“Only the Brave”

I haven’t seen the movie yet, but plan to. I’ve heard it’s good and I hope that’s true. Other firefighters say that the producers made a good effort to portray wildland firefighting in a realistic way. I know it has to be better than that old movie “Always”. Don’t get me started on all of the bogus firefighting stuff in that production.

Even though I haven’t seen “Only the Brave” yet, I still have an issue with a line from the trailer. Right at the end, Josh Brolin’s character is shown looking at something, presumably the fire, and saying, “Want a piece of me? Come and get it.” That line is pure Hollywood bravado bullshit. In all the years I fought fire, I never heard anyone say something like that and be serious about it. If I had, I would’ve recommended that person maybe find another line of work.

The truth is, firefighters might say something like that in a joking or mocking way because firefighters are a very humorous bunch and humor is a key ingredient in making what would otherwise be an almost unendurable, dirty, tough, sometimes tedious job fun and enjoyable. Humor is what got us through and made the heavy work lighter, it’s what bonded us and allayed whatever fear there might be. I hope the movie shows that, despite the terrible and sad fate of the Granite Mountain Hotshots.