Flight
The accident in the film was inspired by a real-life disaster, the crash of Alaska Airlines 261 on January 31, 2000. Some dialogue in the film closely resembles the CVR transcript. Like in the film, the pilots of Alaska 261 rolled the airplane to an inverted position to try to stabilize the flight. Unlike the film, however, this did not assist them in recovering the aircraft. The root cause of the crash was found to be inadequate maintenance of the airplane's stabilizer "jackscrew," which caused its threads to wear down excessively and eventually jam the jackscrew. While the pilots were trying to reach Los Angeles for an emergency landing, the threads were ripped out and the stabilizer moved to a position that forced the plane into its fatal dive.,The NTSB investigation portrayed in the movie includes recovered data from the Cockpit Voice Recorder. US law requires Cockpit Voice Recorders to include at least 30 minutes of audio data from both pilots and Air Traffic Control radio transmissions. The time taken for the plane to crash less than 30 minutes so the audio from the CVR should have included cockpit discussion about Captain Whitaker sleeping as shown in the movie. This audio would have raised serious questions about Captain Whitaker's behavior (aside from his alcohol and drug usage) but nothing about that is mentioned at any point during the NTSB hearing.,[last lines]
Will: This essay, the essay that I have to write, it's called, "The Most Fascinating Person That I've Never Met."
Whip: Okay.
Will: So,
[turns on his tape recorder],Featured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #21.22 (2012),Alcohol
Written by Stephen Duffy & Steven Page
Performed by Barenaked Ladies
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.
By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing,Trailers might lead you to believe this is a film about flying. Or about an amazing flying feat. But it is all about the lead character, Captain "Whip" Whitaker (Denzel Washington), a man who is a pilot and an alcoholic. The flying and a terrible crash provide background for the story of this man, who has struggled with his illness for years.

In many ways the story is not that original. We have seen numerous stories about alcoholics and heard real-life testimonies of the behaviors that accompany alcoholism, and this film tracks with all of them.

It is worth seeing for the brilliant portrayal of Captain Whitaker and the performances of the other actors in the film. Some parts are difficult to watch because the acting is so engaging.

I also think the film raises some interesting questions that some viewers may not be willing to acknowledge. If one is an alcoholic, is the entire worth of that man nothing more than what his sickness drags him down to? Are we what we do? Can we rise above our neuroses or our worst behaviors? Often we see public figures condemned in media for indiscretions or harmful acts; is that, then, the measure of the man or woman?

The film, even if judged solely for its dramatic content, is worth seeing.,Two-time Oscar winner and Hollywood icon Denzel Washington has over 60 acting credits spanning six decades. Find out which of his movies IMDb users rate highest.,