History Film / OnlyTheBrave

* AlternativeForeignThemeSong: The theme song for the Japanese release of the film is "My Star" by EXILE.

* ChekhovsGun: The air tankers. They are ''never'' where you want them to be or always dropping on exactly the wrong place. In the Yarnell fire, one drops ''right on their backfire'', extinguishing it and forcing them to move up the ridge [[spoiler:which kills them when the fire overruns them.]] The true tragedy, bordering on DiabolusExMachina, is that [[spoiler:an air tanker was RIGHT overhead as they were being overrun - and didn't drop because radio communications were too crowded, and the tanker failed to get the crew's mayday calls. If it had dropped on them, they likely would have survived.]]

* AdaptationDistillation: By necessity a lot of the story and several of the fires the Granite Mountain crew fights are left out before the fateful [[spoiler:Yarnell fire. After their deaths, there also was a [[https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-story-that-only-the-brave-leaves-out massive fight]] over survivor benefits with the town of Prescott, which denied them to the widows for ''years'' before they finally lost a very public court battle over it, all of which the movie simply skips over to a 'three years later' epilogue.]]

After receiving their certification (after quite a few bumps in the road) they go on to successfully battle several fires, culminating in a fire not far from home in Yarnell, AZ that suddenly takes deadly turn and puts their skills to the ultimate test.

In Prescott, AZ, Eric Marsh is trying to get a municipal (town-based rather then agency-based) crew of wildland firefighters certified as a Type 1, or Hotshot, crew. To do this requires a grueling training regimen followed by certification by a federal official, which is done on the front line against a real fire.

After receiving certification they go on to successfully battle several fires, culminating in a fire not far from home in Yarnell, AZ that suddenly takes a turn sideways.

In Prescott, AZ, Eric Marsh is trying to get a crew of wildland firefighters certified as a Type 1, or Hotshot, crew. To do this requires a grueling training regimen followed by certification by a federal official, which is done on the front line against a real fire.

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: Mostly averted; a little drama is added but for the most part, the story is exactly as it took place in real life. [[spoiler:One of the only real differences is that in the real world, not all the burned bodies of the firemen were found in fire shelters, and to this day it is not known why as they were all deployed. After their deaths, there also was a [[https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-story-that-only-the-brave-leaves-out massive fight]] over survivor benefits with the town of Prescott, which denied them to the widows for ''years'' before they finally lost a very public court battle over it.]]

* Foreshadowing: The burning bear is seen repeatedly, including in a dream of the supervisor Eric [[spoiler:right before they dispatch to Yarnell.]]

[[caption-width-right:220:[[https://youtu.be/edcrC6PABk8 Into the mouth of Hell we march.]]]]

[[caption-width-right:220:some caption text]]

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: Mostly averted; a little drama is added but for the most part, the story is exactly as it took place in real life. [[spoiler:One of the only real differences is that in the real world, not all the burned bodies of the firemen were found in fire shelters, and to this day it is not known why as they were all deployed. After their deaths, there also was a [[url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-story-that-only-the-brave-leaves-out]]massive fight[[/url]] over survivor benefits with the town of Prescott, which denied them to the widows for ''years'' before they finally lost a very public court battle over it.]]

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: Mostly averted; a little drama is added but for the most part, the story is exactly as it took place in real life. [[spoiler:One of the only real differences is that in the real world, not all the burned bodies of the firemen were found in fire shelters, and to this day it is not known why as they were all deployed.]]

* ChekhovsGun: The air tankers. They are ''never'' where you want them to be or always dropping on exactly the wrong place. In the Yarnell fire, one drops ''right on their backfire'', extinguishing it and forcing them to move up the ridge [[spoiler:which kills them when the fire overruns them.]] The true tragedy, bordering on DiabolusExMachina, is that [[spoiler:an air tanker was RIGHT overhead as they were being overrun - and didn't drop because radio communications were too crowded. If it had dropped on them, they likely would have survived.]]

* Checkov'sGun: The air tankers. They are ''never'' where you want them to be or always dropping on exactly the wrong place. In the Yarnell fire, one drops ''right on their backfire'', extinguishing it and forcing them to move up the ridge [[spoiler:which kills them when the fire overruns them.]] The true tragedy, bordering on DiabolicusExMachina, is that [[spoiler:an air tanker was RIGHT overhead as they were being overrun - and didn't drop because radio communications were too crowded. If it had dropped on them, they likely would have survived.]]

* CheckovsGun: The air tankers. They are ''never'' where you want them to be or always dropping on exactly the wrong place. In the Yarnell fire, one drops ''right on their backfire'', extinguishing it and forcing them to move up the ridge [[spoiler:which kills them when the fire overruns them.]] The true tragedy, bordering on DiabolicusExMachina, is that [[spoiler:an air tanker was RIGHT overhead as they were being overrun - and didn't drop because radio communications were too crowded. If it had dropped on them, they likely would have survived.]]

* LooselyBasedOnATrueStory: Mostly averted; some ArtisticLicenseDrama is added but for the most part, the story is exactly as it took place in real life. [[spoiler:One of the only real differences is that in the real world, not all the burned bodies of the firemen were found in fire shelters, and to this day it is not known why as they were all deployed.]]

* SoleSurvivor: [[spoiler:Brendan]] is the only one not present when the Granite Mountain crew is engulfed in the Yarnell Fire.

* DevelopingDoomedCharacters: You get to know a lot of the crew pretty well before the spoiler:[[final fire at Yarnell, where they all die save for one (see SoleSurvivor below).

* ForgoneConclusion: The fate of the Granite Mountain Hotshots was pretty well-known even before the film came out.

* CrazyEnoughToWork: There has never been a municipal Hotshot crew. Eric intends to change that, though it's a considerable investment and big risk that has the mayor and city council getting antsy.

* BearsAreBadNews: Certainyl ones made of fire, representing the danger fires bring. This comes from Eric's memory of one of his earliest fires, an entire forest goes up in flames and out comes running a bear on fire. He syas he'd never seen anything so beautiful or so terrifying.
* CrazyEnoughToWork: There has never been a municipal Hotshot crew. Eric intends to change that, though it's a considerable investment and biug risk that has the mayor and city council getting antsy.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Though he seems dubious about the feasablility of basing a Hotshot crew in their town, the mayor gives them the time they need to prove themseleves and get certified.