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After opening with one of the most terrifying flying scenes I've witnessed, in which an airplane is saved by being flown upside down, Robert Zemeckis ' "Flight" segues into a brave and tortured performance by Denzel Washington — one of his very best. Not often does a movie character make such a harrowing personal journey that keeps us in deep sympathy all of the way.

Washington plays Whip Whitaker, a veteran commercial airlines pilot who over the years has built up a shaky tolerance for quantities of alcohol and cocaine that would be lethal for most people. At the film opens, he's finishing an all-night party with a friendly flight attendant named Katerina ( Nadine Velazquez ) and jolts himself back into action with two lines of cocaine. His co-pilot ( Brian Geraghty ) eyes him suspiciously, but Whip projects poise and authority from behind his dark aviator glasses.

Their flight takes off in a disturbing rainstorm and encounters the kind of turbulence that has the co-pilot crying out, "Oh, Lord!" But Whip powers them at high speed into an area of clear sky, before a mechanical malfunction sends the aircraft into an uncontrollable nosedive. Zemeckis and his team portray the terror in the cabin in stomach-churning style. Acting on instinct, seeming cool as ice, the veteran pilot inverts the plane to halt its descent, and it flies level upside-down until he rights it again to glide into a level crash-landing in an open field.

The field, as it happens, is next to a little church, and the way Zemeckis portrays an outdoor baptism on the ground below captures the hyper-realism with which I imagine we notice things when we think we're about to die. Only six people do die in the crash, and Whittaker is hailed as a hero.

Will this close call bring an end to his drinking? He retreats to his grandfather's farm where he was raised, pours out all his booze and is dry for a time — until he's told by his union representative ( Bruce Greenwood ) and his lawyer ( Don Cheadle ), that blood tests show he was flying drunk. A government hearing is fraught with hazard (he faces a possible life sentence). Meanwhile, he is befriended by a woman named Nicole ( Kelly Reilly ), who he met in the hospital, and she takes him to an AA meeting, but the program is not for him.

It becomes clear that intoxication is more important to Whip than anything else; it cost him a marriage and the respect of his son. One of the most effective things in Washington's performance is the way he puts up an impassive facade to conceal his defiant addiction. "No one else could have landed that plane!" he insists, and indeed tests in a flight simulator back him up. The fact remains that he was stoned.

One of the most gripping scenes takes place in a hotel room where Whittaker is being held essentially under guard for the week before his official hearing. At a crucial moment, his drug supplier Harling Mays ( John Goodman ) turns up, marching toward camera in one of a series of garish Hawaiian shirts, ready to battle a crisis. I don't have any idea if cocaine can snap you back from a killer hangover, but I wouldn't count on it.

Denzel Washington is one of the most sympathetic and rock-solid of actors, and it's effective here how his performance never goes over the top but instead is grounded on obsessive control. There are many scenes inviting emotional displays. A lesser actor might have wanted to act them out. Washington depends on his eyes, his manner and a gift for projecting inner emotion. In the way it meets every requirement of a tricky plot, this is an ideal performance.

Among the supporting performances, Don Cheadle projects guarded motivations, Greenwood is a loyal friend, Goodman seems like a handy medic, and Brian Geraghty's panic in the co-pilot's seat underlines the horror. "Flight," a title with more than one meaning, is strangely the first live-action feature in 12 years by Robert Zemeckis, who seemed committed to stop-motion animation (" Beowulf ," " The Polar Express ," " Disney's A Christmas Carol "). It is nearly flawless. I can think of another final line of dialogue for Whip Whitaker's character ("My name is Whip, and I'm an alcoholic"), but that's just me.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

Flight (2012)

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

138 minutes

Denzel Washington as Whip

Don Cheadle as Hugh

John Goodman as Harling

Brian Geraghty as Ken

Bruce Greenwood as Charlie

Nadine Velazquez as Katerina

Directed by

• Robert Zemeckis
• John Gatins

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Flight Reviews

Led by Denzel Washington's top-notch performance in Flight, Robert Zemeckis' return to live action was worth the wait.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Dec 28, 2022

Washington delivers one of his most complex and intricate performances.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Sep 21, 2022

Zemekis rounds up a potent film about a freefalling alcoholic with a few existential themes such as salvation. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Aug 10, 2022

Flight isn't an easy sit. It doesn't offer up comforting answers to the many questions it raises or deal in exaggerated platitudes an audience might find simplistically comforting.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Apr 5, 2022

Denzel brought it in this one and so did most of the other actors. It's a really good movie.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 30, 2021

Denzel gives a wild performance in this film that is further enhanced by the supporting work of Don Cheadle, John Goodman and Bruce Greenwood. Could have done without the subplot with the love interest but it doesn't ruin the film.

