Flight (I) (2012)

An airline pilot saves almost all his passengers on his malfunctioning airliner which eventually crashed, but an investigation into the accident reveals something troubling.

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writer:

John Gatins

Stars:

Nadine Velazquez, Denzel Washington, John Goodman

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 31 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nadine Velazquez	...	Katerina Marquez
Denzel Washington	...	Whip Whitaker
Carter Cabassa	...	Son on Plane
Adam C. Edwards	...	Father on Plane (as Adam Ciesielski)
Tamara Tunie	...	Margaret Thomason
Brian Geraghty	...	Ken Evans
Kelly Reilly	...	Nicole
Conor O'Neill	...	Kip
Charlie E. Schmidt	...	Tiki Pot (as Charlie E. Schmidt Jr.)
Will Sherrod	...	Schecter
Boni Yanagisawa	...	Camelia Satou
Adam Tomei	...	Fran
Dane Davenport	...	Derek Hogue
John Crow	...	Field Reporter
Bruce Greenwood	...	Charlie Anderson

Storyline

Whip Whitaker is a commuter airline pilot. While on a flight from Orlando to Atlanta something goes wrong and the plane starts to fly erratically. With little choice Whip crashes the plane and saves almost all on board. When he wakes up in the hospital, his friend from the airline union introduces him to a lawyer who tells him there's a chance he could face criminal charges because his blood test reveals that he is intoxicated with alcohol and cocaine. He denies being impaired, so while an investigation is underway, he is told to keep his act together. However, letting go of his addiction is not as easy as it seems...

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Plot Keywords:

lawyer | blood | addiction | cocaine | alcoholic | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for drug and alcohol abuse, language, sexuality/nudity and an intense action sequence

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 November 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

El vuelo

Filming Locations:

Atlanta First United Methodist Church - 360 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$31,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$24,900,566 (USA) (2 November 2012)

Gross:

$93,749,203 (USA) (8 February 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

ImageMovers, Paramount Pictures, Parkes/MacDonald Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

138 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the elevator, right after Whip get help from Harling Mays and Charlie Anderson, the music playing is "With a Little Help From My Friends".

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Goofs

Nicole mentions that her apartment is in Bankhead, which is on the west side of Atlanta, but when the skyline is visible from her apartment, it is east of downtown.

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Quotes

Young Will: I love you mom.

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Connections

References Back to the Future (1985)

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Soundtracks

"Feelin' Alright"
Written by Dave Mason
Performed by Joe Cocker
Courtesy of A&M Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises and Straight Ahead Productions Ltd.

User Reviews

An Emotional Tailspin

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. Whip is a hero until his toxicology report comes up positive for everything under the sun, leaving the airline, Whip's union, his friends, and Whip in a tailspin of their own.

I have often thought that Denzel Washington is one of the finest actors to ever grace the silver screen, and he proves that assertion with a film that is assured to receive him a sixth Academy Award nomination. Here is a man broken beyond measure, stumbling through his lost life until unprecedented new stress is placed upon him. Not even the intervention of those he holds close can stop his self-destructive nature - or can it?

Robert Zemeckis has been on a sturdy path with animated films recently, so it was with a bit of apprehension that I saw his most recent live- action offering since "Cast Away". But have no fear. The direction here is clean, crisp, and efficient as ever, producing a simple, but powerful script by John Gatins, chock-full of par-none supporting roles by the likes of John Goodman, Don Cheadle, and Bruce Greenwood.

Undoubtedly the best part of the film - besides the wonderful cast - was the soundtrack. Joe Cocker, Bill Withers, and more are used expertly to mold into every emotion, sometimes emotional roller coaster, Whip experiences. Each song (some used more than once) slips seamlessly into the background and keeps the audience following more than the script.

"Flight" is a powerful, dark, character study about a man who has fallen to his darkest depths, and finds out how to fall farther. It sees Denzel Washington in top form and Robert Zemeckis' triumphant return to the live screen.