien and Kate Hudson.

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Kurt Russell stars as 'Jimmy Harrell' in DEEPWATER HORIZON. Photo Credit: David Lee

See you at the movies!

Be sure to tune in to WWJ Newsradio 950 every Friday for my weekly look at the movies with Midday Anchor Jackie Paige.

Follow Terri on Twitter @TerriJLee

Member:
Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA)
Detroit Film Critics Society (DFCS)
African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA)
Digital Arts, Film & Television (DAFT)
National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ)

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