movie review flight denzel washington

My name is Whip, and I’m an alcoholic

After opening with one of the most terrifying flying scenes I’ve witnessed, in which an airplane is saved by being flown upside down, Robert Zemeckis ‘ “Flight” segues into a brave and tortured performance by Denzel Washington — one of his very best. Not often does a movie character make such a harrowing personal journey that keeps us in deep sympathy all of the way.

Washington plays Whip Whitaker, a veteran commercial airlines pilot who over the years has built up a shaky tolerance for quantities of alcohol and cocaine that would be lethal for most people. At the film opens, he’s finishing an all-night party with a friendly flight attendant named Katerina ( Nadine Velazquez ) and jolts himself back into action with two lines of cocaine. His co-pilot ( Brian Geraghty ) eyes him suspiciously, but Whip projects poise and authority from behind his dark aviator glasses.

Their flight takes off in a disturbing rainstorm and encounters the kind of turbulence that has the co-pilot crying out, “Oh, Lord!” But Whip powers them at high speed into an area of clear sky, before a mechanical malfunction sends the aircraft into an uncontrollable nosedive. Zemeckis and his team portray the terror in the cabin in stomach-churning style. Acting on instinct, seeming cool as ice, the veteran pilot inverts the plane to halt its descent, and it flies level upside-down until he rights it again to glide into a level crash-landing in an open field.

The field, as it happens, is next to a little church, and the way Zemeckis portrays an outdoor baptism on the ground below captures the hyper-realism with which I imagine we notice things when we think we’re about to die. Only six people do die in the crash, and Whittaker is hailed as a hero.

Will this close call bring an end to his drinking? He retreats to his grandfather’s farm where he was raised, pours out all his booze and is dry for a time — until he’s told by his union representative ( Bruce Greenwood ) and his lawyer ( Don Cheadle ), that blood tests show he was flying drunk. A government hearing is fraught with hazard (he faces a possible life sentence). Meanwhile, he is befriended by a woman named Nicole ( Kelly Reilly ), who he met in the hospital, and she takes him to an AA meeting, but the program is not for him.

It becomes clear that intoxication is more important to Whip than anything else; it cost him a marriage and the respect of his son. One of the most effective things in Washington’s performance is the way he puts up an impassive facade to conceal his defiant addiction. “No one else could have landed that plane!” he insists, and indeed tests in a flight simulator back him up. The fact remains that he was stoned.

One of the most gripping scenes takes place in a hotel room where Whittaker is being held essentially under guard for the week before his official hearing. At a crucial moment, his drug supplier Harling Mays ( John Goodman ) turns up, marching toward camera in one of a series of garish Hawaiian shirts, ready to battle a crisis. I don’t have any idea if cocaine can snap you back from a killer hangover, but I wouldn’t count on it.

Denzel Washington is one of the most sympathetic and rock-solid of actors, and it’s effective here how his performance never goes over the top but instead is grounded on obsessive control. There are many scenes inviting emotional displays. A lesser actor might have wanted to act them out. Washington depends on his eyes, his manner and a gift for projecting inner emotion. In the way it meets every requirement of a tricky plot, this is an ideal performance.

Among the supporting performances, Don Cheadle projects guarded motivations, Greenwood is a loyal friend, Goodman seems like a handy medic, and Brian Geraghty’s panic in the co-pilot’s seat underlines the horror. “Flight,” a title with more than one meaning, is strangely the first live-action feature in 12 years by Robert Zemeckis, who seemed committed to stop-motion animation (“ Beowulf ,” “ The Polar Express ,” “ Disney's A Christmas Carol “). It is nearly flawless. I can think of another final line of dialogue for Whip Whitaker’s character (“My name is Whip, and I’m an alcoholic”), but that’s just me.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

Nadine Velazquez as Katerina
Bruce Greenwood as Charlie
Brian Geraghty as Ken
John Goodman as Harling
Denzel Washington as Whip
Don Cheadle as Hugh
John Gatins

Directed by

Robert Zemeckis

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Flight Reviews

No actor I know working today can take a feather of character nuance and turn it into a moral fiber of steely resolve with merely a new look or a change of voice inflection the way Denzel can.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Oct 13, 2024

Led by Denzel Washington's top-notch performance in Flight, Robert Zemeckis' return to live action was worth the wait.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Dec 28, 2022

Washington delivers one of his most complex and intricate performances.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Sep 21, 2022

Zemekis rounds up a potent film about a freefalling alcoholic with a few existential themes such as salvation. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Aug 10, 2022

Flight isn't an easy sit. It doesn't offer up comforting answers to the many questions it raises or deal in exaggerated platitudes an audience might find simplistically comforting.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Apr 5, 2022

Denzel brought it in this one and so did most of the other actors. It's a really good movie.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 30, 2021

Denzel gives a wild performance in this film that is further enhanced by the supporting work of Don Cheadle, John Goodman and Bruce Greenwood. Could have done without the subplot with the love interest but it doesn't ruin the film.

In Flight, we sit and watch a series of timeless truisms (at best) ... And, as a result, somewhere in the middle of the movie, it all grows a bit tedious.

Full Review | Feb 12, 2021

Flight proves, in a bad way, that believable characters are essential for all good movies.

Full Review | Jan 14, 2021

Washington is so good that he nearly overwhelms the film with a performance that soars far higher than the film itself.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.0/4.0 | Sep 7, 2020

Denzel Washington's mesmerizing, heartbreaking performance carries the entire piece.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Jul 29, 2020

What keeps "Flight" from devolving into a full-fledged Lifetime territory are a strong beginning and Denzel Washington's performance.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Jul 18, 2020

In 'Flight', Denzel Washington takes off very high with what would be one of the most complex performances in his entire career. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jun 25, 2020

Zemeckis crash lands his movie with a shoddy romantic subplot and an ending shoehorned in so American audiences won't walk away bitching about the film being a downer.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.6/5 | Nov 13, 2019

Some might say Flight peaks very early. Those folks would be absolutely right. But what a peak it is. Whatever you do, do not show up late. The opening half-hour is truly stunning.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Nov 1, 2019

sluggish exploration of alcoholism which is as dull as listening to the pub bore

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 25, 2019

Even amidst the depths of personal despair, Zemeckis maintains a light touch, interjecting moments of humor that keep the film entertaining and not as ponderous as it could have been.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jun 8, 2019

Flight makes its points, but it never capitalizes on what might make it unique.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Jan 30, 2019

However, if you feel you can with stand a nosedive shot from the cockpit of a commercial airliner, this happens to be a gripping and brilliantly acted film.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Nov 7, 2018

Flight is an engaging film with an opening that is worth the price of admission on its own.

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Nov 1, 2018

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Movie Review: 'Flight'

Kenneth Turan

Movie critic Kenneth Turan reviews Flight , starring Denzel Washington. Turan says Washington plays an intriguing — and morally ambivalent — hero.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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Movie Review

Life Takes Nose Dive, and Settles Into an Abyss

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By Manohla Dargis

Nov. 1, 2012

There is a single image in “Flight” of a miniature bottle of vodka that’s more nerve-racking than almost anything in the thrillers released this year. Shot in close-up with a room blurred in the background, the bottle looks so very big for something so small, like a totem of some mystical deity. It represents a million earlier drinks downed in a forlorn, existential frenzy, but it also resonates with a foreboding that the director Robert Zemeckis sustains for several unsettling seconds. What gives the image such tension, an almost unbearable throb of suspense, is that you know that right outside the frame is a man who is just dying for that drink. And you’re dying a little along with him.

