The Guardian

Ben Randall is a veteran rescue swimmer with the U.S. Coast Guard whose career is shattered when a disaster at sea kills his entire crew. Reassigned against his wishes to the Coast Guard's "A" School, an elite training program for rescue swimmers, he pours himself into instructing recruits and overhauls the course with demanding, unorthodox methods meant to prepare them for the reality of a rescue. Among the students is Jake Fischer, a gifted but headstrong former high school swimming champion. Over the course of the program, Randall pushes Jake to match his raw talent with the discipline and selflessness the job requires. After graduating, Jake is posted to Kodiak, Alaska, where Randall is also stationed, and the two face duty in the Bering Sea, among the most dangerous waters in the world.

The film is a drama directed by Andrew Davis, his tenth feature and the one following Holes. Ron L. Brinkerhoff wrote the screenplay, and Beau Flynn and Tripp Vinson produced. Kevin Costner plays Randall, with Ashton Kutcher as Fischer, and Sela Ward, Melissa Sagemiller, Dulé Hill and Bryce Cass in supporting roles. Production involved 64 credited cast members and 177 credited crew.

Made for about 70 million dollars, the film took in roughly 95 million worldwide, a modest return. Audiences received it more warmly than critics: on IMDb it holds 6.9/10 from around 103,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.1/10 from roughly 1,700 votes, while the film critics' rating stands at 5.4/10 from 149 reviews.