The Perfect Storm

Each and every year my mother, grandmother and I sit down and create a list of things we want to see or do over the next 12 months.  The list is very long, as some of the things we want to see are a bit outrageous (i.e; Backpacking through Europe) yet I know that with enough faith and passion towards doing something, it will happen.  Positive thinking reflects positive results!  Well, let me get to the title; The perfect storm.  A movie made in 1991 filmed right out of Gloucester, Ma.  Gloucester..never had I thought that Gloucester would place on interest, until the movie hit theaters. By the way, if you have not seen this film, do yourself a favor and watch it; it is one of the most powerful films I've seen, and truly makes you appreciate fisherman.  I know, such a negative cliche that was cast upon Fisherman, but these men and women really do put their lives on the line each time they sail out to the open sea.

The film highlights certain parts of Gloucester as well as particular families.  These parts and families are real.  The move truly captured the essence of these fisherman and their families, with only a few 'Hollywood' changes made.  The last Friday in august, my mom, my grandmother, and I went to Cape Ann a small area in Gloucester, which praises their fisherman.  We went on the typical whale watch (which by the way was AMAZAING) and got to talk to a few locals about the filming and deep truths about the 5 men lost at sea while heading home on the 'Andrea Gail' from a fishing expedition.

A famous bar where all the local fisherman 'hung out' is the Crows nest.  This bar depicted on the water in the film, yet it is directly across the street.  As typical tourists we had to go there, so we got off the whale watch around 2pm and went to bar.  This bar however was not just any bar, it was the most disgusting, filthily hole in a wall bar I have been inside; yet it looks exactly as the film depicted it.  The bar tender working the day did not appreciate our snooping with 'boozin' (as she called it) so we all had a beer.  How odd, to be in this famous bar, nearly being forced to drink! Well this drink bought us more that a bar tab, it allowed us the freedom to snoop! This snooping lead to photo album of the cast filming in Gloucester, and even a man across the bar who looked as though he had one too many Vodka and Tonics, who told us true stories of the real men lost at sea.  For once, I was able to say that Hollywood, and the media truly gave a performance of realism and honesty, something you would only expect from a documentary. 

All in all, this was one of the best experiences Ive gained from our fun yearly 'buckt list' and would recommend this experience to everyone who reads this. BUT you must watch the movie before going; usually the other way around, watching it first gives you an advantage for snooping! 

Ps. All the fried fish served at McDonald's, come from Gloucester; Gordon's Fish Co. is right on the water where the Andrea Gail sailed out from.