Morning Light

2008
5.7| 1h37m| PG| en
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Fifteen young sailors... six months of intense training... one chance at the brass ring. This documentary tells the story of a group of intrepid and determined young men and women, on the cusp of adulthood, as they embark on life's first great adventure. Racing a high-performance 52-foot sloop the crew of "Morning Light" matches wits and skills in a dramatic 2300 mile showdown.

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Reviews

Wordiezett So much average
SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie
Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.
Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.
snmhanson Being a casual sailor I did enjoy the mechanics of this movie. It motivated me to want to spend more time on the water and push the limits of my own sailing. The camera work was impressive and the plot kept me interested for the most part as it provided a good balance between the sport and the interpersonal aspect of the team. I enjoyed seeing the process of training and then competing in the race as well as examining the strategic decision making process and the results of those decisions.Now, don't take the next part wrong, I did like the characters in the movie and for the most part they seemed like enjoyable and personable people. What threw me off though is that the crew consisted of what mostly appeared to be privileged kids that grew up sailing, at least half of which probably could have bought their way onto a TransPac boat if they really wanted to. Not that this isn't what I would expect in your typical high-caliber sailboat racing, since you do enter a race to win and you want an experienced crew. However, in this case it would have been nice to see more diversity and a mix of the experienced sailors sharing this experience with motivated, yet underprivileged kids. The one person who I think the experience would have had the most profound impact on didn't make the final cut. Another person who disregarded a suggestion to not go snowboarding between training sessions ended up breaking her arm and missing much of the training, but still did make it on the boat. Sure, there was probably a lot more that happened behind the scenes so I may not have the full picture, but that seems pretty representative of the inequities that many people face on a day-to-day basis and I think the film could have aimed a bit higher. I think it would have been a much better and motivating movie if it had more of a "breaking down the social and economic barriers" aspect to it, rather than just a bunch of experienced young sailors taking their sailing to the next level.To sum up, taking the age of the crew out of the equation, this was simply a documentary about putting an elite sailing team together to compete in an exclusive sailboat race. The fact that they were all in their late teens/early twenties (and probably in the best physical shape they will ever be in) wasn't a big deal to me. If you are intrigued by sailing and sailboat racing I would recommend this movie. If you are looking for a motivational feel-good movie, you may be a bit disappointed. Just my opinion of course.
Roland E. Zwick Since 1906, boaters from all corners of the globe have gathered to compete in the Transpacific Yacht Race, a two-week-long sailing competition that extends across more than 2,000 miles of open ocean, starting in Los Angeles and ending in Honolulu. In 2007, Roy Disney and a team of expert trainers sponsored a hand-picked crew of young sailors - ages 18 to 23 - to compete in the event (indeed, it was the youngest team in the history of the race). Named after the 52-foot boat on which they sailed, "Morning Light" is a documentary account of both the preparation for that race and the race itself.The movie spends much of the first half focusing on the grueling training the youngsters underwent as part of the process of whittling down the group of 15 hopefuls to a final crew of just 11.Directed by Mark Monroe, "Morning Light" is a wholesome, upbeat, fast-paced documentary with razor-sharp editing (by Monroe and Paul Crowder) that really gets the adrenaline pumping, and cinematography (by Josef Nalevansky) that truly makes you feel like you're a part of the action. Through interviews, we get to know a little about the youngsters themselves, what motivates them, what excites them about sailing, and what it means to them personally to make - and, indeed in some cases, to not make - the final cut.With its inspirational, shoot-for-the-stars pop-rock soundtrack, MTV-style editing techniques and "Real World" communal setup (albeit a squeaky-clean one), the movie is clearly aimed at a younger audience. And there are times when the film does feel a little too "Disneyfied" for its own good (did none of these young adults ever once swear?). But folks of any age will be able to thrill to this film, provided they have a spirit of adventure - armchair variety or not.
lynde-1 I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It is a documentary movie about a group of young sailors who are brought together by a most benevolent and charitable Roy Disney, his beautiful and creative wife and their crack squad of sailing coaches. Ultimately, thirty elite sailors have to be pared down to the fourteen who will race the boat "Morning Light" in the difficult Transpac Ocean Race. The photography is gorgeous. The reasons the coaches give for choosing the lucky sailors who eventually take part in this challenging endeavour are as interesting as the hurdles which befell the young sailors along their journey such as safety, night sailing, mechanical repair and sheer endurance. This movie is a delight and is real life as opposed to a hokey drama. Well done!
kipper112 Morning Light came out in theaters at the end of 2008, only to meet sub-par reviews. The reviews seemed to have common themes critiquing the chosen sailors ethnicities, economic backgrounds, 'good looks', and the movie's lack of interpersonal conflicts that are to be expected in a cookie cutter reality-TV type movie. However, all of these statements seem to be based on the given persons mindset going into the movie. If you are looking for a show or movie with a range of personal backgrounds and a fair bit of drama, The Bad Girls Club or the vast majority of MTV shows currently airing would be a far superior choice to Morning Light. Morning Light is the documentary of 15 sailors, all between the ages of 18 and 22, as they train for, and embark on their first major ocean race. There has been some skepticism as to how the crew members were cast, but each and every one of those kids were chosen solely based upon their sailing ability in order for the kids to have the best, and safest, shot possible at completing, and doing well, in the transpac. A small bit was based upon who could act normal in front of a camera, but that was to avoid the interpersonal drama often associated with such movies. This is a very fun, very real look at ocean racing and although it can be enjoyed by all, people with a bit of past sailing knowledge are the ones who will really enjoy, and get the most out of, this movie.

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