The man going down, down, down is Whip Whitaker. Played by a titanic Denzel Washington, he’s a veteran commercial pilot whose greatest vocation should be his flying but, for this and that reason, has become his drinking. Whip doesn’t drink to excess and quietly fade, he stumbles, shouts, flails, blacks out. Mr. Zemeckis, directing his best movie since “ Cast Away ” (2000), about a different kind of disaster, makes you see that Whip is a beautiful indulger, as does the erotically hyped-up Mr. Washington, with his switchblade strut and aviator shades. As crucially, they also show you the ugly, mean, angrily unrepentant drunk, the one whose sunglasses hide bloodshot eyes and who, when he passes out on the floor, needs someone to tilt his head so he doesn’t choke on his own vomit.

The story, by the screenwriter John Gatins , turns on a crash that takes place soon after the movie opens. During a hop from Orlando, Fla., to Atlanta in a bad storm, a catastrophic event occurs. Whip manages to land the plane, but after saving others, begins losing himself. His unraveling brings on mood swings, rock oldies and a genre sampler, with the movie shifting from thriller to romance, family melodrama, legal drama and bitterly delivered inspirational tract. The calamity stirs up a mystery — what did Whip do, and was he sober when he did it? — feeding the inquiry and his relationships, including with a drug addict (the lyrically melancholic Kelly Reilly); his son (a fine Justin Martin); a friend (a blustery John Goodman); and a lawyer (Don Cheadle, doing a lot with little).

Even more than the plane crash in “Cast Away” (about a survivor, played by Tom Hanks, marooned on an unpopulated island), the accident in “Flight” is freakishly real; it’s one of those big-screen nightmares that will inspire fear-of-flying moviegoers to run home and Google car rental deals and Greyhound schedules. It’s a showstopper, with thrashing inverted bodies amid sickening screams and engine noises. The coordinated chaos makes a sharp contrast with the movie’s equally pivotal low-key opener, which introduces Whip as he groggily wakes in a hotel room, swigs some booze and leers at the naked woman, Katerina (Nadine Velazquez), bent over next to him. It’s initially amusing to see Mr. Washington, who excels at square-jaw decency, getting down and dirty.

Mr. Zemeckis sets this scene efficiently, using his restless cameras, the pinpoint editing and seemingly nonchalant performances to home in on details that will register more meaningfully later, like the hunger with which Whip looks at Katerina and the anger edging his voice as he talks to his ex-wife on the phone. Nothing in the scene registers as especially significant until, amid the chatter and subtly choreographed bodies and cameras, you learn that Whip is a pilot scheduled to fly that same morning. This bombshell doesn’t fully explode, though, until he leans over a line of coke and, with his head swooping straight at us — and the camera racing away from him just as fast — snorts it, punctuating the hit with an ecstatic shake of his head, the whites of his eyes shining.

He’s high as a kite, and you may be too, lifted by the contact high that great filmmaking gives you. Mr. Zemeckis is far from a reliable filmmaker. What he has are good pop-culture instincts and, at least until he became infatuated with motion-capture technology, a gift for harnessing technological innovations with stories that can turn into enlivening cinema, as he did in movies like “ Who Framed Roger Rabbit ” and segments of the “Back to the Future” trilogy. His infatuation with motion capture, by contrast, has produced a handful of dreary, animated experiments like“ The Polar Express .” To watch Mr. Zemeckis working fluidly in consort with Mr. Washington’s ferocious performance is to regret this director’s last, technologically determined decade.

Mr. Zemeckis is in very fine form in “Flight” and when he sends a camera whooshing down the aisle of the failing plane, the controlled movement both conveys the contained frenzy of the scene and visually echoes the chill racing along your spine. Here he achieves more than virtuosic display. By something more, I don’t mean the movie’s subject, which is, at its broadest, a tail-spinning alcoholic. Superficially, “Flight” is the sort of award-season entry that earns plaudits simply because its subjects are sanctified as important, serious. There’s seriousness in “Flight,” but not self-seriousness. And what distinguishes it is the balance of its parts and how its floating, racing cameras complement the nimble performances, rocking emotions and ups and downs of the story and music alike.

Although he and Mr. Washington bring you into the movie fast, Mr. Zemeckis seems almost to blow it right at the start, when he begins abruptly cutting between Whip and a willowy, seemingly unrelated redhead. She’s soon introduced as the drug addict, Nicole, who will become important to Whip, yet in her twitchy establishing scenes of buying and shooting dope, she feels like a miscalculation. Mr. Zemeckis’s penchant for matchy-matchy musical selections is similarly distracting, as with his use of the Cowboy Junkies’ version of the Lou Reed song “Sweet Jane,” when Nicole injects heroin so strong that it’s called the Taliban. Mr. Zemeckis may want to suggest that the song — its lyrics include “heavenly wine and roses/seem to whisper to me/when you smile” — is playing in her head or ours when she slides the needle in, but it’s a crude stroke.

Mainstream habits die hard, and there are other instances when Mr. Zemeckis dilutes his movie’s power, notably with broad comedy and predictable sermonizing. “Flight” is, of course, about survival, and not only the type promised by the somewhat misleading advertising, which focuses on the more shocking (and cinematic) nose-diving calamity instead of the bottle-tipping one. To that end, the story hits many familiar recovery beats, partly because transformation is the only way out when a star plays an addict in an American mainstream movie. Our national culture of resurrection has as great a stranglehold on movies as Hollywood narrative conventions do. (That partly explains the limited popular appeal of Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Master,” in which deliverance remains insistently out of reach.)

It’s no surprise that “Flight” has salvation in mind. The shock is how deep Mr. Zemeckis and Mr. Washington journey into the abyss and how long they stay there. It can be tough for stars to play such unrepentantly compromised characters, as Mr. Washington does brilliantly here. Most charm up their villains, thinning the venality with charisma and winks at the camera; in “Training Day,” as a seductively corrupt cop, Mr. Washington’s magnetism made a mockery of the story’s moral posturing. There’s no such falsity in “Flight.” The inevitable redemption doesn’t erase what happened or ease the pain, and the performance remains astonishingly true to Whip’s harrowing aloneness and its cost. Once again, you can’t take your eyes off Mr. Washington, but this time you watch him with agony rather than just admiration.

“Flight” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). The movie includes a sustained scene of a cataclysmic plane crash, as well as excessive drinking, drug use and the usual adult language.

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FILM REVIEW: Denzel Washington excels as a pilot whose heroics hide a very dark side.

By Todd McCarthy

Todd McCarthy

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Washington delivers an awards-worthy performance in Robert Zemeckis’ return to live action.

After 12 years spent mucking about in the motion-capture playpen, Robert Zemeckis parachutes back to where he belongs, in big-time, big-star, live-action filmmaking, with Flight . A gritty, full-bodied character study of a man whose most exceptional deed might have resulted from his most flagrant flaw, this absorbing drama provides Denzel Washington with one of his meatiest, most complex roles. World premiering as the closing-night attraction at the 50th New York Film Festival, the Paramount release will be welcomed warmly by audiences in search of thoughtful, powerful adult fare.

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DVD & Streaming

Content Caution

In Theaters

November 2, 2012
Denzel Washington as Whip Whitaker; Kelly Reilly as Nicole Maggen; Don Cheadle as Hugh Lang; Bruce Greenwood as Charlie Anderson; John Goodman as Harling Mays; Melissa Leo as Ellen Brock; Nadine Velazquez as Katerina Marquez; Brian Geraghty as Ken Evans; Tamara Tunie as Margaret Thomason; James Badge Dale as the Gaunt Young Man; Garcelle Beauvais as Deana; Peter Gerety as Avington Carr; Ron Caldwell as Trevor

Home Release Date

February 5, 2013
Robert Zemeckis

Distributor

Paramount Pictures

Movie Review

A man awakens in a hotel room. He grabs an open beer bottle and drains the dregs, setting it down next to other empty bottles and an overflowing ash tray. A naked woman next to him rises, then listens as the man takes a phone call and argues with his ex-wife. The woman reminds him they have a 9:00 a.m. flight. The man snorts a line of cocaine. Then he gets ready for work.

