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Tom Holland fans are in for an early holiday treat, because one of the actor’s earlier films, the 2012 disaster drama The Impossible, is now streaming on Netflix. Holland stars alongside Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor in the drama, which tells the story of a family on vacation in Thailand when a massive, devastating tsunami strikes.
Holland plays Lucas, the son of Maria (Watts) and Henry (McGregor). His family is separated during the storm, but find each other in the aftermath. While Henry reunites with his two younger sons, Maria and Lucas stuck together as the storm cleared. The Impossible tells the story of how the family found each other again and survived against all odds.
It’s an inspiring tale, but is it true? Here’s everything you need to know about the real story behind The Impossible:
IS THE IMPOSSIBLE BASED ON A TRUE STORY?
Yes! The film is based on the real events of the December 2004 tsunami that struck Thailand. The Impossible also follows a real family, but their story was tweaked for the film. While The Impossible‘s family is British, the real family is from Spain. María Belón, her husband, Enrique Álvarez and their sons, Lucas, Tomás and Simón, are the real tourists featured in the story, and the film does stay true to their tale of survival.
When The Impossible was first released, it was met with backlash from some critics and viewers, who called out the film for whitewashing the real story of the tsunami. The Guardian accused the film of placing focusing “not on the plight of the indigenous victims but on the less harrowing experiences of privileged white visitors.” “The film’s winsomely western family, headed by Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor, experience little more than separation anxiety and survivable injury before jetting safely homewards,” they wrote.
In their review of The Impossible, the New York Times argued that the movie doesn’t accurately depict the impact of the tsunami, choosing instead to focus on the plight of white victims. “Virtually everyone shown suffering after the tsunami is a European, Australian or American tourist, and the fact that the vast majority of the dead, injured and displaced were Asian never really registers,” they wrote.
WHERE IS THE FAMILY FROM THE IMPOSSIBLE NOW?
What’s the real family behind The Impossible up to now? María, who is a doctor, works as an advocate for survivors of the tsunami and travels the world as a motivational speaker. “I was always afraid of things,” she told The Mirror. “The tsunami was an incredible gift. I embrace life. My whole life is extra time.” According the The Huffington Post, Enrique has been using his own experience to give back, volunteering for the NGO Proactiva Open Arms to help refugees arriving in Greece. Their sons, Lucas and Tomás, have gone on to pursue careers as doctor and a lifeguard, respectively.