In Flight, we sit and watch a series of timeless truisms (at best) ... And, as a result, somewhere in the middle of the movie, it all grows a bit tedious.

Full Review | Feb 12, 2021

Flight proves, in a bad way, that believable characters are essential for all good movies.

Full Review | Jan 14, 2021

Washington is so good that he nearly overwhelms the film with a performance that soars far higher than the film itself.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.0/4.0 | Sep 7, 2020

Denzel Washington's mesmerizing, heartbreaking performance carries the entire piece.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Jul 29, 2020

What keeps "Flight" from devolving into a full-fledged Lifetime territory are a strong beginning and Denzel Washington's performance.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Jul 18, 2020

In 'Flight', Denzel Washington takes off very high with what would be one of the most complex performances in his entire career. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jun 25, 2020

Zemeckis crash lands his movie with a shoddy romantic subplot and an ending shoehorned in so American audiences won't walk away bitching about the film being a downer.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.6/5 | Nov 13, 2019

Some might say Flight peaks very early. Those folks would be absolutely right. But what a peak it is. Whatever you do, do not show up late. The opening half-hour is truly stunning.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Nov 1, 2019

sluggish exploration of alcoholism which is as dull as listening to the pub bore

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 25, 2019

Even amidst the depths of personal despair, Zemeckis maintains a light touch, interjecting moments of humor that keep the film entertaining and not as ponderous as it could have been.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jun 8, 2019

Flight makes its points, but it never capitalizes on what might make it unique.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Jan 30, 2019

However, if you feel you can with stand a nosedive shot from the cockpit of a commercial airliner, this happens to be a gripping and brilliantly acted film.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Nov 7, 2018

Flight is an engaging film with an opening that is worth the price of admission on its own.

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Nov 1, 2018

Performance and plane crash aside, in a climate of fewer and fewer quality mainstream movies, Flight looks like a winner simply by not being terrible.

Full Review | Aug 21, 2018

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Movie Review: 'Flight'

Kenneth Turan

Movie critic Kenneth Turan reviews Flight , starring Denzel Washington. Turan says Washington plays an intriguing — and morally ambivalent — hero.

Copyright © 2012 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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Common Sense Media Review

Excellent but mature drama about alcoholic airline pilot.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Flight is an excellent, albeit mature, drama about an alcoholic airline pilot and the investigation surrounding a plane crash he was involved in. The crash sequence itself is realistic and harrowing, with injuries and wounds. Drinking and drugs are also big issues, as the main…

Why Age 17+?

The main character is an alcoholic but denies it throughout most of the film. He

Language includes many uses of "f--k" and "s--t," plus &quot

The movie opens with the main character in a hotel bed with a naked woman. She w

The first part of the movie includes a harrowing, realistic plane crash sequence

Many brand names of beer and hard liquor are shown, including Heineken, Bushmill

Any Positive Content?

The story shows the difficult struggle of dealing with alcoholism -- the main ch

It's difficult to call Whip a true role model, as his struggle falls on the

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

The main character is an alcoholic but denies it throughout most of the film. He has many drinking binges, downing everything from beer to vodka, which usually results in shouting, passing out, and/or hurting himself. A secondary character is a drug addict; she's shown in an early scene shooting heroin and overdosing. After this incident, she stays clean throughout the rest of the movie. In one crucial scene, the main character's friend makes him a special "wake up" cocktail consisting of cocaine and tobacco. Whip also smokes frequently.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Language includes many uses of "f--k" and "s--t," plus "d--k," "ass," "damn," "hell," "crap," "goddamn," etc.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

The movie opens with the main character in a hotel bed with a naked woman. She walks, naked, around the room, for long moments before the scene ends. The main character also appears to be naked but is mostly covered by the sheets. Later, the main character flirts with and kisses another woman.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