His name is Whip Whittaker. And he’s a veteran pilot for SouthJet Air.

Today, Whip will fly under the influence—just like he’s done 10 times in the last three days. But today will not be just like every other day for Whip and his lover, a flight attendant named Katerina Marquez. Today Whip and an earnest co-pilot he’s never met will ascend into the teeth of a maelstrom.

Twenty-six minutes after a rough take-off, the plane slips into a stream of smooth air. Then the unthinkable happens. There’s a thud—a thud that awakens the inebriated captain from the stupor he’s slipped into. Then, the plunge. The plane sheds 10,000 feet in moments.

The co-pilot prays. Loudly: “Lord Jesus!” Screams fill the cabin. A flight attendant gets hurled into a bulkhead. She collapses.

Chaos reigns everywhere on the stricken plane.

Everywhere, that is, except Capt. Whip Whittaker’s chair. Step by step, the veteran pilot takes control. He slows the plane’s precipitous dive, inverting it to stabilize its flight. Five hundred feet above a field next to a church outside Atlanta, Whip flips the plane back over and … “lands” it.

When Whip awakens after the crash, he’s in a hospital room recovering from minor injuries. Waiting for him is pilot union representative Charlie Anderson, who informs him that only six of the 102 souls onboard lost their lives.

It’s a miracle. Whip Whittaker is a hero.

But there is one other matter: the results of the toxicology test taken before Whip regained consciousness. Results that will determine whether the alcoholic and drug-abusing hero spends the remainder of his days in prison.

[ Note: Spoilers are contained in the following sections. ]

Positive Elements

Flight is about two crashes. The first involves Whip Whittaker’s miraculous landing of a crippled plane. The second is the slow-motion crash of the pilot’s life as he’s forced out of denial about his addictions.

Whip grew up flying his father’s crop duster and later flew in the Navy. He’s a man’s man, someone who projects an aura of invincibility. While everyone else panics, his placidly preternatural piloting skill proves he’s totally in control. Even as the plane rockets downward, Whip has the presence of mind to instruct a flight attendant named Margaret to speak into the flight data recorder and tell her son that she loves him.

But Whip’s not in control of his life. His substance abuse has cost him his wife and his relationship with his teenage son, Trevor.

In the hospital, Whip meets another addict, Nicole, a woman who’s in the grip of heroin and trapped in an unwanted porn “career.” Nicole and Whip are kindred spirits, and they seek to help each other. Whip confronts her predatory landlord, for instance. Nicole, meanwhile, heads to AA and exhorts Whip to do the same.

It’s partly to keep from defaming Katerina’s memory (she dies trying to save a little boy right before the plane crashes) that Whip eventually and tearfully admits he drank before that flight and many others. In prison, he tells a group of fellow addicts, “That was it. I was finished. I was done. It was as if I had reached my lifelong limit of lies. I could not tell one more lie.” Despite incarceration, Whip concludes, “For the first time in my life, I’m free.” He says he’s made apologies to many who tried to help him through the years, some of whom have forgiven him, he believes, some of whom haven’t. One of those people is his son, with whom he has a renewed relationship by film’s end.

Spiritual Elements

A Christian couple reasons that the crash was preordained by God, saying, “Nothing happens in the kingdom of our Lord that’s a mistake.” They also say they believe that “Jesus our Savior” was guiding Whip’s hands. In the same conversation, they describe God as a “higher judge” than any human authority.

Whip and Nicole encounter a cancer patient who essentially says the same thing. He believes that God chose for him to have cancer. Embracing that thought as he nears death has led to a sense of peace and freedom that he wishes he would have had earlier.

But when Whip hears the crash described as an “act of God” (a phrase that’s used a lot), he asks, “Whose God would do this?” He mocks the faith of flight attendant Margaret Thomason, saying he’ll get her back to Atlanta in time for her prayer meeting with “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Margaret corrects him, saying she attends Christ the King Baptist Church. She also invites him to come with her.

As she sobers up, Nicole is shown sitting next to what looks like a Bible, which Whip picks up and looks at. So there’s a bit of movement in his spiritual condition shown. In prison, he hints that God played a role in his newfound sobriety when he says, “I’m sober. I thank God for that.” He has a framed copy of the Serenity Prayer in his cell.

The plane crashes near a Pentecostal church, with one wing clipping the steeple. It happens as white-robed church members baptize new believers in a nearby lake. We’re told they set up a prayer vigil for the wounded. Throughout the film we glimpse Christian symbols such as crosses, crucifixes and praying hands.

Sexual & Romantic Content

That opening hotel-room scene with Whip and Katerina shows her completely naked and from all angles. She wanders around the room for several long minutes in that condition as Whip talks with his ex-wife on the phone. Eventually, she dons a thong and gets dressed.

Nicole is shown walking out of an apartment with $100; it’s implied she’s prostituted herself. She heads to a porn film set where she’s supposed to be in two scenes involving anal sex. An actor and the director talk through the “action,” and the actor undoes a towel (facing her, not the camera) so she can see his “pipe” (as they call his anatomy) before filming. Nicole has had enough by this time, though, and refuses to do the shoot. Later, the director gives her packages of heroin and cocaine. Thus, when Nicole admonishes Whip about his alcoholism, he counterattacks by accusing her of performing oral sex in exchange for drugs. Nicole’s sleazy landlord hints that he’s willing to cut her a break on rent in exchange for sex. It’s implied that she’s acquiesced to similar manipulation before.

Nicole moves in with Whip. It’s implied they sleep together. (We see her bare back in bed one morning.) In the hospital, an old pilot friend of Whip’s named Harling Mays brings him a variety of contraband, including cigarettes, alcohol and a stack of pornographic magazines. Harling calls them “stroke mags,” and instructs Whip to masturbate as much as he wants—because he’s a hero. We see Whip’s bare backside in a hospital gown.

Violent Content

Wicked turbulence during SouthJet Flight 227’s initial descent takes out one flight attendant by bashing her head brutally against two bulkheads. Passengers are rattled mightily throughout the plane’s plunge.

After the crash, another flight attendant’s head is pinned bloodily beneath a piece of protruding metal. Blood covers co-pilot Ken Evans’ face; after he recovers from a coma, he tells Whip that his legs and pelvis have been crushed. Whip has suffered face lacerations and torn ligaments.

We see the crash from the outside, too. A wing shears off, and burning wreckage is seen. Both engines explode.

Whip tackles Nicole’s landlord. Whip later seeks refuge at his ex-wife’s house. But he’s drunk, and their encounter soon degenerates into a shouting match that escalates into a wrestling match with his son.

Crude or Profane Language

About 50 f-words, at least one of them paired with “mother.” Nearly 25 s-words. God’s name is linked with “d‑‑n” three or four times. Jesus’ name is abused the same number of times, including one back-to-back usage with the f-word. Milder profanities includes “a‑‑,” “b‑‑ch” and “h‑‑‑.” We hear rough slang for the male anatomy.

