The Final Countdown #movie #timetravel

Time travel with a moral dilemma. If a modern day aircraft carrier was sent back to Pearl Harbor on the day before the Japanese attack, should it intervene?

This is what faced the USS Nimitz as a strange storm propelled it back to June 6th, 1941 near Pearl Harbor. 

The film starred Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen when they looked like their sons, Michael and Charlie. The movie was produced by one of Kirk Douglas’s other sons, Peter Vincent Douglas, who was the brain child and driving force in the making of it.

Peter got the attention of the US Navy and received their full support. They even allowed the filming of an actual rescue that happened to take place during production. The scene is in the film.

Martin Sheen, James Farentino, Kirk Douglas

The movie also starred James Farentino whose character is pivotal, as he is the historian of the original Pearl Harbor attacks. But he also believes history can’t be changed. That is until he aids in rescuing a man, woman, and dog out of the water from a Zero attack. The man turns out to be Senator Samuel Chapman, who was supposed to die that day. The senator is next in line to replace FDR as president. 

Charles Durning as Senator Samuel Chapman

Chapman’s secretary is Laurel Scott played by Katherine Ross. She has a love interest with Owen (Farentino) right after he rescues her dog, Charlie from the water. NOTE: I could not find one single picture of Charlie from the film. Nor does the movie credit him. What’s up with that?

·        Kirk Douglas as Captain Matthew Yelland, Commanding Officer, USS Nimitz

·        Martin Sheen as Warren Lasky

·        Katharine Ross as Laurel Scott

·        James Farentino as Commander Richard T. "Dick" Owens, Commander, Carrier Air Wing 8

·        Ron O'Neal as Cmdr. Dan Thurman, Executive Officer, USS Nimitz

·        Charles Durning as Senator Samuel Chapman

·        Soon-Tek Oh as Simura

         ??? as Charlie the dog.

Katherine Ross and Soon-Tek Oh

This movie comes to a very satisfying conclusion, but I will not give you any spoilers. This is a good time travel film. It has most of my elements. Awe in traveling in time, conflict, action, some romance. What it lacks from my list is good props as the movie is filmed entirely on the carrier or in the air. The only thing to give you a sense of the period is the senator’s yacht and a few radio broadcasts. The movie does use Japanese Zero planes which were made for the movie, Tora! Tora! Tora! and has a small bombing scene from that film.

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Based on a true story, a real scrapbook from World War II and real people. Bet and Ray met, fell in love, and got engaged until they were separated by a war.