The first part of the movie includes a harrowing, realistic plane crash sequence in which many people are injured (on-screen) and some killed (offscreen). A stewardess risks her life to save a boy. Characters are seen in the hospital. A secondary character overdoses on heroin and nearly dies; she also goes to the hospital. The main character has many drunken binges that sometimes result in shouting or falling and hurting himself (some blood is shown). There's also some arguing and confrontation.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Many brand names of beer and hard liquor are shown, including Heineken, Bushmills, Grey Goose, Corona, Stolichnaya, Jim Beam, and more. Some of the brands have requested that they be removed from the film.

Positive Messages

The story shows the difficult struggle of dealing with alcoholism -- the main character battles it and reaches a level of sobriety, learning to accept others' help and return their love. His actions and decisions also emphasize the importance of telling the truth (rather than lying to protect yourself) and accepting the consequences.

Positive Role Models

It's difficult to call Whip a true role model, as his struggle falls on the negative side so many times. Throughout most of the movie, he pushes others away, behaves badly, and very often slips back into drinking again. But he earns viewers' sympathy, and when the crucial moment comes, he chooses what's right over his own selfishness.

Parents need to know that Flight is an excellent, albeit mature, drama about an alcoholic airline pilot and the investigation surrounding a plane crash he was involved in. The crash sequence itself is realistic and harrowing, with injuries and wounds. Drinking and drugs are also big issues, as the main character is an alcoholic who frequently binges (sometimes resulting in arguing and/or injuries, some with blood), and a secondary character is a drug addict. There's also a nude scene early in the movie, when the main character wakes up in a hotel room with a girlfriend, and language is strong, with uses of "f--k" and "s--t." Director Robert Zemeckis also made the ultra-popular Forrest Gump , but Flight is more intense in some ways and less age appropriate for younger teens. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (15)
• Kids say (17)

Based on 15 parent reviews

Full frontal gratuitous female nudity from the first second!

What's the story.

Faced with a malfunctioning plane, commercial airline pilot Whip Whitaker ( Denzel Washington ) pulls off a spectacular crash landing that saves nearly all the lives on board. Unfortunately, during the subsequent investigation, it becomes apparent that he was drunk while flying. Worse, he abuses alcohol regularly. In the hospital, Whip meets recovering drug addict Nicole ( Kelly Reilly ) and decides to help her out. In the days leading up to a hearing that could cost Whip his job, he tries to stop drinking, but with all the pressure, he finds the urge too strong. Even with all the people in his life trying to help, it all comes down to Whip, who must decide for himself which path to take.

Is It Any Good?

After too many years of gimmick- and special effects-based movies, with FLIGHT, director Robert Zemeckis once again finds the perfect balance between characters and spectacle. (He achieved this in his best films, Back to the Future and Who Framed Roger Rabbit .) This is also easily the most mature movie of his career. A slightly less talented director would have focused on the heavy issue of alcoholism, but Zemeckis instead uses the suspense of the impending hearing, as well as rich characters and performances ( John Goodman is a particular standout). The balance makes for a far more effective and appealing film.

Likewise, special effects are restricted to the first act only and used to support the characters and themes, rather than the other way around. Moreover, Flight bravely includes many unconventional moments, ranging from powerful, passionate speeches by minor characters to amazing moments with no dialogue at all. Flight is purely a Hollywood film, but it's Hollywood at its very best.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how Flight depicts drinking . Why does Whip drink so much? What are the results of his drinking? What consequences does he face? Do they seem realistic?

Why doesn't Whip accept any help from anyone? How can you help a loved one who might be an alcoholic/addict?

How did the violent plane crash sequence affect you? Was it too over-the-top, or did it seem to fit the story? How does a scene like that compare to something in a big-budget action movie? Which has more impact? Why?

Movie Details

• In theaters : November 2, 2012
• On DVD or streaming : February 5, 2013
• Cast : Denzel Washington , Don Cheadle , Kelly Reilly
• Director : Robert Zemeckis
• Inclusion Information : Black actors, Female actors
• Studio : Paramount Pictures
• Genre : Drama
• Run time : 138 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : drug and alcohol abuse, language, sexuality/nudity and an intense action sequence
• Last updated : July 9, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

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Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Some miracles are not what they seem.