Drug & Alcohol Content

Whip smokes and drinks constantly. We see him consume beer and vodka while driving. Once, he falls on a table full of bottles, then passes out. Before his hearing, Whip’s team of handlers makes sure there’s no alcohol in his hotel room. Unfortunately, a door between his room and the next has inadvertently been left open, and he finds—and drinks—an entire mini fridge full of booze. When Charlie and Hugh find him, he’s passed out in his underwear in the bathroom, bottles strewn everywhere, the toilet smeared with his blood.

Twice, Whip uses cocaine (a stimulant) to “overcome” the depressant effects of alcohol. Both times we see him snort the stuff. He also smokes a cocaine-dipped cigarette.

Nicole’s addiction is heroin. She obtains it from her porn-movie pusher, then goes home and shoots up. We see her tie off her arm and insert the needle. She soon passes out and is hospitalized.

We hear mentions of prescription medications such as Xanax and Vicodin. Whip flushes some of those pills down the toilet.

Other Noteworthy Elements

Lawyer Hugh Lang is hired to make Whip’s incriminating toxicology report “go away” by any means necessary. Hugh, Charlie and others who work for the airline have a strong interest in exonerating Whip because if he’s guilty of operating a plane under the influence during a fatal crash, the ensuing legal liability would likely bankrupt the airline. So they work tirelessly to ensure that he’s ready to lie through his deposition. They also stand by as Harling lays lines of cocaine out for the pilot to “whip” him into shape. (Whip does lie throughout much of the hearing, but in the end confesses the truth.)

Earlier in the investigation, Whip leans on both Margaret and Ken, asking them to lie on his behalf. Both resist. In the end, however, it’s implied that neither tells quite the whole truth.

Flight plumbs the depths of one man’s destructive addictions, as Denzel Washington fully inhabits Whip Whittaker’s proud, fractured, damaged psyche. It’s a compelling performance that reminds us that only the truth can set a trapped man free.

Throughout the journey, viewers are prompted to ponder whether God might somehow be at work, both in shaping the circumstances that reveal Whip’s desperate condition and in offering Himself as an alternative to the world’s empty ways.

But Flight seeks to accomplish that noble narrative purpose without pulling any of its punches. Whether it’s Whip Whittaker’s predilection for illicit sex, cocaine or the bottle, the camera rarely looks away from the self-destructive choices that corrode his soul. The addiction-riddled pilot has a gnawing emptiness inside, and Flight insists that we look unblinkingly into that shadowy void’s darkest recesses.

Adam R. Holz

After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.

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Screen Rant

Did flight really happen the true story behind william 'whip' whittaker & flight 277.

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15 Underrated Denzel Washington Performances

12 biggest roles denzel washington turned down or lost, john wick 5 development clarified by chad stahelski: "it would not be what you would think".

Flight was inspired by a real-life event where a pilot inverted a plane to save passengers, but the outcomes differ.
Denzel Washington prepared for his role by practicing on a flight simulator and studying addiction.
Flight 277 in the movie was loosely inspired by Alaska Airlines Flight 261, but the details were changed for the fictional narrative.

Flight follows the fictitious story of Flight 277 and its protagonist William 'Whip" Whitaker played by Denzel Washington, but there is a true story that inspired Flight . The movie was inspired by a real-life event involving a pilot actually inverting a commercial airplane in an attempt to stabilize and save the lives of its passengers. While the unique maneuver used in the movie as well as some of the circumstances surrounding the crash depicted in Flight were loosely based on the real-life event, the true story sadly did not have the same outcome as seen in Robert Zemeckis' movie .

Denzel Washington prepared for the role of Whip Whitaker by practicing on a flight simulator. Besides learning how to convincingly perform as a pilot, Washington also had to learn how to authentically behave like someone battling addiction. In Flight , Whip Whitaker confesses to being inebriated while piloting Flight 277 and saving the airplane from mechanical failure. The narrative raised moral and ethical questions about Whitaker's situation, having successfully saved most of the lives of Flight 277's passengers but also putting them in danger by flying the plane while intoxicated.

Oscar winner Denzel Washington's mainstream work is prolific. However, he has plenty of underrated roles under his belt many aren't familiar with.

Watch On Max

Flight's 277 Crash Was Inspired By Alaska Airlines Flight 261

The movie used the drastic measures taken by the real-life crew as inspiration.

Flight 277 in Flight was inspired by the real-life Alaska Airlines Flight 261 which crashed into the Pacific Ocean on January 31, 2000. Flight 261 had taken off from an airport in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, and was traveling toward San Francisco, California. It was meant to make one scheduled stop before reaching its final destination in Seattle, Washington. The plane malfunctioned and inverted for a short time before it crashed and killed everyone one board. All 88 people on board, which included 83 passengers and 5 crew members, did not survive the impact (via Medium ).

Flight 277 in Flight was not based on a true story and was loosely inspired by the real events of Alaska Airline Flight 261 . Brief instances of dialogue used in Flight were taken directly from Flight 261's CVR transcript, or the conversations that took place between the pilots in the cockpit and other messages given to crew members and passengers on the overhead speaker. Besides that, there are not many similarities between the fictional Flight 277 and the real-life Alaska Airlines Flight 261. The main reason why Flight 261 went down was a mechanical error due to improper maintenance. No survivors of Flight 261 were ever found.

Denzel Washington is undoubtedly one of the most prolific actors in Hollywood, but he is not immune to losing (or turning down) big roles.

William 'Whip' Whitaker Was Created For The Flight Movie

Whip's battle with addiction was at the center of the movie.

The protagonist of Flight , pilot Whip Whitaker (Washington), was created for this, one of Denzel Washington's best movies and is not based on any real person. The character was imagined by screenwriter John Gatins after a having conversation with an off-duty pilot on a flight. The conversation made Gatins realize that even people as composed as commercial airliner pilots can have difficulties and struggles in their personal lives. This became the inspiration for Whip Whitaker in Flight , who battles addiction issues with both alcohol and illegal drugs. Although the hook of Flight centers around the fictitious heroic actions of Whitaker, the core of his story is mostly about his attempts to control his addictions.

Whitaker was created specifically for Flight to emphasize the isolation within his substance abuse, which is what drew director Robert Zemeckis to the screenplay (via The Hollywood Reporter ). Zemeckis revealed that he understood Whip's sense of disconnection and compared it to a similar sense of feeling alone in the world that Marty McFly experienced in Back To The Future . Washington went on to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of Whip Whitaker at the 2013 Academy Awards.

What Flight Changed About The True Flight 261 Story

The real-life flight was a tragedy without any survivors.

Gatins, Zemeckis, and the creative team behind Flight changed almost everything from the true Alaska Airline Flight 261 story in order to tell its tragic tale of addiction and isolation. The fictional Flight 227 took off from Orlando and was meant to land in Atlanta. The plane crash in Flight also took place on land as opposed to the ocean.

The biggest change between Flight 261 and the plot of Flight is the number of causalities. In Flight , only six people were killed including four passengers and two crew members. Neither of the Flight 261 pilots had ever been suspected of being intoxicated while flying either and Alaska Airlines was not mentioned in the film. It was replaced with the fictional airliner South Jet Air.

Source: Medium , The Hollywood Reporter

Denzel Washington in Flight : A Crash Landing That Soars

The star boldly portrays a flawed hero in Robert Zemeckis's potent drama

Just an ordinary day for Whip Whitaker. He wakes up after a night of booze, drugs and sex with a gorgeous flight attendant, does a line of coke, takes an angry phone call from his ex-wife and staggers to work. Captain Whitaker (Denzel Washington) is a pilot for SouthJet Airlines, and this morning he will be flying a plane from Orlando to Atlanta, if he can stay awake and lucid at the controls.

