Tami is a free spirit. You can tell because she wears seashell necklaces and responds to immigration officers' inquiries about how long she intends to stay in their country with a carefree shrug that screams, "I AM A CITIZEN OF THE WORLD."

When Richard gets offered a high-paying job navigating a boat back to Tami's hometown of San Diego, the two set sail around the world together - despite her reservations about returning to the life she has spent years escaping.

But when a hurricane wrecks their ship, Tami must struggle to keep both herself and a badly wounded Richard alive - no easy feat when endless weeks pass without a hint of land or rescue. But director Baltasar Kormakur's decision to jump between the leaking boat and the couple's initial romance has mixed results.