I was excited when I saw a blurb earlier this year about In The Heart of the Sea coming to the big screen in 2015. I’ve stated numerous times that Nathaniel Philbrick’s novel of the same name is the most descriptive book I’ve ever read. But Philbrick’s In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex had a way to make me feel I was actually in the book. I read this book on a whim, probably seven or eight years ago, and was utterly engrossed. I didn’t understand the place of this movie in the context of historical literature. I learned that it was set to be released in 2015, directed by Ron Howard (Apollo 13), and starring Chris Hemsworth (Thor, Rush), which got me even more excited. Finally, I learned that this would have a December release. Unfortunately, it has failed to meet its critics’ expectations and has been squashed. Still, In The Heart of the Sea was my most anticipated movie of the year. This movie met all of my expectations and then some. It was exactly like the novel, and I gave it a solid A. However, I could envision a scenario where this movie might not be as enjoyable as it was for me.
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