Commercial airline pilot Whip Whitaker has a problem with drugs and alcohol, though so far he's managed to complete his flights safely. His luck runs out when a disastrous mechanical malfunction sends his plane hurtling toward the ground. Whip pulls off a miraculous crash-landing that results in only six lives lost. Shaken to the core, Whip vows to get sober -- but when the crash investigation exposes his addiction, he finds himself in an even worse situation.

Denzel Washington Don Cheadle Kelly Reilly John Goodman Bruce Greenwood Brian Geraghty Tamara Tunie Nadine Velazquez Peter Gerety Garcelle Beauvais Melissa Leo Carter Cabassa Adam C. Edwards Conor O'Neill Charlie E. Schmidt Will Sherrod Boni Yanagisawa Adam Tomei Dane Davenport John Crow E. Roger Mitchell Ravi Kapoor Jill Jane Clements Tommy Kane James Badge Dale Susie Spear Purcell Philip Pavel Piers Morgan Jim Tilmon Show All… Charles Z. Gardner Tom Nowicki Jason Benjamin Ric Reitz Timothy Adams Darius Woods Ron Caldwell Dylan Kussman Janet Metzger Bethany Anne Lind Sharon Blackwood Pam Smith Justin Martin Shannon Walshe Rhoda Griffis Michael Beasley Ted Hall Laila Pruitt Precious Bright Steve Coulter Ted Huckabee Sarah Clark Vinnie Hasson Randy Thom Dennis P. Wise Paul Volle Hal Williams Kwesi Boakye Jennifer Olympia Bentley

Director Director

Robert Zemeckis

Producers Producers

Laurie MacDonald Walter F. Parkes Jack Rapke Steve Starkey Robert Zemeckis Heather Kelton

Writer Writer

John Gatins

Casting Casting

Victoria Burrows Toby Guidry Judith Sunga Scot Boland

Editor Editor

Jeremiah O'Driscoll

Cinematography Cinematography

Don Burgess

Assistant Directors Asst. Directors

Dana J. Kuznetzkoff Greg Gilman

Additional Directing Add. Directing

Steve Starkey

Executive Producer Exec. Producer

Cherylanne Martin

Camera Operator Camera Operator

Robert Presley

Production Design Production Design

Nelson Coates

Art Direction Art Direction

David Lazan Jon Carlos

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Sarah Carter James Edward Ferrell Jr. John Berger Danny Brown

Visual Effects Visual Effects

Jenn Emberly Ryan Tudhope Kevin Baillie

Stunts Stunts

Charles Croughwell Alex Madison Jeannie Epper Ashley Rae Trisler John Casino Elizabeth Davidovich

Composer Composer

Alan Silvestri

Sound Sound

Goro Koyama Randy Thom Andy Malcolm Dennis Leonard Leff Lefferts Dennis S. Sands Stephen Urata

Costume Design Costume Design

Louise Frogley

Makeup Makeup

Nikoletta Skarlatos Stephanie Barnes Carl Fullerton Patrice Coleman Tracey L. Miller-Smith Quintessence Patterson Susan Ransom

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Teressa Hill Katrina Chevalier Larry M. Cherry Tracey Moss

Paramount Pictures ImageMovers Parkes+MacDonald Image Nation

Releases by Date

14 oct 2012, 13 nov 2012, 15 jan 2013, 24 feb 2013, 02 nov 2012, 08 nov 2012, 15 nov 2012, 22 nov 2012, 06 dec 2012, 07 dec 2012, 12 dec 2012, 10 jan 2013, 18 jan 2013, 24 jan 2013, 25 jan 2013, 30 jan 2013, 01 feb 2013, 07 feb 2013, 08 feb 2013, 13 feb 2013, 20 feb 2013, 21 feb 2013, 22 feb 2013, 28 feb 2013, 01 mar 2013, 14 mar 2013, 04 apr 2013, 19 apr 2013, 23 may 2013, 01 feb 2022, 01 jul 2022, 15 may 2013, 18 jun 2013, 19 jun 2013, 21 nov 2014, releases by country.