That trip, involving treacherous weather and engine failure that threaten the lives of the 102 people on board, climaxes in what may be the hairiest, scariest, most realistic and thrilling plane crash in movie history — a sequence that should be taught in film schools for decades, assuming there will still be film (or schools). But Robert Zemeckis’s Flight , which had its world premiere Sunday at the New York Film Festival and will open in real theaters Nov. 2, is determined to chart an even more turbulent course: Whip’s attempt to assume, or avoid, control of his addiction. Screenwriter John Gatins has said his script combined “my two greatest fears: drinking myself to death and dying in a plane crash.” Blending The High and the Mighty and The Lost Weekend — or, from this year’s movies, The Grey and Smashed — Flight at its best marks an advance for its director and a triumph for its star.

(READ: Corliss on Denzel Washington in Book of Eli )

The Festival’s closing attraction served as an ideal bookend to its opening-night film: Ang Lee’s Life of Pi , the story of an Indian teenager stranded on a small boat with a ravenous Bengal tiger. Both movies are adventures about a lone soul who wages a daring battle with the elements and his roiling anxieties. The difference is that Whip’s disease makes him his own antagonist. When a post-crash toxicology report reveals a dangerous level of alcohol in his system and triggers an investigation, he is at risk of losing his job and his freedom. In the interior storm of his life, he’s both the boy and the tiger.

(READ: Corliss’s review of Life of Pi )

The movie’s title accurately describes Whip’s personality. A former Navy pilot with exceptional skills and daredevil instincts, he’s a natural high flyer, in the air and on land. Alcohol and cocaine are his essential fuel. The coke, he believes, sharpens his senses in the cockpit; the booze (he pours himself a screwdriver while speaking to the passengers early in the Orlando-to-Atlanta run) steadies his nerves and dulls the pain of his troubled life. Indeed, as the plane torpedoes toward earth Whip’s wits save lives and make him a national hero — even as the pressure of the investigation gives him one more reason to drink. Recovering alcoholics would say that Whip is in flight from himself. And that flight can’t stay aloft forever, which suggests another title for the film: Crash Landing .

This is the first live-action feature for Zemeckis since Cast Away in 2000; for the past dozen years the director has lived in, and expanded, the faux universe of motion-capture ( The Polar Express , Beowulf , A Christmas Carol ). Recall that Chuck Noland, the Tom Hanks character in Cast Away , survived a plane crash and faced awful solitude on a deserted island — a Robinson Crusoe with no Friday. Whip, no less isolated psychologically than Chuck is spatially, has plenty of people ready to help him maintain his national-hero status and sidestep prison. In a way, the two movies are replays of classic 1950s Westerns at opposite poles: Fred Zinnemann’s Oscar-winning High Noon , where Sheriff Gary Cooper confronts the bad guys alone after the townspeople have deserted him, and Howard Hawks’ Rio Bravo , where Sheriff John Wayne accumulates more ragtag deputies than he wants or needs.

(READ: Corliss’s review of Robert Zemeckis’s Beowulf )

Whip wants Trina (Nadine Velasquez), the flight-attendant girlfriend who shares his bed, drugs and heart, in part because she’s as addicted as he is. Other enablers surround Whip like wingmen: Charlie Henderson (Bruce Greenwood), an old Navy buddy who runs the pilots’ union; Hugh Lang (Don Cheadle), the crafty lawyer Charlie hires to quash the toxicology report and steer Whip through the investigation; and Harling Mays (John Goodman), Whip’s boisterous best friend — read: coke dealer — who figures the hair of the dog is just the antidote for an incriminating binge. Hell, it helped Whip maneuver the plane and save lives, didn’t it?

With friends like these, Whip needs enemies — denouncers of the mess he’s been making of his life. Some are loved ones, like his ex-wife (Garcelle Beauvais) and teenage son (Justin Martin), who endured his transgressions until they had to banish him. Others are fellow sufferers in Whip’s Hell, like the sad junkie Nicole (Kelly Reilly), who has supported her taste for “Taliban”-level heroin by working as a masseuse — “every kind of masseuse there is.” After an overdose, she’s been sent to the Atlanta hospital where Whip is recovering from his crash injuries. Nicole has already hit the bottom that Whip has been circling over for decades, avoiding a landing. She has resolved to go straight, which tests her romance with the handsome airman-alcoholic who defiantly boasts, “I choose to drink,”

(READ: James Poniewozik’s location report on Cast Away )

Whip, it’s clear, is a great pilot but not a good one, a man of personal power and emotional helplessness. Reflecting this dichotomy, Flight seesaws between two types of heroes: the ones in movies and the ones in real life. In action films, the Hero Equation posits that the right kind of renegade can break all the rules and still win the game. His demons give him the edge he needs to achieve impossible feats that mortal men would be too timid or sane even to consider. And in old Westerns like Rio Bravo and Cat Ballou , the drunken gunslinger could beguile audiences with his stuporous amiability. But that’s just on the screen. Most actual airline passengers would prefer a reliable, responsible, everyday pilot to a coked-up dude with reckless charisma; the addict would be a danger to the souls on board and to himself.

So the suspense here comes not just from guessing whether Whip will ace the big public hearing conducted by a sharp federal inquisitor (Melissa Leo) but also in figuring out what kind of movie Flight is: an action picture or a Problem drama? the sympathetic portrait of a flawed hero or a denunciation of his weaknesses? Gatins’ and Zemeckis’s intent becomes evident toward the end of the film, but for the most part they keep the audience on Whip’s side, rooting uneasily for him to clear his name, if not his head, at the public hearing. Whip’s fallibility, no less than his power and charm, put the moviegoer in his corner. Besides, he’s Denzel Drinkin’ Washington, who has played bad guys — he won an Oscar for Training Day — but more typically is the strong, haunted man audiences love to love. Washington’s nuanced performance is a tightrope walk between the Denzel whom people expect and the character he’s boldly burrowed into.

(READ: Richard Schickel on Denzel Washington in Training Day )

Flight has its own flaws, most of which can be forgiven. At times the supporting players (especially Goodman, who seems imported from a different movie, possibly The Big Lebowski ) flutter around the star and do their acting thing. Yet they take smart advantage of their small chances to make a big impression — especially Cheadle, a soft-spoken sort who may be playing the Devil, and James Badge Dale, who’s dynamite in an unnecessary but impressive turn as the hospital’s chattiest cancer patient. Reilly, an English actress who played Jude Law’s wife in the two Sherlock Holmes films, could be a younger Julianne Moore or the correct answer to the Hollywood question: Does Jessica Chastain have to be in every movie? She’s fine too. On the un forgivable side, there’s quite a bit of God talk, some of it from two Christians (“God landed that plane”) who get the derisive treatment that American movies routinely hand to evangelicals. That’s just lazy scriptwriting.

Most of Flight , though, has a character sharpness and an openness to ambiguity that are rare in movies from big studios and commercially savvy directors. The film is rated R (“for drug and alcohol abuse, language, sexuality/nudity and an intense action sequence”), but it doesn’t parade its Restricted status; it probably could have won a softer rating with some trimming of the opening scene. It’s as if Zemeckis weren’t trying to game the system, as so many directors do to get a PG-13, but just figured this is a film for grownups and should get a rating that reflected its intentions.

(READ: Corliss on the politicizing of movie ratings )

The restless creator of genre-bending hits like the Back to the Future trilogy, Who Framed Roger Rabbit , Contact and the Oscar-winning Forrest Gump , Zemeckis has occasionally been criticized (by me, for example) for making films that are less than the sum of their technically innovative parts. This time, he has acutely fused two movie cultures, mainstream and indie, in a sensibility riskier than the studio norm and more muscular than the Sundance films. A canny director and a top star decided to dig deep to find the core of a compromised hero. And when they reach that center of gravity, Flight soars.

