WE would all love to be a hero. Some of us already think we are everyday heroes as a result of simple but kind tasks – remembering to take food out of the freezer ahead of the main family meal, making cups of the tea for office colleagues or giving up a bus seat for someone who needs it more.
But when we need a reminder of what real heroes look like there is only one place to turn – the movies.
To celebrate the release of Only The Brave, out now on Digital Download – and on DVD and Blu-ray from 12 March – let us remember some of the real life heroes that have recently graced the big screen.
These heroes have the power to conjure up a multitude of emotions – whether it is tears, laughter or nail-biting suspense.
The Granite Mountain Hotshots – Only The Brave
WHEN fire roams fiercely, many would cower and then run, but not firefighters who continuously and selflessly risk their lives to overpower such a turbulent force.
But what happens when a fire rages through a remote and tricky terrain? Hotshots are a small elite group of specially trained crews ready to deal with intricate terrains. Incredibly strong and rigorously trained, Hotshots are equipped with tools of power to dig lines and cut trees to stop a fire from causing further devastating destruction.
Only The Brave tells the heroic tale of the Granite Mountain Hotshots who paid the ultimate price for their heroism.
A symbol of brotherhood and strength, this elite crew put all their training into practice by belting up and walking headfirst into the flames to save their local community from being engulfed by the deadly Yarnell Hill Fire. They were true and selfless heroes.
Tom Hanks – Sully
FLYING can be a nervous experience at the best of times, but when it comes to being a pilot you need to be fearless, brave and unequivocally skilled – all the time.
Yet things can go unexpectedly wrong as happened to Captain Chesley Sullenberger, one of the most experienced pilots in the business with more than 40 years’ experience and 20,000 flying hours under his belt.
Tom Hanks was the perfect choice to play the heroic pilot in film Sully. It tells the story of how Sullenberger skilfully landed a US Airways plane in the Hudson River after the plane’s engines shut down, subsequently saving the lives of every passenger on board.
A Hollywood veteran playing a veteran of the skies. Sully shows us what a true hero looks like.
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
TRYING to work out the discount on a sale item can often be a stretch too far for shoppers. So the thought of cracking codes and processing formulas is quite frankly an alien (and laughable) concept to most people.
But not for those who are gifted with incredible intelligence and find such activities as easy as a walk in the park.
One of our favourite Brits, Benedict Cumberbatch plays genius code breaker Alan Turing in The Imitation Game. The film tells the story of how Turing used his brain power to develop a code-breaking tool to decipher German naval messages during World War II.
Although the exact impact of Turing’s amazing code breaking is still unknown, experts believe he saved some two million lives and was one of the key players in ensuring the Allied forces triumphed over the Nazis
Andrew Garfield – Hacksaw Ridge
WHAT is the extent of your own bravery? Managing to get that pesky spider out of your room or finally booking that dentist appointment you have been putting off for so long? But how about stepping onto a bloody battlefield unarmed to carry injured soldiers to safety?
Hacksaw Ridge depicts the outstanding bravery of US World War II medic Desmond T Doss. Firm in his religious beliefs but fiercely patriotic, Andrew Garfield’s portrayal shows the lengths that Doss went to in order to save his fellow comrades.
They included stepping into deadly enemy firing lines to save 75 casualties one-by-one – without a weapon. His bravery and goodwill earned Doss the Medal of Honour and hero status.
Only The Brave is now available on Digital Download and comes to Blu-ray™ and DVD on 12 March.
This copy was provided by Grapevine Digital.