Try to imagine yourself stranded in the middle of the ocean on a half-broken tanker, teetering between sinking and becoming a rag doll in a raging storm. There is no communication with land, meaning no way to send out an S.O.S.

This is the story of the S.S. Pendleton, a vessel that fell victim to a fierce nor’easter in February of 1952. The event is recalled as one of the greatest small boat rescues in U.S. Coast Guard history. It’s also the storyline for “The Finest Hours,” a story of importance for Massachusetts residents.

The shipwreck happened off the coast of Cape Cod in Chatham and was bound for Boston when it succumbed to the monstrous Atlantic waves. Of the 41 original crewmembers, 32 survived, thanks to the courage exhibited by Bernard “Bernie” Weber, played by Chris Pine, and his team.

The movie depicts the experiences of U.S. Coast Guard members who rescue the boat, despite the loss of their boat’s compass. The ship’s best engineer, played by Casey Affleck, takes it upon himself to delay the sinking of what’s left of the ship after the stern breaks from the rest of the vessel.

Viewers may find themselves attracted to the blossoming romance between Bernie and his love interest, Miriam, during the course of the film.

Prior to screening, producer Dorothy Aufiero gave a short speech regarding production. Two of the surviving crewmembers of the rescue mission attended the screening and were applauded. Aufiero mostly spoke about the film location as in a warehouse or large tank of water. This was accomplished with the help of a character generator screen.

Although certain scenes had unrealistic depictions of the S.S. Pendleton struggling during the storm, the film succeeded in representing a similar hostile environment to the one that took place over 60 years ago.

The screening was hosted by Massachusetts Production Coalition, a nonprofit that aims to promote local film and media professionals throughout the state.