In the Eye of a Hollywood ‘Storm’
In “The Perfect Storm,” Sebastian Junger’s book about the fiercest storm in modern history, he described Linda Greenlaw as “one of the best sea captains, period, on the East Coast.” One of the few women involved in commercial fishing, Greenlaw, who was stationed out of Gloucester, Mass., captained a sword-fishing boat working the waters east of the Grand Banks off Newfoundland, Canada.
In the film version of “The Perfect Storm,” Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (“The Color of Money”) plays Greenlaw. The captain of the Hannah Boden, Greenlaw is a friend of veteran fisherman Billy Tyne (George Clooney), who helms the Andrea Gail and has been going through a difficult run of catches.
In October 1991, both the Andrea Gail and the Hannah Boden were out fishing when three storms--including Hurricane Grace--met off the coast of New England, creating the biggest storm recorded in modern history. The Hannah Boden survived; the Andrea Gail wasn’t as lucky.
Greenlaw, who was a deep-sea fisherman for 18 years, now lives on the Isle Au Haut, a small island off the coast of Maine where she traps lobster. Greenlaw also is the author of the best-selling book “The Hungry Ocean: A Swordboat Captain’s Journey,” which has just come out as a trade paperback (Hyperion, $14).
On Wednesday, Greenlaw saw “The Perfect Storm” at the New York premiere and talked over the phone from the Big Apple about her perceptions and feelings about the movie. Greenlaw was not involved in the production.
Question: Where were you during the “perfect storm?” How close were you to the Andrea Gail?
Answer: I was actually 600 miles east of where the Andrea Gail is suspected to have gone down. People have to remember that the book and the movie are speculation. We’ll never know what actually happened, which is part of the intrigue.
Q: I think people will be surprised about how dangerous commercial fishing actually is.
A: Commercial fishing is the most dangerous occupation in the country or maybe the world. It’s very dramatically done in the movie, but these are things that can and have happened. It’s not like they happen every day and probably no one ever obviously had a trip where all of that stuff happened in one trip, but you know, it’s a movie.
Q: How did you become a fisherman?
A: In my case, it seemed like a pretty natural step. I was raised on an island [in Maine]. Boats were a way of life. I spent my early childhood chasing anything that swam or crawled around my home. As far as the commercial part of it, I started at the age of 19. I was a cook and a deckhand. I did everything. It was a summer job to pay my way through school. I fell in love with it and literally fished my way through college. I told my parents I was just taking one year off [to fish] before going to law school, and of course, I never went to law school.
Q: So what did you think of the movie?
A: I loved it. I was anticipating big things and I was not disappointed. I think they ought to be making some type of movie history with the special effects.
To be honest with you, when I read “The Perfect Storm,” I was looking for my name, once I realized my name was in it. And I had to read it again to read it. With the movie, I was, like, so excited just to be there. I need to see it again.
[Actor] John Hawkes--he made the movie for me. Wasn’t he great? He played [Andrea Gail crew member] Bugsy. I was thinking, every time he was on the screen, there was a facial expression or the inflection of his voice or gesture that reminded me of some men I worked with on a deck of a boat. He totally captured [them]. He was perfect.
Q: What about Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio’s performance as you?
A: I think she was great. I had met her in Gloucester when they were filming. I got to talk to her about two minutes. I was very excited when she heard she was going to play me. What woman wouldn’t like it? She’s beautiful and she is a fine actress. I went through a stage where I was getting pretty nervous about what the script was going to do with my character. I have seen it, and I can honestly say the only thing I am nervous about now is my ability to live up to the image of me she portrayed.
Q: Why was Billy Tyne having so much difficulty getting fish while you and your crew weren’t?
A: I hate to think it’s all about luck. But luck is certainly one of the ingredients. I like to think I work harder than most people. I know for a fact that I am not smarter than anybody else. It has got to be the fact that I am working harder.
Q: Do you really have two-day turnarounds between fishing trips as is shown in the movie?
A: It’s important to try and get the boat turned around in two or three days because it’s important to get the trips in sync with the moon. If you dillydally, you are missing part of the moon, and you are screwing up your whole season. You need to get a trip a month.
Q: Swordfish are beautiful creatures. I have to admit I found it hard to watch them being caught and gutted.
A: I’ve got to tell you something--I think this political correctness and environmental correctness is getting a little out of hand. I think people need to be reminded of one very basic principle--food chain. We’re at the top. If you only eat things you don’t kill, you are going to have a pretty limited diet. Fruits and vegetables are often harvested before they have had the chance to reproduce.
Q: You don’t catch swordfish anymore?
A: No, I am catching lobsters. It’s a small boat. We fish with traps. I am 39 years old. I’d like to get married and have children. It wasn’t happening with sword-fishing. I am gone for 30 days [at a time]. You don’t get too many second dates.