• Theatrical MA15+

Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

• Theatrical 14
• Theatrical 18A
• Theatrical 18+
• Theatrical 15
• Theatrical K-12
• Premiere Paris
• Theatrical U
• Digital VOD
• Physical DVD & Blu-Ray
• Digital 18 Prime Video
• Digital 16 Netflix
• Theatrical 12
• Physical 15 DVD
• Theatrical 18
• Theatrical 15A

Netherlands

• Physical 12 Blu ray
• Physical 12 DVD
• TV 12 RTL 5

New Zealand

• Theatrical R16

North Macedonia

Philippines.

• Theatrical M/16
• Premiere Belgrade Film Festival

South Africa

South korea.

• Theatrical 16
• Premiere 15 Stockholm International Film Festival

Switzerland

• Theatrical 限制級
• Premiere New York Film Festival
• Theatrical R

United Arab Emirates

138 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by nickusen

this should’ve ended with a post-credit stinger where sully (tom hanks) steps out of the shadows to tell denzel that he’s putting a team together

Review by Patrick Willems ★★½ 5

I really relate to the lawyer played by Don Cheadle who spends the whole movie frustrated by everything happening

Review by DirkH ★½ 29

Don't drink and fly.

Review by Mike D'Angelo ★★½ 1

Frustrating, because it floats a genuinely challenging idea—that you'd rather be in a plane flown by a drunk, coked-up pilot who knows what he's doing and can react quickly and calmly under pressure than one flown by a sober stickler who'll panic and crash—but ultimately just wants to punish Whip for his trangressions, like every other addiction movie ever made. Long, slow, denial-fueled slide to rock bottom is, well, long and slow. Spasms of interest mostly involve Cheadle's lawyer and his prim disgust with the client he's working so hard to exonerate. Also the flight itself, of course, which I was surprised to find is more gripping in its procedural details than as pure spectacle. That moment where Whip placidly instructs the flight attendant to tell her son that she loves him, then simply says "black box" when she expresses confusion, was like a pure hit of concentrated pathos.

Review by Tyler ★★★★★ 13

This very fictional movie is, actually, very true. Let me tell you a story.

For a short period of time, my dad drove a city bus here in town. It was his way of finally trying to settle down and get sober, except he couldn’t get sober, nor could he settle down. One early dark morning, at around 5AM, on one of his more unsavory city routes filled with an unsavory clientele, a massive argument broke out on his bus. He was just trying to round out the night’s route, get home and sleep, as he had been up for two nights straight — it was a weekend, after all, which meant I was staying at mom’s and he was…

Review by Roberts Kulenko ★★

Consider a drinking game:

Down a shot every time Zemeckis cues a classic song in an unbelievably unsubtle way.

Review by demi adejuyigbe ★★★★½

Whoa. Dramatic, emotional, terse, and sad. A terrific movie that reaches a stunning climax that makes me both root for Denzel and curse him as loud as I possibly can. Kelly Reilly and Denzel Washington both deserve Oscar nominations at the very least for their roles.

Review by Jay Cheel ★★ 4

In Flight, Robert Zemeckis continues his tradition of mixing live action and cartoon characters.

Review by realrzn ★★★ 1

The moral of the movie: cocaine always saves the day...stick with it long enough and it’ll solve all your problems

Review by grace spelman ★★★★

Uh oh!!!!!!!!

Review by Rafael "Parker!!" Jovine ★★★★½ 10

Action!: The Rise and Fall (?) Of Robert Zemeckis

Written by the guy who brought us Basketball movie underrated masterpiece Coach Carter , and the first live action film by Zemeckis in a decade, this film confirms that the director is not only as good as the scripts he's handled, but also when he stops focusing on the visual effects and concentrates on the story, essentially the drama.

Denzel Washington rarely manages to disappoint, and he's on fire this time around. The same year he was nominated for the Oscars, Daniel Day-Lewis won his so far last statuette for "Lincoln", and although I love that actor and think his portrayal in that film was truly transformative, I would honestly probably have…

Review by 🇵🇱 Steve G 🇵🇸 ½ 11

The Letterboxd Era Catch-Up Project

I was going to give this 3 stars because, although the 'drugs are bad mmmkay' and 'Praise Jesus!' stuff was amazingly heavy-handed, shit and completely symptomatic of what a terribly drab and boring director Robert Zemeckis became post-Back To The Future, this was worth seeing for fantastic performances from Denzel Washington and Kelly Reilly, the awesome sight of John Goodman as a drug dealer, and the brilliant plane crash scene.

