‘Only the Brave’ pays tribute to an elite group of firefighters known as the Granite Mountain Hotshots who courageously battled against the Yarnell Hill fire in Arizona in 2013. The true life action movie has the right stuff due to a well written screenplay by Ken Nolan (Black Hawk Down) and Eric Warren Singer (American Hustle) that focuses more on the men’s lives than their tragic demise. Director Joseph Kosinski (Tron: Legacy) succeeds in giving the audience a crash course on how tough and dangerous it is to contain a fast-spreading wildfire. The talented ensemble cast is particularly convincing and delivers an emotional lump in your throat in the climactic ending. ‘Only the Brave’ is not a hollow action movie. It pays homage to a group of men that put their lives in harm’s way to protect their community from the ravages of Mother Nature.
What is a hotshot? It’s an elite group of forest firefighters who are trained to go into an area that is on-fire and establish a controlled fire line. It essentially blocks the inferno from spreading any further. It’s gritty and tiresome work but for the fire crew from Prescott, Arizona, it’s just another day on the job. The outfit is led by Eric Marsh (Josh Brolin) “Supe” (short for superintendent) who is determined to get his team certified as hotshots. Think of a hotshot crew in the world of wildland firefighting similar to the Special Forces in the military. The film is effective in showing how quickly these wildfires can spread and how a local fire team understands the terrain better than crews shipped in from other parts of the country. Supe is married to Amanda (Jennifer Connelly), a horse trainer that feels neglected since he must leave her for long periods of time during the fire season. Brendan “Donut” McDonough (Miles Teller) is another character that the story focuses on. Teller is effective in portraying a former druggie that Supe takes a chance on as a new recruit. Donut’s road to redemption is particularly moving in the final act.
We get to spend time with these firefighters as they prove their mettle as hotshots. The firefighting scenes are impressive but they do not dominate the story. The writers give us just enough backstory in order for us to feel invested in the characters. Once they gain certification, they get to battle fires on the front lines. The film never forgets how dangerous their jobs are especially when the weather can instantly change and the wind can push the direction of a blaze. Besides the strong performances from Brolin and Connelly, it is nice to see Jeff Bridges as the fire chief and close friend to Supe. The film also shows off the crew’s machismo when they are not fighting fires. One character even opens up a bottle of beer with a chainsaw. When it’s time to board a helicopter for the next blaze, you get a good sense of their professional camaraderie.
This is Kosinski’s first venture out of the sci-fi genre and he succeeds in capturing the self-sacrifice and heroism these men possessed. The Yarnell Hill fire in 2013 was the deadliest for firefighters since the 9/11 attacks. Lightning ignited the wildfire and strong winds pushed the fire from 300 acres to over 2,000 acres. At the height of the fires devastation, it covered 8,400 acres. This horrible tragedy is brought back to life with credible special effects and sturdy performances from the cast. The father-son bond between Brolin and Teller’s characters is touching. Connelly also deserves honorable mention developing her character beyond the standard two-dimensional wife role.
‘Only the Brave’ is a gripping story of real-life heroism. If you’re into this genre of action picture, it’s worth a look.