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Common Sense Says
Parents Say 15 Reviews
Kids Say 17 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Excellent but mature drama about alcoholic airline pilot.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 17+?

The main character is an alcoholic but denies it throughout most of the film. He

Language includes many uses of "f--k" and "s--t," plus "d--k," "ass," "damn," "h

The movie opens with the main character in a hotel bed with a naked woman. She w

The first part of the movie includes a harrowing, realistic plane crash sequence

Many brand names of beer and hard liquor are shown, including Heineken, Bushmill

Any Positive Content?

The story shows the difficult struggle of dealing with alcoholism -- the main ch

It's difficult to call Whip a true role model, as his struggle falls on the nega

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

The main character is an alcoholic but denies it throughout most of the film. He has many drinking binges, downing everything from beer to vodka, which usually results in shouting, passing out, and/or hurting himself. A secondary character is a drug addict; she's shown in an early scene shooting heroin and overdosing. After this incident, she stays clean throughout the rest of the movie. In one crucial scene, the main character's friend makes him a special "wake up" cocktail consisting of cocaine and tobacco. Whip also smokes frequently.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Language includes many uses of "f--k" and "s--t," plus "d--k," "ass," "damn," "hell," "crap," "goddamn," etc.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

The movie opens with the main character in a hotel bed with a naked woman. She walks, naked, around the room, for long moments before the scene ends. The main character also appears to be naked but is mostly covered by the sheets. Later, the main character flirts with and kisses another woman.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

The first part of the movie includes a harrowing, realistic plane crash sequence in which many people are injured (on-screen) and some killed (offscreen). A stewardess risks her life to save a boy. Characters are seen in the hospital. A secondary character overdoses on heroin and nearly dies; she also goes to the hospital. The main character has many drunken binges that sometimes result in shouting or falling and hurting himself (some blood is shown). There's also some arguing and confrontation.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Many brand names of beer and hard liquor are shown, including Heineken, Bushmills, Grey Goose, Corona, Stolichnaya, Jim Beam, and more. Some of the brands have requested that they be removed from the film.

Positive Messages

The story shows the difficult struggle of dealing with alcoholism -- the main character battles it and reaches a level of sobriety, learning to accept others' help and return their love. His actions and decisions also emphasize the importance of telling the truth (rather than lying to protect yourself) and accepting the consequences.

Positive Role Models

It's difficult to call Whip a true role model, as his struggle falls on the negative side so many times. Throughout most of the movie, he pushes others away, behaves badly, and very often slips back into drinking again. But he earns viewers' sympathy, and when the crucial moment comes, he chooses what's right over his own selfishness.

Parents need to know that Flight is an excellent, albeit mature, drama about an alcoholic airline pilot and the investigation surrounding a plane crash he was involved in. The crash sequence itself is realistic and harrowing, with injuries and wounds. Drinking and drugs are also big issues, as the main character is an alcoholic who frequently binges (sometimes resulting in arguing and/or injuries, some with blood), and a secondary character is a drug addict. There's also a nude scene early in the movie, when the main character wakes up in a hotel room with a girlfriend, and language is strong, with uses of "f--k" and "s--t." Director Robert Zemeckis also made the ultra-popular Forrest Gump , but Flight is more intense in some ways and less age appropriate for younger teens. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Parent and Kid Reviews

Parents say (15)
Kids say (17)

Based on 15 parent reviews

Full frontal gratuitous female nudity from the first second!

What's the story.

Faced with a malfunctioning plane, commercial airline pilot Whip Whitaker ( Denzel Washington ) pulls off a spectacular crash landing that saves nearly all the lives on board. Unfortunately, during the subsequent investigation, it becomes apparent that he was drunk while flying. Worse, he abuses alcohol regularly. In the hospital, Whip meets recovering drug addict Nicole ( Kelly Reilly ) and decides to help her out. In the days leading up to a hearing that could cost Whip his job, he tries to stop drinking, but with all the pressure, he finds the urge too strong. Even with all the people in his life trying to help, it all comes down to Whip, who must decide for himself which path to take.

Is It Any Good?

After too many years of gimmick- and special effects-based movies, with FLIGHT, director Robert Zemeckis once again finds the perfect balance between characters and spectacle. (He achieved this in his best films, Back to the Future and Who Framed Roger Rabbit .) This is also easily the most mature movie of his career. A slightly less talented director would have focused on the heavy issue of alcoholism, but Zemeckis instead uses the suspense of the impending hearing, as well as rich characters and performances ( John Goodman is a particular standout). The balance makes for a far more effective and appealing film.

Likewise, special effects are restricted to the first act only and used to support the characters and themes, rather than the other way around. Moreover, Flight bravely includes many unconventional moments, ranging from powerful, passionate speeches by minor characters to amazing moments with no dialogue at all. Flight is purely a Hollywood film, but it's Hollywood at its very best.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how Flight depicts drinking . Why does Whip drink so much? What are the results of his drinking? What consequences does he face? Do they seem realistic?

Why doesn't Whip accept any help from anyone? How can you help a loved one who might be an alcoholic/addict?

How did the violent plane crash sequence affect you? Was it too over-the-top, or did it seem to fit the story? How does a scene like that compare to something in a big-budget action movie? Which has more impact? Why?

Movie Details

In theaters : November 2, 2012
On DVD or streaming : February 5, 2013
Cast : Denzel Washington , Don Cheadle , Kelly Reilly
Director : Robert Zemeckis
Inclusion Information : Black actors, Female actors
Studio : Paramount Pictures
Genre : Drama
Run time : 138 minutes
MPAA rating : R
MPAA explanation : drug and alcohol abuse, language, sexuality/nudity and an intense action sequence
Award : NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Nominee
Last updated : September 26, 2024

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Movie Review: ‘Flight’

With the release of Flight starring Denzel Washington, it marks perhaps the first true Oscar-bait film of 2012. To make sure people understand the term, here’s the Ian Forbes’ Dictionary definition of the word:

Oscar-bait (äs-kər-bāt). Noun . Definition: A movie whose sole purpose is to garner awards nominations/wins; often characterized by over-the-top performances, star-studded casting, a script built to please mass audiences, and a multitude of unnecessary close-ups of the actors either welling up with tears or in full emotional breakdown.

Flight checks off each element described above and is sure to satiate audiences who are transfixed by anything Denzel does, but I’m not one who thinks that’s enough. Here he plays an alcoholic who also dabbles in cocaine and happens to fly commercial jets for a living. As you can see from the trailer, he is involved in a plane crash, and the movie then shifts into the story of a man who refuses to accept he has a problem and doesn’t want to end up in prison for the rest of his life for piloting a plane while loaded.

Let’s start with the positive side of things. The first half of the movie is pretty good. Director Robert Zemeckis did an excellent job of presenting the plane crash, and I highly doubt this one will make it into the rotation for in-flight movies. Denzel’s early coping mechanisms following the accident work well and bringing in John Goodman as his coke dealer is good for laughs (we’ll get to why this is a problem shortly).

Onto the negatives. The resolution of Denzel’s fate and acceptance of his addiction plays out like a Lifetime movie of the week. While the beginning of the film had some nuance and the possibility of presenting a gritty look at this broken man scrambling to stay afloat amidst the notoriety he assumes following the crash, the back half of the story is painted with the broadest of brushes. It’s so bad that Zemeckis had the screening audience I was seated with cheering for him to escape prosecution via a relapse. How badly do you have to mishandle a movie about addiction and its negative effects in order to get a room full of people to hoot and holler when the protagonist gets loaded to even himself out from a night of drinking so he can cover up the shame and tragedy of his life? Answer: This badly.