But it has Piers Morgan in it.

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By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

First lesson learned from Flight : Never take Denzel Washington for granted. After making his bones with Glory , Malcolm X and The Hurricane , and winning a Best Actor Oscar for 2001’s Training Day , Washington settled into a groove of action films ( Safe House , Unstoppable ). With the exception of 2007’s incisive American Gangster , they relied more on his star power than his acting skills. Flight reminds us of what Washington can do when a role hits him with a challenge that would floor a lesser actor. He’s a ball of fire, and his detailed, depth-charged, bruisingly true performance will be talked about for years.

Washington, 57, plays Capt. Whip Whitaker, a commercial pilot with a jones for hooch and blow, on the job as well as off. His marriage is a casualty, along with his relationship with his only son. Can Whip stay up all night doing drinks, drugs and sex with a hottie flight attendant (Nadine Velazquez) and still make his 9 a.m. flight to Atlanta? He can. Can he sneak vodka on board in an orange juice container and still fly in a blinding rainstorm? He can.

But do you want him to? That’s the big question that Washington, screenwriter John Gatins and director Robert Zemeckis keep working like a wound. After Zemeckis spent the past 12 years experimenting with performance-capture animation ( Polar Express , yikes!), it’s good to have him back in the live-action arena he deserted after Cast Away . Flight is Zemeckis at his most emotionally open and thematically provocative.

It also comes on like gangbusters. In the white-knuckle opener, Zemeckis nails us to our seats as a hung­over Whip dozes, much to the horror of God-fearing co-pilot Ken Evans (Brian Geraghty). The suspense tightens when the jet’s hydraulics fail and Whip – roused from his stupor by a line of coke – must literally turn the plane upside down to make an emergency landing. The raw panic is palpable. But what astonishes is Whip’s unflappable cool, born of a lifetime on the job and, just maybe, Dutch courage. The sequence is a marvel of technical wizardry. But Zemeckis never lets FX crush the story’s human scale. Six lives were lost on this flight. But 96 more were saved because Whip was flying high.

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That is the ethical tightrope that Flight walks with keen intelligence. Whip is cheered as a hero, since 10 other pilots failed to duplicate his feat in simulations. Ironically, that fact enables him to drink more. He’s invincible! Nicole (Kelly Reilly), a recovering junkie, shares his bed and tries to steer him toward rehab. But a shot at going cold turkey leads to the inevitable relapse.

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Whip is a pawn. The airline and the pilots union want a cover-up. A hotshot lawyer (Don Cheadle) is hired to spin reports of Whip’s high-octane blood-alcohol level at the crash site. At a public hearing, the head prosecutor (a superb Melissa Leo, her honeyed voice a lethal weapon) is determined to make someone accountable for those six lives lost. How can Whip get through an interrogation, especially the morning after a killer bender? The same way he landed the jet, with a little help from his dealer friend Harling (John Goodman, vividly funny and scary as a force of Dr. Feelgood nature).

At the hearing, Zemeckis has only to train his sights on Washington as he captures a soul in free fall. You might bitch that Flight levels off after its shocking, soaring start. But you’d be missing the point of an exceptional entertainment that Zemeckis shades into something quietly devastating – not an addiction drama, but the deeper spectacle of a man facing the truth about himself. God isn’t Whip’s co-pilot. His jet even clipped off the steeple of a church on its way down. Whip is a man alone. And all you need to know about him is mirrored in Washington’s eyes. Zemeckis couldn’t invent a digital effect to match an image that hypnotic, that haunting.

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Flight Parent Guide

In the end we see hope for washington's high-flying character. however, this artistically capable film risks taking viewers down a runway paved mostly with good intentions..

A pilot (Denzel Washington) becomes an overnight hero when he miraculously lands an ailing airplane and saves the lives of everyone onboard. But fame turns on him just as fast when the accident's investigation uncovers some unexpected information.

