FILM: " Mr. Phillips" - a merchant marine captain is captured by Somali pirates

 What is is about Tom Hanks and that doughy pudding face sweetness 
that seems his essential character?  He's such a good guy, even when he's covertly sleazy, as in Saving Mr. Banks.  

In Mr. Phillips I see the story of American goodness, a deferential cargo ship carrying water to thirsty African nations is attacked by chaotic desperate pirates. They have ghastly skull starved deaths heads and AK-47s, dressed in rags.  

The attack on the orderly and stately Maersk line ship upsets civilized order as only African political darkness can.  Little can be done until the lethal slick Navy Seals swiftly move in and slay the pirates, in a precision shoot which spares Captain Phillips to work again in his committed quiet duty to family and humanity.

Alas.  According to the New York Post, the actual Captain Phillips was an arrogant, perhaps unprofessional captain. He was disliked by most crew, and ignored orders to keep safe distance from the Somali coast, sailing 230 miles distant instead of the 600 recommended.  He ignored emails warnings about the alarming frequency of pirate attacks in the area and did not keep the crew on high alert as the film depicts.

The real Alabama in 2009 - worn, grubby.  In the film it's stately, beautifully painted in complementary tones of turquoise and sherbet orange, orderly in all its parts.  You'd want to play with it.
As it traverses the sea, it's like a whole island of plenty being gifted to the 3rd world.

He didn't offer himself as hostage, he didn't act the part of noble leader during the attack. 

These "true life" films are just such awful mythologizing - want to believe that we would all act the heroic, wise, savvy leader, but really, I'm just disgusted with the venal, narrow, unintelligent choices, behaviors and lives of clergy, the Senate, corporate leaders, and now sea captains.

The value of history seems much in doubt. I'm so weary of comparing myself to leaders and finding that most of my friends are more ethical, moral, and intelligent than they are.