Dave Magarity -- The Perfect Storm

I thought Kyle Macy's review of "Remember the Titans" was an excellent read. It also got me thinking that I should throw my hat into the movie review circle. Since there is no defined criteria, I opted for a movie from this past summer, rather then something currently showing in the theatres. But my selection is being released today (11/14) in video stores everywhere--The Perfect Storm.

If you haven't seen this film, I highly recommend that you stroll down your local Blockbuster and rent it. As a matter of fact, it probably would have been a good move for me to wait until the video release because those seats in the theatres are somewhat uncomfortable for big guys like me.

Speaking of which, I guarantee you one thing, if I was a deck hand on the Andrea Gail, there is no way in hell that the ship would have capsized. No question that had they anchored me to the deck that my size would have helped keep that ship upright. It should be mandatory that guys like Jeff Ruland (head coach at Iona) and me be part of the crew of any ship sailing into stormy weather. Size and girth would take over.

As for the film, the special effects were superb and the story was fascinating. And I tell you what, I would be surprised if many people realized how life threatening those rescue missions are for Coast Guard crews. It is unreal what they go through to try and rescue ships in distress.

I was so intrigued by the film that I started reading the book by Sebastian Junger. He goes into a lot of detail about the crew, their families and the history behind the fishermen of Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Hell, maybe this should've been a book review. Well, I'm not going to sit down and do both so you'll get the bonus and have both film and novel wrapped up in one column.

As with any book-to-movie transfer, there are differences. One of the segments of the film shows how the fishermen come back to port and head right to the bar for drinks and extra curricular activities. Do I need to define that?

And that's their way of life. Out at sea for weeks on end, back to port for a week and then back out on the boat. In some cases that week was spent primarily with drink in hand. The book goes more into detail about the family guys and how difficult it can be on wives and children.

No question that it's a demanding life and not without pressure. If they don't harvest a good catch, they may have trouble providing for the families through the winter months.

Watching the movie and reading the book it is clear that fishing the high seas is in their blood. No matter how difficult it may be at times, they stick with it. It's something that they almost cannot escape. No matter how bad it gets at times, they keep on doing it. The more I read the more I thought they were talking about the life of a college basketball coach.

There were quite a few parallels, although in my case, I am not sure that I like the idea of not catching fish means I may not eat that day. As many of you know, it can be tough to keep me out of the kitchen.

Which leads me to a question: who eats Turkey Meatloaf? Being somewhat of a connoisseur of food, I wandered into the area of the website called "Recipes for Success," and I saw that Tom Penders (head coach at George Washington) has this recipe for Turkey Meatloaf.

I'm not quite sure what that's all about, but I guess I'm going to have to add a little something to that area of the website as well. In my house, I'm the chef, so I'll have to reach into the recipe box for my mash potato creation. With Thanksgiving around the corner, it would make a nice addition to your table.

Getting back to the movie, as most of you should know, especially the women, George Clooney heads a great cast. It also stars Mark Wahlberg and Diane Lane. You might recognize two of the other characters, played by John C. Reilly, who was the catcher in "For the Love of the Game," and William Fichtner, who piloted one of the space shuttles, which help save the world in "Armageddon."

"The Perfect Storm" was a great film and one based on actual facts surrounding the 1991 disappearance of the swordfish boat and its six-man crew. It was much better than I had anticipated. I expected a film with some Hollywood effects and some name actors, but it was really a great film.

If I could sum it up in one word, I would say "frightening." Rent it!

And if you get the opportunity, take a drive to Gloucester. It's north of Boston. You'll go through Salem so you'll want to stop there and scare the pants off your kids or your date. But then continue north and you'll find yourself in Rockport. It's a fishing town right on the coast. It's really a neat place, and your wife or girlfriend will love it because has all those little shops. At that point, Gloucester is just a short drive away. I've been there and it's really a great place to spend the day.