After watching the 2012-released film ‘Flight,’ I thought of this might be based on any fictionalized true story where an intoxicated pilot Whip Whitaker, who happens to be an alcoholic, crashes a plane although nearly saving every soul in it. The movie starring Denzel Washington is ‘loosely inspired’ by the plane crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261, however, the story onscreen is completely the opposite to reality.
Even though the protagonist here is hailed as a hero by local media under the circumstances he preferred that miracle crash-landing, several questions are raised as to what happened midair and what was really the fault.
Academy Award winner, Denzel Washington as Whip Whitaker yet again proved that he is a star with superlative talent. Director Robert Zemeckis, who has earlier created masterpieces like Forrest Gump and Cast Away, with this high drama, delivered one of the finest examples of storytelling.
Coming back to the storyline, we first meet Whip Whitaker in a hotel room rubbing his eyes and waking up with a leggy naked lady while taking a slug of hard liquor and even huffing a line of white powder; he then fits in his pilot uniform and heads to work in a not so bad weather condition.
As he enters the cockpit and being a heavy drinker, he doesn’t even forget to mix two small bottles of vodka in a bottle of juice and drinks it all in. Anyway, even if this was a regular routine for him as a commercial pilot, the day from Miami to Atlanta didn’t go exactly as planned and finally, the flight comes down over a Georgia cornfield killing six on board: four passengers and two flight attendants.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Written by John Gatins
Cast: Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, Kelly Reilly, John Goodman, Bruce Greenwood, and Melissa Leo.
Cinematography by Don Burgess
Release Date/Year: October 14, 2012 (New York Film Festival); November 2, 2012 (United States)
Where to watch Flight (2012)
