White Squall

White Squall is a 1996 American disaster survival film directed by Ridley Scott. It is a coming of age film in which a group of high school and college-aged teenagers sign up for several months of training aboard a sail ship, a brigantine, and travel around half the globe when suddenly they are challenged by a severe storm. The film stars Jeff Bridges in the role of the captain, called "Skipper", his wife, played by Caroline Goodall, and a supporting cast portraying a group of nearly a dozen student sailors. The film was based on the 1962 book The Last Voyage of the Albatross by Charles Gieg Jr. and Felix Sutton. Plot The film is based on the fate of the brigantine Albatross, which sank 2 May 1961, allegedly because of a white squall. The film relates the ill-fated school sailing trip led by Dr. Christopher B. Sheldon (Jeff Bridges), whom the boys call "Skipper". He is tough and teaches them discipline. He forms a close connection with well-off Chuck Gieg (Scott Wolf), troubled rich kid Frank Beaumont (Jeremy Sisto), shy Gil Martin (Ryan Phillippe) and bad-boy Dean Preston (Eric Michael Cole). On the first days, it is discovered that Gil suffers from acrophobia when he fails to aid the choking Chuck who becomes entangled after slipping from a mast. He is instead saved by Skipper Sheldon while Gil is ordered to climb the ropes, something he ultimately cannot do, therefore assigned limited duty on board.