[Cuomo:] Welcome back to NEW DAY. The new Tom Hanks movie is getting rave reviews, but also taking some heat. "Captain Phillips" tells the real life story of the Maersk Alabama, a ship hijacked by Somali pirates in 2009. The captain was taken hostage, later hailed as a hero. Well, now, some of the crew members are speaking out saying the movie gets it all wrong. Drew Griffin is live at the CNN Center with that. Good morning, Drew.
[Drew Griffin, Cnn Special Investigations Unit Reporter:] Good morning, Chris. And, you know, while that movie heads to theaters this week, several members of the captain's crew are getting ready to head to court. A case to be heard later this year alleging it was the captain himself who, far from the hero, actually may have led his crew directly into trouble. Allegations we first confronted Captain Phillips with while he was on a book tour in 2010.
[Griffin:] As their captain was being lauded as a hero, the crew of the Maersk Alabama watched and bit their tongues. No more.
[Mike Perry, Chief Engineer, Maersk Alabama:] We vowed we were going to take it to our grave. We weren't going to say anything. Then we hear this PR stuff coming out about him giving himself up and we said, and he's still on he's still a hostage. And we the whole crew is like, what? Because everybody's in shock.
[Griffin:] Back in 2010, the Alabama's chief engineer, Mike Perry, told us he and most of the crew couldn't believe the story being painted about their captain, Captain Richard Phillips, that he had given himself up in exchange for the safety of his crew. Left out of the entire story, says Perry, is the captain's recklessness that steered the Maersk Alabama into pirate-infested waters. According to crew members, Captain Phillips, on a voyage from Oman to Mombasa, Kenya, set a course to save money. That route would shorten the trip and, according to third engineer John Cornan, put the crew directly in harm's way.
[John Cornan, Third Engineering Officer, Maersk Alabama:] He was advised to change course by competent deck officers and he overruled them. Stay on course. Make our easy a. Stay on the same course.
[Griffin:] In a 2010 interview, Captain Richard Phillips told us he was not used to criticism. When CNN confronted him with these e-mails and his crews' concerns, he said it was the first time his judgment had been questioned. The complaint is that there were specific e-mails sent to your ship stressing the need to go further out to sea.
[Capt. Richard Phillips, Maersk Alabama:] Yes. So something like that, we will deal with that in the arena that they wish, and that's the court. That's what this is based on.
[Griffin:] Is it true?
[Phillips:] Umm, there are warnings put out I don't know what authorities he's talking about. He doesn't say.
[Griffin:] Well, I have the e-mails.
[Phillips:] Yes.
[Griffin:] You've seen the e-mails.
[Phillips:] I haven't since the e-mails since I've been on the ship.
[Griffin:] You got them, right? But you were warned to go further out to sea. The captain is now a witness in a contentious lawsuit between some of the crew and the shipping company. In a deposition just last year, Captain Phillips admitted he did indeed receive the e-mail warnings. He also admits he kept the warnings to himself. Asked by a plaintiff's attorney why he didn't move further offshore, Phillips testifies, "I don't believe 600 miles would make you safe. I didn't believe 1,200 miles would make you safe." Phillips told us much of the criticism is driven by human nature and by lawsuits filed by members of his crew. He also says the story itself was fueled by a press that wanted a hero, a captain who saved his crew, a good story and now a movie.
[Unidentified Male, Actor, "captain Phillips":] Four pirates on board. Four pirates.
[Phillips:] The media got everything wrong. I don't know how I could control this when I'm in a lifeboat and the media is saying I gave myself up for it. In the book, if you read it have you read that book?
[Griffin:] I did. I read it.
[Phillips:] So you know I didn't give myself up. I was already a hostage by then.
[Griffin:] To his credit, Chris and Kate, when we interviewed the captain, he said he never called himself nor considered himself a hero. The real heroes, he said, were the Navy SEALs that rescued him and his crew. That case goes to trial in December. Back to you.
[Cuomo:] Be no controversy about the SEALs. Hey, Drew, thank you very much for the reporting. Appreciate it. All right, how about a little "Good Stuff"? What do you think?
[Bolduan:] Please.
[Cuomo:] A little Tuesday edition. All right, here's what we have. When it comes to helping people, all it takes is a little bit of magic. Magician and YouTube fixture Stewart Edge was surprised to learn just how little pizza delivery drivers make. Well below minimum wage. Did you know that? Especially once you figure in they have to use their own car and all the expense that goes along with it. If they don't get decent tips, well, tough situation to say the least. So, Stewart came up with a new trick, turning a tip of five singles into five 20s. Needless to say, the drivers thought it was magical.
[Unidentified Male:] You made it work, so here you go, 20, 40, $100. That's awesome. Yes. It is pretty awesome. I'm tearing up. Oh, no, no, don't. I'm sure you can use it. Yes, definitely. Wait. Are you serious? Yes. It's not going to change back to ones on me when I'm driving home? Maybe it will change to hundreds. That would be cool. I feel like I owe you something now definitely. No, just you gave me the pizza.
[Cuomo:] He did get his pizza. He made sure of that. All of those tips come out of Stewart's own pocket. October is National Pizza Month. So remember your delivery drivers and tip them if you feel so suited.
[Pereira:] Dude eats a lot of pizza.
[Cuomo:] Right, he eats a lot of pizza, that's right.
[Bolduan:] And what's wrong with that?
[Cuomo:] He put on 45 pounds in the process, but it was for a good cause.
[Pereira:] That is so cool.
[Cuomo:] He you know, it's just a you've got to remember, there are a lot of people who are working today who aren't making a lot of money.
[Pereira:] Yes, that's true.
[Cuomo:] That's one of the things we talk about all the time. So the good stuff was recognizing that there are people out there working hard, not getting a lot for it. So, good on Stewart for doing it.
[Bolduan:] I had a favorite pizza guy in D.C. That's how much pizza I ordered, yes.
[Cuomo:] Did you tip him?
[Bolduan:] Yes.
[Cuomo:] The word is you're
[Bolduan:] What?
[Pereira:] Hey. Not
[Cuomo:] Michaela said it.
[Bolduan:] I knew your source was questionable.
[Pereira:] Here comes the bus.
[Cuomo:] That's exactly right.
[Pereira:] And now being thrown under it. Man.
[Cuomo:] Yes.
[Bolduan:] All right. Coming up next on NEW DAY, because now we're going to fight it out in the break, we spoke with Newt Gingrich earlier, but who better to get the word than his better half. Callista Gingrich will be joining us in just a few minutes to talk about her new children's book about the American Revolution.