Goodman’s comic relief is fun but becomes completely farcical towards the end and is so obviously placed to keep audiences from getting to any emotional low that a story like this should demand but Zemeckis is afraid/unwilling to allow. Perhaps the best way to describe this is to say it’s a tough look at addiction shrouded in mainstream appeal and lacking the courage to present itself as something sincere, almost glamorizing and romanticizing addiction. It certainly had me wanting to imbibe a few adult beverages and rolling my eyes every few minutes as the story began to wrap itself up and feels like the filmmakers wanted nothing more than to please test audiences, story be damned.

As with all Oscar-bait films, this is sure to make certain audiences feel like they just watched something special. For more discerning filmgoers, and I’d like to think the majority of critics, but I know some care more about getting quoted on a poster than presenting a thorough critique, Flight is a waste of acting talent and an obvious ploy to get Denzel another acting award nomination. He’s a great actor, but the script and direction let him down. This is a one cinematic plane-ride that should have been grounded and left on the runway.

Flight hits theaters on November 2, 2012 and is rated R for drug and alcohol abuse, language, sexuality/nudity and an intense action sequence.

Flight Review

Flight is released on Friday 1 st February

Denzel Washington is no stranger to the Oscars , having been nominated five times before, and winning Supporting Actor in 1989 for Glory , and Leading Actor in 2001 for Training Day . This year, at age 58 (and looking damn good for it), he is nominated again, for his performance in Flight , the first live action film from director Robert Zemeckis since 2000s Cast Away .

The film opens with airline pilot Whip Whitaker waking up with a hangover and a naked girl. A line of cocaine and a couple of vodka miniatures later, and hes off to work, piloting a JR-88 full of families off on holiday. When the aircraft malfunctions, however, he proves that despite being drunk and high he has the skill, bravery and clear head needed to take control of the situation. And gives us one of the most exciting openings to a film in recent memory.

After the flight, Whip is initially a hero, but blood tests reveal he should never have been in charge of that plane. Can he keep clean and avoid going to prison, despite the best efforts of his friend and drug dealer ( John Goodman )? Don Cheadle co-stars as his exasperated lawyer, and British actress Kelly Reilly is fantastic as Nicole, a fellow troubled soul that Whip meets in hospital.

Some of the film is a bit heavy-handed, notably the very literal soundtrack: the Rolling Stones Sympathy For The Devil plays when we first meet Whips dealer, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers ode to heroin, Under The Bridge , blasts out as we see Nicole's dark side.

Overall, its an absorbing thriller with a great cast, and a nice reminder of why Denzel Washington deserves icon status.

Watch our Flight trailer and tell us what you think...

If you like the sound of this Denzel Washington film, take a look at our review of Cloud Atlas .

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Flight - Blu-ray Review

{2jtab: Movie Review}

Sex, drugs, and Denzel Washington.

Director Robert Zemeckis ( Forrest Gump ), after spending the last decade in dead-eyed motion-capture films, finally returns to a world full of soul, rock ‘n’ roll, and damaged heroics. Flight is a glorious return to form for the maestro behind Cast Away and Contact and, thematically, feels as though a capstone on some of the more uncomfortable adult themes those films explored concerning faith and isolation.

Commercial airline pilot Captain Chip Whitaker (Washington) doesn’t have to pilot a plane to fly high in the friendly skies. He’s pretty much been doing it his entire adult life as an alcoholic who always has a bump of cocaine handy to level him out. After his nightly binge of booze and drugs and sex, Whitaker thinks nothing of piloting a commercial jet liner from Florida to Georgia. It’s, as Sir Paul McCartney put it, just another day.

A mechanical error in the tail end of the craft has the final say in the matter.

A risky maneuver, involving flying the craft upside down, is heroically performed by the quick-thinking Whitaker but the downing of the jet is unavoidable. After taking out a steeple with its wing, the plane crashes in an empty field. Thanks to Whitaker’s performance, only a few fatalities are recorded. He is immediately praised as a hero by the press and protected by his union - who quickly lawyer him up with an aggressive attorney (Don Cheadle) – but the threat of jail time is never too far away as more and more information is leaked about Whitaker’s thirst for the all-consuming liquid high.

Was he drunk when he piloted the plane? Yes. Is he a man worthy of living without judgment? Did he put his passengers at risk by entering the cockpit stoned? This is where the film reflects and we as insiders into Whitaker’s self-destructive life, his loves (Kelly Reilly in a seriously great performance as a recovering junkie he unexpectedly comes across) and his contacts – including a hysterical The Dude-like performance from John Goodman as his mainliner – spend most of our time.

Performances from leading men simply do not get much better than the one Washington delivers here. Both tragic and disturbing, he plunges into the depths to pull out the essence of Whitaker. He never surrenders the character’s soul as a disturbed good man and never reveals himself to the audience to be anything more than an alcoholic; this is a hero’s journey in reverse. From the movement of his lips to the sudden flashes of anger and sorrow, Washington is at the very top of his game in mannerisms and, more so than the other performances he has been previously awarded for, deserves an Oscar for the beauty of making this performance breathe and feel wholly new. Certainly, Flight benefits from this wonderfully nuanced performance.

Flight is a dark and, at times, a purposefully uncomfortable film to sit through. Its themes weigh heavy on the audience and might make some viewers bust out with inappropriate responses if they aren’t used to the reality of an alcoholic. The comic reprieve Goodman offers, as introduced by The Rolling Stones “Sympathy for the Devil” in his walk-on, is irony at its finest. You’ll laugh for sure, but the irony won’t be lost. Where you might find yourself withdrawing from the film is when those themes and their consequences begin to feel overly familiar. Mostly, the engaging performances keep you from that certain déjà vu feeling all over again but – when a lover ultimately leaves (and gets the good old fashioned shaft from the script) and fates are decided – one cannot help but know this plane’s final stop.

However, the overall craftsmanship of the picture – including a riveting 20-minute crash sequence (which will probably have you swearing off plane trips for good) – is of a marvelous quality. The feeling of the cinematic tension twisting into your gut, as the plane shimmies across the sky, is not unlike having a screwdriver churn its way very slowly into your stomach. Ironically enough, it’s what happens after the crash that’s most important. The meditative suspense that dominates the screen, as this character study about Whitaker really takes off, is unflinching and completely…(for lack of a better word)…intoxicating.

Welcome back, Mr. Zemeckis. We hope you’ve enjoyed your Flight .

{2jtab: Film Details}

Synopsis : In this action-packed mystery thriller, Academy Award winner Denzel Washington stars as Whip Whitaker, a seasoned airline pilot who miraculously crash-lands his plane after a mid-air catastrophe, saving nearly every soul on board. After the crash, Whip is hailed as a hero, but as more is learned, more questions than answers arise as to who or what was really at fault, and what really happened on that plane?

{2jtab: Blu-ray Review}

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - February 5, 2012 Screen Formats: 2.40:1 Subtitles : English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; French: Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1; Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1 Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD); UV digital copy; DVD copy Region Encoding: Region-free

Flight ’s 1080p High Definition transfer from Paramount Pictures is almost as stunning as Nadine E. Velazquez scene-stealing nudity that opens the movie. Shot digitally using the Red Epic Camera, Director Robert Zemeckis’s return to live-action film is aided by the excellent eye of Cinematographer Don Burgess who keeps the proceedings detailed and grounded. A natural feel in lighting inside and outside are dominant and the overall level of detail and clarity is exemplary. Fine details on face and clothes (even in medium shots) are wonderfully vibrant. Flesh tones throughout are natural, detail observable even in darker, quieter scenes, and there are no issues – banding, digital tinkering – to sully the experience. The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is entirely appropriate to the picture. Clearly the crash sequence is the most active scene for the audio but it’s the quieter moments and classic rock songs that really make the landing.

