Crew members who really sailed with the title character from Captain Phillips are saying the movie doesn't show the truth about Capt. Richard Phillips.
The crew told New York Post anonymously, that the film is essentially a giant falsehood.
One said, "Phillips wasn't the big leader like he is in the movie." He added that Phillips was known to have had a bad reputation for many years, including being smug and cranky. "No one wants to sail with him."
Following the hijacking, crew members sued Waterman Steamship Corp. and Maersk Line for "willful, wanton and conscious disregard for their safety," and are asking for nearly $50 million. Phillips is serving as a witness for the defense.
The crew's attorney, Deborah Waters, said, "The crew had begged Captain Phillips not to go so close to the Somali coast. He told them he wouldn't let pirates scare him or force him to sail away from the coast."
A crew member said that Phillips also ignored International Maritime Organization's anti-piracy plan because "it wasn't his plan."
"He was real arrogant." Phillips maintains that he isn't aware of any such anti-piracy plan.
Crew and Phillips' accounts of events differ, with the crew saying Phillips often ignored data and emails about pirate activity near where they were sailing. Phillips denies much of their accounts. The crew also disagrees with moments depicted in the movie, while Waters says , "It is galling for them to see Captain Phillips set up as a hero."
While the movie may or may not depict events as they truly happened, Captain Phillips opened to a modest $26 million opening. Unfortunately, it didn't come close to competing for first place for the weekend, losing easily to Gravity, grossed $44 million.
image: Sony