Shortly after the August 2009 release of Tony Scott and Denzel Washington’s version of The Taking of Pelham 123, the pair embarked on their next film, Unstoppable. Making that choice was taking a chance.
Unstoppable and The Taking of Pelham 123 both had train plots. The former, a remake of the crime drama from 1974, was poorly received by critics. The A.V. Club’s Nathan Rabin referred to it as “bracingly horrible.”
Ex-New York City mayor Ed Koch expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision in an article for The Atlantic. In 2009, Pelham produced less than $70 million domestically on a budget of $100 million, while The Hangover was the highest grossing film of the summer.
I think Denzel and Tony wanted to prove they could get it properly, Lew Temple adds. In an interview, the New Orleans native who plays Ned in Unstoppable expressed “fear that [Unstoppable] was going to be the rural Taking of Pelham. Nothing like that happened at all.
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When it comes to thrilling cinematic experiences, “Unstoppable”, directed by Tony Scott and starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine, is a standout.
The high-octane plot centers around Frank Barnes and Will Colson’s desperate bid to halt a runaway train. But how much of the story is grounded in reality? And who are the real-life figures behind these characters?
Pictures of The Real Frank Barnes and Will Colson
While “Unstoppable” portrays a dramatized version of events, the characters of Frank Barnes and Will Colson are not direct replicas of real people but rather amalgamations of various individuals’ attributes and experiences.
As such, there are no direct “pictures” of the real Frank Barnes and Will Colson, since they’re fictional characters. However, the story is inspired by a real-life incident that took place in Ohio, not Pennsylvania, involving a runaway train.
Action-Adventure Vased
Unstoppable, an old-school action-adventure based on the CSX-8888 incident of May 2001, is based on actual events. The movie, which was released in theatres in November 2010 and was nominated for an Academy Award, follows a group of railroad workers as they seek to halt an autonomous runaway train.
Washington’s role as Frank Barnes, a seasoned train engineer, marks their seventh time working together. Chris Pine, hot off his success as Captain Kirk in Star Trek, plays new conductor Will Colson.
The first shift of a new employee on another train quickly becomes a rescue mission.
As the 777 speeds through the Rust Belt, the film switches between the points of view of Barnes and Colson and their forced partnership, the dopes responsible for losing the train (Ethan Suplee as Dewey and T.J. Miller as Gilleece), the cowboy pursuing the train (Temple’s Ned), the corporate fixer (Kevin Dunn as Galvin), and the yardmaster (Rosario Dawson as Connie) tasked with orchestrating the rescue.
Connie is operating the ship with the help of the dispatcher Bunny (Kevin Chapman) and the government inspector Scott Werner (Kevin Corrigan), who apparently picked the worst day possible to check in.
Who is the Real Frank Barnes in “Unstoppable”?
In the movie, Frank Barnes, portrayed by Denzel Washington, is depicted as a seasoned engineer who teams up with a younger conductor, Will Colson (Chris Pine), to stop a train carrying toxic chemicals.
While the character Frank Barnes is not based on one specific individual, his character was inspired by the real-life heroes who stopped a similar runaway train incident in 2001. Those real individuals had different backgrounds and expertise, and their combined efforts contributed to stopping the train.
Is “Runaway Train” Based on a True Story?
The answer is yes, but with some cinematic liberties. “Unstoppable” draws inspiration from the Crazy Eights incident of 2001. A train, labeled CSX 8888 and informally known as Crazy Eights, ran unmanned for two hours through Ohio.
The film transplants the setting to Pennsylvania and amps up the drama for cinematic effect. However, the essence of the story — the race against time to halt a runaway train — stems from the true events of that day.
Who Stopped the Runaway Train in Pennsylvania (as Depicted in “Unstoppable”)?
In the movie’s universe, it’s Frank Barnes and Will Colson who heroically stop the runaway train in Pennsylvania, preventing a catastrophic disaster.
In real life, the Crazy Eights incident in Ohio was resolved by trainmaster Jon Hosfeld, who ran alongside the moving train, managed to climb aboard, and slowly brought it to a stop. His bravery and quick thinking prevented a potential disaster and saved countless lives.
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Last Words
As the 777 accelerates to full speed, a train carrying schoolchildren is almost pounded. A horse trailer that got stuck on the tracks later splits in two. Barnes and Colson narrowly avoid being hit by the oncoming 777 in the 1206.
So, Barnes decides to give pursuit in the hopes of slowing down the beast, and the competition is on.
“Unstoppable” masterfully weaves fact and fiction to deliver a heart-pounding cinematic experience. While Frank Barnes and Will Colson might not be real individuals, their story is rooted in the real-life bravery of those who face danger to protect others.
The tale of the runaway train serves as a testament to human ingenuity, courage, and the indomitable spirit to overcome challenges, both on-screen and off.