Supplements:

Commentary :

Now, this is a shame. There is none. What gives, Paramount?

Special Features:

Clocking in at a mere 40 minutes, the supplemental material on Flight is a bit of a disappointment. The Origins featurette tracks exactly that and discusses how the film came to be with Writer John Gatins, Director Robert Zemeckis, Actors Bruce Greenwood and Denzel Washington, and Producer Steve Starkey. The short Making Of Flight discusses the production shoot and modest budget of the film. Next up is Anatomy of a Plane Crash and that featurette is an examination of that key crash scene. Finally, Q&A highlights , being the most interesting, bring the material to a close. A DVD copy of the movie is provided as well as a code to own a cloud/digital version of the film is also available.

Origins of Flight (10 min)
The Making of Flight (12 min)
Anatomy of a Plane Crash (8 min)
Q&A Highlights (14 min)

{2jtab: Trailer}

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About the Author

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COMMENTS

My name is Whip, and I'm an alcoholic movie review (2012)
My name is Whip, and I'm an alcoholic. After opening with one of the most terrifying flying scenes I've witnessed, in which an airplane is saved by being flown upside down, Robert Zemeckis ' "Flight" segues into a brave and tortured performance by Denzel Washington — one of his very best. Not often does a movie character make such a ...
Flight (2012)
Sams K "Feelin' Alright" This movie is perfect Denzel Washington is such a great actor with a stunning John Goodman! Must watch. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/24/24 Full Review ...
Film Review: Denzel Washington's 'Flight'
Flight: New York Film Festival Review. Denzel Washington stars in the Robert Zemeckis drama about an airline pilot who saves dozens of lives but faces prison because of drugs in his system.
Flight
Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Oct 13, 2024. Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies. Led by Denzel Washington's top-notch performance in Flight, Robert Zemeckis' return to live action was worth ...
Flight (2012)
Flight: Directed by Robert Zemeckis. With Nadine Velazquez, Denzel Washington, Carter Cabassa, Adam C. Edwards. Troubling questions arise after airline pilot Whip Whitaker makes a miracle landing after a mid-air catastrophe.
Flight (2012 film)
Flight is a 2012 American drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by John Gatins and produced by Walter F. Parkes, Laurie MacDonald, Steve Starkey, Zemeckis, and Jack Rapke.The film stars Denzel Washington as William "Whip" Whitaker Sr., an alcoholic airline pilot who miraculously crash-lands his plane after a mechanical failure, saving nearly everyone on board.
Movie Review: 'Flight'
Movie Review: 'Flight' Movie critic Kenneth Turan reviews Flight, starring Denzel Washington. Turan says Washington plays an intriguing — and morally ambivalent — hero.
'Flight' Stars Denzel Washington as an Alcoholic Pilot
The movie includes a sustained scene of a cataclysmic plane crash, as well as excessive drinking, drug use and the usual adult language. Flight. NYT Critic's Pick. Director. Robert Zemeckis ...
Flight
FILM REVIEW: Denzel Washington excels as a pilot whose heroics hide a very dark side. ... in big-time, big-star, live-action filmmaking, with Flight. A gritty, full-bodied character study of a man ...
Flight (2012)
40 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com. This absorbing drama provides Denzel Washington with one of his meatiest, most complex roles, and he flies with it. A canny director and a top star decided to dig deep to find the core of a compromised hero. And when they reach that center of gravity, Flight soars.
Flight (2012)
Bob_the_Hobo 19 November 2012. Denzel Washington is William "Whip" Whitaker, an alcoholic pilot who, after a night of heavy drinking, remains drunk well into the morning he is to fly a plane into Georgia. When his flight goes into a sudden tail- spin, Whip manages to save all but six lives through his crash-landing.
Flight
Denzel Washington dons a pilot's cap and wings in this gripping-but-graphic drama about a man's battle to land a stricken plane … and overcome his addictions. ... Movie Review. A man awakens in a hotel room. ... Flight plumbs the depths of one man's destructive addictions, as Denzel Washington fully inhabits Whip Whittaker's proud ...
Did Flight Really Happen? The True Story Behind William 'Whip
Flight 277 in the movie was loosely inspired by Alaska Airlines Flight 261, but the details were changed for the fictional narrative. Flight follows the fictitious story of Flight 277 and its protagonist William 'Whip" Whitaker played by Denzel Washington, but there is a true story that inspired Flight. The movie was inspired by a real-life ...
'Flight' movie review: Denzel Washington is at his best in white
Denzel Washington stars as an airline pilot with secrets, in director Robert Zemeckis' 'Flight.' (Photo by Paramount Pictures) Whip Whitaker is a high-functioning alcoholic, and if that seems like ...
Denzel Washington in Flight : A Crash Landing That Soars
Flight. Just an ordinary day for Whip Whitaker. He wakes up after a night of booze, drugs and sex with a gorgeous flight attendant, does a line of coke, takes an angry phone call from his ex-wife and staggers to work. Captain Whitaker (Denzel Washington) is a pilot for SouthJet Airlines, and this morning he will be flying a plane from Orlando ...
Flight Movie Review
Parents need to know that Flight is an excellent, albeit mature, drama about an alcoholic airline pilot and the investigation surrounding a plane crash he was involved in. The crash sequence itself is realistic and harrowing, with injuries and wounds. Drinking and drugs are also big issues, as the main….
Movie Review: Flight Starring Denzel Washington
The resolution of Denzel's fate and acceptance of his addiction plays out like a Lifetime movie of the week. While the beginning of the film had some nuance and the possibility of presenting a gritty look at this broken man scrambling to stay afloat amidst the notoriety he assumes following the crash, the back half of the story is painted ...
Denzel Washington's Flight Review
Flight Review. Denzel Washington is Oscar-nominated for his performance as an alcoholic pilot in thriller, Flight. Flight is released on Friday 1 February. Denzel Washington is no stranger to the Oscars, having been nominated five times before, and winning Supporting Actor in 1989 for Glory, and Leading Actor in 2001 for Training Day.
Film Review: FLIGHT (2012): Denzel Washington, Kelly Reilly
Flight (2012) Film Review, a movie directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Denzel Washington, James Badge Dale, John Goodman, Don Cheadle, Kelly Reilly, ... Film Review: FLIGHT (2012): Denzel ...
Flight
Sex, drugs, and Denzel Washington. Director Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump), after spending the last decade in dead-eyed motion-capture films, finally returns to a world full of soul, rock 'n' roll, and damaged heroics. Flight is a glorious return to form for the maestro behind Cast Away and Contact and, thematically, feels as though a capstone on some of the more uncomfortable adult themes ...
Flight (film, 2012)
National Board of Review 2012 : Spotlight Award pour John Goodman (également récompensé pour L'Étrange Pouvoir de Norman, Une nouvelle chance et Argo). African-American Film Critics Association Awards 2012 : meilleur acteur pour Denzel Washington. Festival international du film de Palm Springs 2013 : meilleur réalisateur pour Robert Zemeckis.
Gladiator 2 early reactions praise Denzel Washington's performance as
The reviews have been ecstatic, praising the performances, long takes, and scale the film delivers. Interestingly, Denzel Washington's fabulous performance is the most quoted element of the film ...

My name is Whip, and I’m an alcoholic

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