‘Only the Brave’ is heart-touching tribute to hotshot firefighters
Joseph Kosinski’s “Only the Brave” is a deeply moving recounting of the events leading up to the death of 19 firefighters, known as the Granite Mountain Hotshots, while trying to protect the small town of Yarnell, Ariz., in 2013. A series of events put the crack firefighting team in the path of a massive fire that overwhelmed them, leaving only one survivor.
“Only the Brave” is a heart-touching reminder of what real heroes look like and how they act. They can be your friends and neighbors who are only different in how they don’t hesitate when there is a chance to help others. The loss of one such hero is a tragedy. The loss of 19 is a devastating moment in time that should be honored with this kind of loving film tribute.
The film follows the group based in Prescott, Ariz., as they work their way up to being the only certified hotshot team to work for a municipality. The last to join the group is Brendan McDonough (Miles Teller), a drug user looking to change his life after he learns he is about to become a father.
The men train exceptionally hard to earn their way into the top of the firefighting hierarchy. Kosinki shows both the camaraderie the group had plus their deep devotion to family, particularly through the story of the group leader, Eric “Supe” Marsh ( Josh Brolin) and his wife, Amanda ( Jennifer Connelly). There’s enough detail about their relationship to drive the emotional tones of the dramatic ending.
Connelly turns in one of her best performance as the loving wife who must deal with the fact that her husband spends most of the year running into areas where fires scorch the earth. She is convincing both as a loving and supportive spouse and as a woman who is being choked by the constant specter of death.
It helps that she gets to share scenes with Brolin who masterfully plays the role of the group leader as both a hard-driving boss and a member of the firefighting band of brothers who would do anything to protect the man beside him.
Brolin handles the tough guy act with easy but he’s just as comfortable in the moments with Connelly when he can allow his emotions to show.
Movies like “Patriots Day” and “The 33” have been based on incidents that occurred in the last seven years. When making a movie based on a dramatic true event, there is a fine line between enough time elapsing to show a proper respect to the real people but not waiting so long that the story is a blip in history. This film feels like it was made so quickly that the dramatized tale is having to complete with the unforgettable real events.
What cushions the timeline situation with “Only the Brave” are the strong performances in a movie that so vividly recreates the world of hotshot firefighters you can almost feel the heat coming off the screen.