Is the Movie Captain Phillips Based on a True Story?

The Movie Captain Phillips is based on the true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the hijacking by Somali pirates of the US MV Maersk Alabama in 2009 of the coast of Somalia Africa. This real crisis captured attention world-wide and all the major news outlets were covering the long drawn out hostage situation until it finally came to a very swift end. Tom Hanks did an excellent job portraying Captain Phillips. This was the first cinema role for Somali born Barkhad Abdi, who plays the lead pirate named Muse. Directed by Paul Greengrass. We really enjoyed this movie, 5 out of 5 stars.

Pictured is Tom Hanks (left) and real life Captain Richard Phillips (right) 

For a terrific archive of Fox News coverage on the real story that happened, click here.  

BuyCaptain Phillips on DVD or Blu-ray.

Captain Phillips movie trailer, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 2013

Is the Movie Gravity Based on a True Story?

While the movie Gravity  certainly feels realistic and the human story is riveting, breathtaking really, the story is fictional. Gravity, staring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock is about astronauts who go on a routine spacewalk to do maintenance on their space station when suddenly debris from a destroyed satellite begins to orbit the earth at speeds more than 5 times faster than shots fired from a gun. The astronauts have only seconds to react and become separated form each other. Will they be lost in space forever or find a way back home? The movie earned several Oscars. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, Warner Bros Pictures 2013.

BuyGravityon DVD and Blue-ray.

Read this Forbes interview of astronaut Garrett Reisman to hear his interesting take on the film.

Gravity movie trailer