Hurricane Odile in 2014 and a Bisbee’s win by an orphanage team is subject of film bought by Netflix starring Dennis Quaid
BY PAT McDONELL
CABO SAN LUCAS – It can’t be called the “big screen” these days when most movies are relegated to Netflix, but when Dennis Quaid is starring, you can be sure it’s going to draw attention. Quaid brings his considerable star power to the heartwarming story of a Cabo San Lucas orphanage that entered the 2014 Bisbee’s Black & Blue Marlin Tournament on a local charterboat in an effort to raise money for the struggling facility in the aftermath of a devastating hurricane.
Netflix confirmed to WON it has purchased the film starring Quaid from movie company ThirdCoastContent. The film, shot in Cabo San Lucas, was first titled On The Line but is now titled Blue Miracle. The film revolves around the category 5 hurricane that devastated Cabo San Lucas, threatening the world’s richest fishing tournament held there each October.
One of the many local teams that had its $5,000 basic entry fee waived was a team made up of anglers representing the Casa Hogar orphanage for boys in Cabo, which was struggling financially even before the hurricane. It is a local non-profit organization that provides food, shelter and education to under-privileged Los Cabos boys. It was among the charities Bisbee’s aids each year through various fundraising efforts. As the story goes, the Casa Hogar team, like many others that year, was able to enter the tourney due to the foundation covering most of the entry cost. The team was a long shot to win and raise money desperately needed to keep the orphanage open. Many other teams entered in that same way through the foundation to bolster the tourney field that reached 100 teams.
Well, the team with a local crew ended up winning the tourney with a 385-pound blue marlin and the team handed Casa Hogar the check for $258,325.
As with all jackpot tournaments, the biggest fish may win the title but not the bulk of the money. The second biggest marlin of 337 pounds was caught by veteran team Sporty Game which was across the board. Thus, the second biggest fish , took most of the daily optionals and won $1.68 million. But the Casa Hogar win in 2014 a month after the hurricane was a feel-good story, a tale of a local team hoping to win one for the kids, beating the seasoned veterans. Hollywood all the way.
The feel-good Hollywood story has top production talent and cast. Quaid has the star power and plays Wade, likely a fictional American captain operating the boat. If there wasn’t a heroic role to play, the screenwriter created one for one of Hollywood’s A-listers. Co-starring is well-known character actor Bruce McGill as tourney director Wayne Bisbee, Jimmy Gonzales plays Omar Venagas, caretaker of the orphanage, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson plays Tricia Bisbee.
Third Coast Contest produced the film and directing was Julio Quintana, whose credits include the 2016 Martin Sheen drama The Vessel. More on the film is coming, when its release date is closer.
