A determined father risks everything to rescue a dedicated teacher and her students from a raging wildfire.

Credits: TheMovieDb.

Film Cast:

• Kevin McKay: Matthew McConaughey
• Mary Ludwig: America Ferrera
• Chief Martinez: Yul Vazquez
• Ruby Bishop: Ashlie Atkinson
• Linda: Kimberli Flores
• Shaun: Levi McConaughey
• Sherry: Kay McConaughey
• John Messina: John Messina
• Jen Kissoon: Kate Wharton
• Matt McKenzie: Danny McCarthy
• Elliot Hopkins: Spencer Watson
• Beth Bowersox: Beth Bowersox
• Toby: Nathan Gariety
• Ava: Olivia Darling Busby
• Alex: Mac Ericsson
• Benjamin: Alexander Shimoyama
• Brandon: Jet James Grant
• Chloe: Autumn Molina
• Ella: Marian Jones
• Gabriella: Emmery Davis
• Grace: Elizabeth Sophia Hsu
• Isabelle: Audrey Pazienza
• Jacob: James Anderson Ford
• Jack: Andrew McMaster
• Jamie: William Troy Ford
• Kai: Kaius Eteeyan
• Logan: Bennett Gariety
• Maddie: Mia Wagenman
• Maya: Sophie Jane Frick
• Rachel: Evelyn Thorpe
• Rose: Scire Amor
• Shannon: Leela Rice
• Tommy: Gavin Lee Galbraith
• Violet: Daelynn Rayne
• Jarbo Gap Firefighter: Kenneth Hardison
• Jarbo Gap Firefighter: George Quintana
• Jarbo Gap Firefighter: Porfirio Chavarria
• Jarbo Gap Firefighter: AJ Trujillo
• Jarbo Gap Firefighter: Diego Montoya
• Sean Norman: Sean Norman
• Jason Dyer: Jason Dyer
• David Broshious: David Broshious
• Matt Bergstrand: Matt Bergstrand
• William Lopez: William Lopez
• Jason Finney: Jason Finney
• Freddy Martinez: Freddy Martinez
• Ken Lowe: Ken Lowe
• Sheriff Thomas: Gary Kraus
• Brandie Rendon: Devon Wycoff
• PG&E Rep: Peter Diseth
• Principal Hayes: Denielle Fisher Johnson
• Teacher Kristy: Kristy Nelson
• Teacher Brian: Brian Hill
• C. Kierman: Mo Beatty
• Bus Office Foreman: Cesario Flores
• Vet: Ginger T. Rex
• Concow Resident: Hannah Mosqueda
• Concow Resident: Christopher Hagen
• Town Hall Official: Stephanie M. Jones
• Truck Driver: Justin Mann
• Drug Store Assistant: Merritt C. Glover
• Father: Jermaine Washington
• Mother: Sofia Embid
• Teacher: Carrie Lazar
• Maintenance Man: Martin Patterson
• Roe Road Man: Eb Lottimer
• Roe Road Man: Henry Frost
• Roe Road Woman: Katy Tierney
• Drive Thru Clerk: Cheyenne Chavez
• Michael’s Mom: Brittany van Wyk
• Alex’s Mom: Sigrid Hannah Mabel
• Alex: Jace Wensley
• Echo: Briggs Thompson
• Sophia’s Uncle: Willie Brown
• Sophia: Ariana Rico
• Male Driver: John Emory
• Roadblock Police Officer: Donald Lindsey
• Roadblock Police Officer: Tanner Tixier
• ECC Dispatcher: Bianca M. Quintana
• ECC Dispatcher: Sabrina Varela
• ECC Dispatcher: Jeffery Leroy Herrera
• ECC Dispatcher: Savannah Dierra-Nicole Parker
• Town Hall Assistant: Ali Vaisvil
• Town Hall Assistant: Dave E. Hunt Sr.
• Town Hall Assistant: Dave Peña
• Town Hall Assistant: Craig Dirgo
• Town Hall Assistant: Frank Woods
• Town Hall Assistant: Paul Thompson
• PG&E Lineman: Norma Lee
• Concow Youth: Kiyoko Goto
• Concow Youth: Lydia Bohannon
• Police Officer: Martin Arellano
• Reporter: John Grabowska
• Reporter: Elizabeth M. Kallman
• Chico Registration Women: Sarah Barker
• Cal Fire Official: Robert Wise
• Firefighter Comms: Paul Carlos
• Firefighter Comms: Jason Morris
• Air Attack (voice): Shem Hawkins

Film Crew:

