<i>Perfect</i> Premiere In New England

In tribute to the men who were at the center of The Perfect Storm, George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg attended the movie's premiere Wednesday in Danvers, Mass.

The Perfect Storm is based the true story of men and women who risked their lives pitting their fishing boats and rescue vessels against the forces of nature at sea. It tells the story of the ill-fated boat the Andrea Gail and its crew, who were lost in a ferocious storm that struck the North Atlantic in October 1991.

"What we thought was, that if we did it right, we could come back and say, with any luck, we served their story,"' said Clooney.

"It was very difficult. It was, you know, like a white-knuckle, holding on," said Rusty Shatford, the brother of crewman Bobby Shatford, who is played by Wahlberg. "I wanted it to end, but I didn't want it to end. I was happy with the outcome."

Said Mary Anne Shatford, Bobby Shatford's sister, "It's a tragedy. I hope everyone remembers that."

Wahlberg, a Boston native, said he was mindful of the sensitive nature of the story about the Gloucester-based crew.

"It's a very sensitive subject,"' Wahlberg said. "This is not something that happened a century ago. It happened a decade ago."

Tickets to the premiere sold for $150 each, with proceeds going to The Gloucester Fund, which benefits charitable organizations in the fishing community.