Flight 90: Disaster on the Potomac (1984) (TV)

Director:

Robert Michael Lewis

Writer:

John McGreevey (writer)

Release Date:

1 April 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

THE TRUE STORY. [Video]

Plot:

Flight 90: Disaster on the Potomac is a true story based on the crash of Air Florida flight 90 on January 13...

Plot Keywords:

Disaster | Beautiful Woman | Airplane Accident | Based On True Story

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys.

Cast

Jeannetta Arnette	...	Patricia 'Nikki' Felch
Barry Corbin	...	Burt Hamilton
Stephen Macht	...	Joe Stiley
Richard Masur	...	Roger Olian
Donnelly Rhodes	...	Arland Williams
Jamie Rose	...	Marilyn Nichols
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tony Abatemarco	...	Dishevelled Man
Richard Backus	...	Larry Nichols
Richard Beauchamp	...	Jose Tirado
Burke Byrnes	...	Senior First Officer
K Callan	...	Barbara Hamilton
Larry Cedar	...	Jordan
Tamar Cooper	...	Head Nurse
Brenda Currin	...	Ticket Agent
Robert Factor	...	Lenny Skutnik
Robert Jayne	...	Glenn Biggs (as Bobby Jacoby)
Jane Kaczmarek	...	Donna Olian
Kerrie Keane	...	Carole Biggs
Perry Lafferty	...	Senior Captain
Jack Lindine	...	Driver
Lawrence Lott	...	Steve Schemering
Chad Lowe	...	Al Hamilton
Dinah Manoff	...	Priscilla Tirado
Wade Mayer	...	CB Owner
Jack Murdock	...	Mr. Farrell
Ken Olin	...	David Frank
Jack Rader	...	Gene Windsor
Stan Roth	...	Resident Doctor
Thomas Ryan	...	Loud Window Passenger
Connie Sawyer	...	Josie Keefer
Steve Tannen	...	Don Usher
Kate Vernon	...	Donna Adams
Frank Kahlil Wheaton	...	Doctor
James Whitmore Jr.	...	Captain Larry Wheaton
Kathleen Wilhoite	...	Kelly Duncan
Bruce Wright	...	Co-Pilot Roger Pettit

Also Known As:

Flight 90 (Philippines: English title) (theatrical title)
Flight No. 90
Florida Flight 90

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:16 | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Finnegan/Pinchuk Productions

Trivia:

Incorporated original television footage of the survivors as they clung to wreckage and chunks of ice in the freezing water of the Potomac.

Goofs:

Continuity: Air Florida flight 90 is a Boeing 737 throughout the movie, but the scene right before the impact shows instead a McDonnell Douglas DC-9.

Quotes:

Marilyn Nichols: You're here before me? I don't believe it!
Donna Adams: The first time and probably the last! I can't explain it. It was like any other morning. I figured to be late as usual. But I got a clean road right away, the car turned on immediately, and there was no back of traffic. It's an unusual day.

General movie overview, focussing on actors performances, writing, and realism of the movie vs. the actual event.

This movie is one of the best of its genre as far as I am concerned. Though made for TV, a fair amount of research and money has gone into its production, evident from how close to the actual facts the movie is. Being a well documented true story, it's good to see the movie adhering to this. The writing and characterisation is very realistic - nothing two dimensional or superfluous here. It also follows the characters through a little of their day before and why they're travelling on this particular flight. You become emotionally attached and care about them, wondering who is going to live and who is going to die.

Brilliant performances from the cast only raise the picture further. Barry Corbin and Dinah Manoff both went on to successful sitcoms (Northern Exposure and Empty Nest respectively), and it's not surprising from their acting in this film. The on screen chemistry between Jamie Rose and Kate Vernon (as flight attendants) has to be seen to be believed. It's enough to make you think they were actually friends in real life, not just actors brought together for a movie. They truly become who they're portraying.

What really adds to the film is the detail. The same airline that actually crashed is featured in the movie, the same aircraft type, and the details as to why the plane crashed are added in a way that you'll notice without it being in your face or detrimental to the story flow. Impressively, the actual cockpit dialog from the flight is repeated almost verbatim in the movie. Finally, actual news footage of the rescue that day is incorporated into the acted out footage, adding a deal of realism rarely seen in "crash movies".

The only bad marks I can give the film is for the total unrealistic "crash" scene. Obviously there was no special effects budget. Also, the "cars on the bridge" are obviously not real and shot in a studio, another downfall for a movie that is otherwise virtually flawless.

Flight 90: Disaster On The Potomac - definitely worth watching, and not one to miss - for plane buffs and movie buffs alike!