HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Inspired by actual events, Unstoppable is an adrenaline rush fueled by director Tony Scott's signature mark of propulsive action rooted in the reality of ordinary people placed in extraordinary circumstances. A veteran train engineer (Denzel Washington) and a young conductor (Chris Pine) race the clock to stop an unmanned runaway train – effectively a missile the size of a skyscraper – and prevent disaster in a heavily populated area.
October 12 begins with the usual early morning rush at Fuller Yard in Wilkins, Pennsylvania. The night shift is eager to head home and the members of the morning crew are dragging themselves in, coffee in hand. As two hostlers take a break to wolf down breakfast, they are interrupted and asked to move one of the newest trains on the line to a different track. It seems Fuller Yard is going to host a field trip of elementary school kids headed down from Olean, New York. Annoyed but unfazed, the yard workers begin the task of moving the 777, an absolute beast of a train, when one of them makes the ill-fated decision to take a short cut to get the job done faster. But faster is not always safer and the new locomotive outfitted with the most modern computerized bells and whistles, carrying 39 cars, transforms into a monster coaster in the blink of an eye.
200 miles down the line, at Mingo Yard in Brewster, the day begins with the same routine. Before heading off on their runs, the old guard of railroaders shares a last cup of coffee over paperwork. As they trade war stories of lackluster performances by rookie conductors and brakemen Frank Barnes discovers his conductor is Will Colson, a new political hire. Frank is none too pleased but he keeps his opinion to himself. Once aboard the 1206, a tough older 6-axel engine with lots of miles, Frank is all work, making it plainly obvious to Will that his 28 years of service will trump Will's four months on the job every time.
Despite the petty aggravations of the day, no one at either yard would ever suspect the afternoon could turn into the terrorizing ordeal it was about to become - one that would test the mettle of two everyday men who become extraordinary heroes.
Filmmaker Scott is a master of motion picture events - such as Crimson Tide, Man on Fire, True Romance and Top Gun - which mix non-stop action with finely-tuned characters that bring audiences even further into the action and drama. His latest effort, Unstoppable, adds to that rich legacy, again demonstrating Scott's formidable talents in blending action, character, drama and emotion.
"It's a movie that starts out at fifty miles an hour and ends up at 150 mph; it's speed-on-speed, says Scott, who admits Unstoppable was the toughest project, mentally and physically, he's undertaken.
But Scott is referring to more than the logistical challenges of filming aboard a vehicle hurtling down a railroad track at 50 miles per hour or the film's heart-stopping stunt sequences. Sitting in the same 6 x 9 foot space aboard the blue and yellow 1206 for most of the film brought its own set of obstacles and keeping the characters interesting inside that box was one of the most daunting tasks for the director.
"This was the most challenging and brilliant adventure I've ever encountered because I had to tell a character story inside something going very, very fast, says Scott. `"It's always about the performances - how I look at these two characters in a way I haven't done before and be honest to who they are."
In keeping with the film's realistic tone and characters, Scott largely eschewed the use of CGI, opting instead for real action and the skills of some of the industry's most inventive stunt people.
Great drama coupled with Scott's dramatic flair and his visual expertise makes for a wild and captivating ride.
"The real challenge with Unstoppable was capturing the character evolutions of Frank [Washington] and Will [Pine], who are undertaking this monumental journey trying to stop this runaway train, says the director. "But first, they must come to terms with one another and resolve their differences."
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