• Screenplay: Paul Greengrass
• Producer: Jamie Lee Curtis
• Producer: Jason Blum
• Producer: Brad Ingelsby
• Executive Producer: Lizzie Johnson
• Executive Producer: Amy Lord
• Associate Producer: Russell Goldman
• Unit Production Manager: Gregory Goodman
• First Assistant Director: Cliff Lanning
• Executive Producer: Robin Mulcahy Fisichella
• Director of Photography: Pål Ulvik Rokseth
• Casting: Francine Maisler
• Production Design: David Crank
• Original Music Composer: James Newton Howard
• Set Decoration: Elizabeth Keenan
• Aerial Director of Photography: Dylan Goss
• Still Photographer: Melinda Sue Gordon
• Stunts: Stanley White Jr.
• Co-Producer: William Goldenberg
• Editor: Paul Rubell
• Casting Assistant: Marisa DeFranco
• Sound Designer: Oliver Tarney
• Executive Visual Effects Producer: Stefan Drury
• Executive Producer: Nicole Jordan-Webber
• Editor: Peter Dudgeon
• Co-Producer: Emily Evans-Thirlwell
• Casting: Kathy Driscoll-Mohler
• Unit Production Manager: Brent Morris
• Second Assistant Director: Dixon McPhillips
• Production Supervisor: Sara Kay Sheets
• Stunt Coordinator: Jake Dashnaw
• Stunt Coordinator: Jeff Dashnaw
• Stunt Coordinator: Carrick O’Quinn
• Stunt Double: Mark Norby
• Stunt Double: Vaia Zaganas
• Stunt Double: Daniel James Chavez
• Stunts: Kamryn Poole
• Stunts: Corey Shumate
• Stunts: Joy Dashnaw
• Stunts: Samantha Epstein
• Stunts: James Ryan
• Stunts: Keisha Tucker
• Stunts: Jessi Edward
• Stunts: Casey Adams
• Stunts: Marc Terrien
• Stunts: Travis Johnson
• Stunts: Nolen Putnam
• Stunts: Josh Kemble
• Stunts: Macy Devenport-Sanders
• Stunts: Jeremy Fitzgerald
• Stunts: Cassidy Vick Hice
• Stunts: Johnny Ives
• Stunts: Dan Brockett
• Stunts: Ernie Vigil
• Stunts: Chad Dashnaw
• Stunts: Clay James
• Stunts: Caitlin Ehn
• Stunts: Dayton Hughes
• Stunts: Casey Duncan
• Stunts: Ed Duran
• Stunts: Filippo Guardione
• Stunts: Gray Wolf Herrera
• Stunts: Joanne Marie
• Stunts: Cat Clifford
• Stunts: Jesse Carmichael
• Stunts: David Pinter
• Stunts: Keith Jardine
• Stunts: Lucas Swallow
• Stunts: Aidan Fisichella
• Stunts: André Valdez
• Stunts: Ben Scott
• Stunts: Heath Hensley
• Stunts: Iliana Carrillo
• Stunts: Glenn Love
• Stunts: Josh Swensen
• Stunts: Clayton Torres
• Stunts: Sterlin English
• Stunts: Jordan Law
• Stunts: Manuel Nieto
• Stunts: Jermaine Washington
• Stunts: Benjamin Morgen
• Stunts: Henry Frost
• Stunts: Tom Shaughnessy
• Stunts: Ryan Fitzgerald
• Stunts: Zack Duhame
• Stunts: Danny Edmo
• Stunts: Dylan Hice
• Stunts: Clint Roberts
• Stunts: Graham Elliott
• Utility Stunts: Jade Quon
• Utility Stunts: Clay M. Lilley
• Utility Stunts: Nichol Kemble
• Stunt Driver: Emily Newman
• Stunts: Ryan Ryusaki
• Stunt Driver: Ryann Redmond
• Stunt Driver: Steve M. Davison
• Stunt Driver: Tom Harper
• Stunt Driver: Mic Rodgers
• Stunt Driver: Garrett Golden
• Stunt Driver: Donna Evans
• Aerial Coordinator: Kevin LaRosa
• Aerial Coordinator: Michael FitzMaurice
• Post Production Supervisor: Rebecca Adams
• Post Production Supervisor: Ben Seward
• Supervising Sound Editor: Rachael Tate
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Chris Burdon
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: William Miller
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Charlie Noble
• Visual Effects Producer: Gavin Round
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Russell Bowen
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Max Dennison
• Visual Effects Supervisor: David Zaretti
• Visual Effects Producer: Jordan Harding
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Oliver Schulz
• Visual Effects Producer: Michelle Cullen
• Visual Effects Supervisor: John McLaren
• Visual Effects Producer: Dave Brown
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Jiwoong Kim
• Visual Effects Producer: Joyce Au
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Sasi Kumar
• Special Effects Coordinator: Brandon K. McLaughlin
• Costume Design: Mark Bridges

Movie Reviews:

• CinemaSerf: Ok, so there’s no volcano, but otherwise this is a pretty straightforward hybrid of “Dante’s Peak” (1997) and “Speed” (1994) only here it is Matthew McConaughey who’s driving the bus. Of course, we have the usual dysfunctional family background for the recently divorced and struggling “Kevin” as he tries to reconcile with his disinterested son “Shaun” (his own real life son Levi) who has come to stay with him and his wheelchair-bound mother (his own real life mother Kay). He has been doing his school run when he espies plumes of smoke coming from the hillside above their town, a town where wind gusts of sixty miles per hour are common and where it hasn’t rained for months – so the vast expanse of forest is a tinderbox. Next thing, one of the high-altitude power lines has become disconnected and it’s sparks have started a conflagration that has soon taken hold, causing chaos and leaving a group of children stranded in their school in the path of the flames. With nobody else available, “Kevin” quite reluctantly volunteers to drive to collect them. By now, he’s guessed the dangers they are all in, and so isn’t best impressed when he meets their rather fastidious teacher “Mary” (America Ferrera) but those reservations – like just about everything else – melt away as the fires closes in around them and their journey becomes a matter of life and death. McConaughey does fine here, but the real problem is the complete lack of jeopardy throughout. Despite some crack(l)ing visual effects accompanied by some really quite effective audio, there simply isn’t any way this film is going to end with lots of sprogs being charbroiled inside a big yellow bus! Once that is settled, the rest of this is quite well paced but really nothing special. It’s based on true events and at times it does showcase some of the freneticism that ensued as the authorities fought valiantly to arrest a series of fires that were making mincemeat of all of their ground defences and grounding their air ones, too. It also spotlights the worst in human nature as looters and opportunists take advantage of the breakdown of law and order. If anything, this film does remind us of just how little mankind can be when nature gets fed up with us, and also of however devastating the damage, how readily it can rejuvenate – but that hasn’t really got much to do with the quality of the actors nor of the meekly written dialogue. It’s a compelling watch, but I suspect once will do.