Media Reviews

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. Although hailed a hero, an investigation soon begins to cast the captain in a different light.

I really enjoyed this film, I think as a action film the first act is great, and as the story switches gears we get more mature subjects requiring introspection and thoughtfulness.

Overall I recommend this film as a think piece.

:::spoilers spoiler thoughts

The portrayal of addiction as both a physical temptation and a mental struggle is done well. We get tastes of Whip wanting to be different, wanting to change, but failing to maintain a change. We see executive function struggle against emotional coping.

I see parallels to the silent film The Phantom Carriage - addiction and self destruction manifest.

Deciding who you are and making yourself into that person are two different things. :::