The action-thriller film “The Finest Hours,” which is based on Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman’s book “The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Most Daring Sea Rescue,” is set in 1952, when the SS Pendleton is split in half by a dangerous storm, trapping over 30 soldiers inside the ship’s sinking stern. When word of the tragic occurrence reaches the Coast Guard in Chatham, Massachusetts, Chief Warrant Officer Daniel Cluff orders a rescue expedition while the gallant engineer Ray Sybert devises a plan for the survivors.
Despite the terrible weather and seas, the steersman, Bernie Webber, boards a lifeboat with three other men in an increasingly desperate attempt to save the crew. The historical drama movie, which stars Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Holliday Grainger, John Ortiz, and Eric Bana, takes place primarily in open waters as Bernie battles the unfavourable storm in an effort to save the crew of the sinking ship. It makes sense that many of you might be curious about the location of “The Finest Hours” filming. You might be interested in what we have to say if you’re in the same situation!
The Finest Hours Filming Locations
Massachusetts was the location for “The Finest Hours,” specifically Norfolk County, Plymouth County, and Chatham. According to rumours, the action film’s main photography started in September 2014 and ended in December of the same year. Without further ado, let us to walk you through every single place that is included in the drama movie.
Norfolk County, Massachusetts
The filmmaking crew established a base in Quincy, in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, to begin the production process. They recorded a number of crucial scenes at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, which is located on Weymouth Fore River, at the end of October 2014. They also boarded the USS Salem for a few sequences. Using wave and wind generators, they built an 800,000-gallon water tank that measured 110 by 80 feet and was used to film most of the water and storm scenes at the shipyard.
Even at the shipyard, the “The Finest Hours” production team built copies of the Pendleton and the CG36 rescue boat. Furthermore, the massive 65-foot-tall set included the steering room, mess hall, and bed space. The town of Cohasset in Norfolk County was another significant filming location.
The filmmaker and his crew were able to make some portions of town resemble a wintry Cape Cod town in the 1950s with the aid of fake snow and old vehicles. During the filming schedule, locals and onlookers noticed the cast and crew in a few nearby locations, including Jerusalem Road and the Pratt Historic Building at 106 South Main Street in the Cohasset Historical Society.
Plymouth County, Massachusetts
‘The Finest Hours’ also used Plymouth County, Massachusetts, as the backdrop for a number of significant scenes. Early in December 2014, the production team took advantage of the Brant Rock neighborhood’s settings in the Marshfield town by shooting several street scenes there. Additionally, some beach scenes were recorded at Duxbury Beach, and some bridge sequences were recorded near Powder Point Bridge, all of which are in the Duxbury town.
The Chris Pine-starring film’s various indoor scenes are said to have been filmed in Norwell. The interiors of two Norwell locations, The Tinker’s Son (707 Main Street) and Cushing Memorial Hall (673 Main Street), in particular, serve as the setting for various sequences.
Chatham, Massachusetts
The cast and crew of “The Finest Hours” also travelled to Chatham, which is located near the southeast tip of Cape Cod, during the last phases of shooting. The historical sites and museums of Chatham, a town that was once famed for its fishing industry, include the Atwood House, the Josiah Mayo House, the Caleb Nickerson House, the Chatham Windmill, and the Chatham Lighthouse. A couple of these locations may appear in the movie at various points.
