BP has called a new film recounting the events leading up to the Deepwater Horizon spill an inaccurate portrayal of the 2010 accident.
In a statement seen by Reuters, BP senior vice-president of U.S. communications & external affairs Geoff Morrell said the film is “not an accurate portrayal of the events that led to the accident, our people, or the character of our company.”
“Deepwater Horizon” stars Mark Wahlberg and recounts the 48 hours leading up to the Macondo well blowout that killed 11 people and caused the largest oil spill in U.S. history.
Wahlberg stars as electronics technician Mike Williams alongside Kurt Russel as Jimmy Harrell, a Transocean offshore installation manager who was on board the Deepwater Horizon when the blowout occurred.
The film, directed by Peter Berg, is based on the New York Times article “Deepwater Horizon’s Final Hour.”
“Coming as it does six-and-a-half years after the accident, the movie also does not reflect who we are today, the lengths we’ve gone to restore the Gulf, the work we’ve done to become safer, and the trust we’ve earned back around the world.” BP added in the statement.
This is how the dance goes. Some event transpires which Hollywood portrays years later and invariably either misses relevant facts or totally alters the narrative. This is what forms public perception of the event, the participants and the organizations involved.
Those maligned, miscast or misreported then have the impossible task of defending their record. That never works. Only time fades the negative impressions of those maligned whether they admit, adjust and adapt or not.
Happened with the Exxon Valdez and will likely repeat with Deepwater Horizon.
The film was big on entertainment but lax on providing an explanation of the actual events that were happening on the oil rig prior to the explosion.
I have no understanding of an Oil Rig and its safety checks and its operation and what was actually happening on that rig prior to the explosion. After seeing the movie, I have no further understanding… Result.. 11 Dead and BP guilty? To me, that is a simple story for Hollywood but who cares about the truth?