The Impossible True Story: How Accurate The Tsunami Movie Is
It’s hard to imagine surviving a 9.3 magnitude earthquake and then a tsunami. But that’s exactly what happened to one family in Thailand. The 2008 disaster involving over 230,000 casualties inspired the award-winning film, The Impossible, released in 2012. But how accurate is the movie to the true story? This article will address the real account of this family and discuss the elements of the movie that did, and did not, accurately portray their story.
What is the True Story of The Impossible?
The Impossible is based on the Belon family’s story of survival. The Belon family, which included Maria, Henry, and their three sons, Lucas, Thomas, and Simon, were on vacation in Thailand when they were struck by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. The movie portrays Maria Belon (played by Naomi Watts) and her oldest son, Lucas (Tom Holland), struggling to survive the natural disaster. This account is fairly accurate to the Belon family as they were indeed on vacation when the tsunami occurred.
How Accurate is The Impossible’s Portrayal of the Belon Family?
For the most part, The Impossible does a phenomenal job at portraying the Belon family accurately.
• For instance, Maria and Henry Belon’s portrayal of the mother and father in the movie is spot on. It’s noted that Henry managed to get the younger family members to safety, but lost Maria, Lucas, and Thomas in the process. This part of the movie was extremely accurate, as Henry had in fact rescued Simon but failed to locate the others before the tsunami swept them away.
• The director of the film did a fantastic job of showcasing the events within this family’s journey to reunite. At one point Lucas and Maria were on one side of the river, while Henry and Simon were on the other. Seeing how this family overcame challenges and remained focused on their ultimate goal was inspiring and very true to their real life story.
• In addition, the Belon family’s interactions with the locals were accurate as well. In one particularly powerful scene, Maria and Lucas were given a meal by a woman who had lost her own family in the disaster. This scene was exactly what had occurred in real life.
What Elements of The Impossible Were Not Accurate?
Although the film was extremely close to the real account of the Belon family, there are certain elements that were not completely accurate.
• For instance, the timeline used in the film was much shorter than what the Belon family had lived through. In reality, the Belon family spent three days apart living at separate hospitals before finally reuniting.
• What’s more, The Impossible omitted Maria Belon’s three months of hospitalization in Barcelona. After her time spent in Thailand Maria was flown to Barcelona for surgery. She spent this extended period in the hospital before being reunited with her family in Madrid.
• Also, in the film Lucas’ younger brother Simon was portrayed as being either two or three years of age. In reality, Simon Belon was 8 years old at the time of the tsunami.
• Last, the movie neglected to highlight a major change that the Belon family experienced because of the tsunami. After the disaster, the Belon family decided to give back and established a program to support rural families in Sri Lanka who were affected by the disaster.
The Impossible is a movie inspired by the real life story of the Belon family. For the most part, the movie was exemplary in retelling the events that the Belon family had lived through. However, the film was not entirely accurate in its portrayal of the Belon family and the time spent in Thailand. Nevertheless, The Impossible is a powerful and typically accurate representation of the Belon family’s journey and will continue to be a popular movie for many years to come.