Release date November 2, 2012

Run Time: 139 minutes

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by rod gustafson.

Denzel Washington delivers an award worthy performance as airline pilot Whip Whitaker, a man who has somehow managed to keep his job while nursing both an alcohol and cocaine addiction. But one fateful day his drug dependencies are revealed after, through no apparent fault on his part, the plane he’s flying suffers a major malfunction and nose-dives toward the ground. His younger Christian and sober co-pilot (Brian Geraghty) panics while the drugged up captain coolly performs a literal death-defying maneuver and lands the plane in a field. The somewhat explicit crash leaves a half-dozen people dead, but the vast majority of passengers survive and hail Whip a hero.

A few days later, after Whip has partially recovered from his injuries, he is faced with the facts. The NTSB investigation has revealed the alcohol and drugs in the pilot’s bloodstream and now Whip is facing possible manslaughter charges for the deaths caused by the accident. Initially still denying the charges, even to his own appointed lawyer (Don Cheadle), we begin to see the depth of addiction this man has succumb to.

Perhaps the biggest surprise about Flight is the focus on substance abuse as opposed to the crash itself, and that’s probably wise considering there is far more fiction than fact in this script based on an actual event. (The original pilot served jail time for drug trafficking nearly two decades prior to his heroic crash avoidance, and he was not under the influence of chemicals during the incident.) However while the script goes to great lengths to show the destruction caused by Whip’s behavior there is a sense he was reasonably competent in spite of his intoxication, perhaps even implying that had he not been stoned when the plane tilted out of control he would not have been able to pull of the heroic landing. This could leave viewers, both old and young, with the opposite message this movie appears to be suggesting.

Related to this concern are scenes that show Whip using cocaine to quickly recover from the intoxicating effects of alcohol—both prior to flying the plane and appearing at an important investigatory hearing. This unintended lesson on the benefits of snorting after boozing is another potentially dangerous element. Other content issues include full female nudity during the first few minutes of the film and dozens of sexual expletives, some sexual comments, a multitude of scatological slang and other profanities, terms of deity and derogatory statements heard throughout.

In the end we see hope for Washington’s high-flying character. However, this artistically capable film risks taking viewers down a runway paved mostly with good intentions.

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Rod Gustafson

Flight rating & content info.

Why is Flight rated R? Flight is rated R by the MPAA for drug and alcohol abuse, language, sexuality/nudity and an intense action sequence.

Violence: A plane crash is shown in somewhat explicit detail, including a flight attendant who getting her foot caught in an overhead bin, hits her head, loses consciousness and is tossed around the cabin. Later people, both dead and alive, are seen with bloody injuries. Earlier a plane flies through intense turbulence causing a passenger to vomit and others to become very concerned. A woman’s landlord makes sexual suggestions toward her after he enters her apartment looking for overdue rent. Later her landlord threatens her with a baseball bat until aanother man appears and punches the landlord. Injured patients are seen in a hospital setting. Frequent verbal altercations occur.

Sexual Content: An unmarried man and woman are seen waking up in bed together, the woman gets up and while completely naked wanders about the room until eventually getting dressed. A man’s buttocks are exposed in his hospital gown. Men are seen naked from the rear during a scene that appears to be on the movie set of a pornography production. An unmarried couple live together. A man is provided with a stack of pornographic magazines from a friend and a comment alluding to masturbation is made.

Language: Dozens of sexual expletives, scatological terms, crude anatomical terms, religious expletives and derogatory names are heard throughout the film.

Alcohol/Drug Use: Alcohol use is depicted throughout the film, mainly by a character that denies he is an alcoholic. This same character and two other others are seen snorting cocaine. A woman prepares a needle and injects heroin. Addiction recovery meetings are shown, and one character begins the recovery process. Another character eventually admits to being an alcoholic. A secondary character with cancer gathers with others to smokes tobacco in a hospital stairwell; when a person provides him with a full pack of cigarettes he says he will pass them out in the cancer ward. Cigarette smoking is depicted in other scenes. While negative consequences for substance abuse are included, some scenes are shown in a somewhat comedic light, and other scenes may unintentionally encourage abuse.

Page last updated July 17, 2017

Flight Parents' Guide

The argument for more lenient drug and alcohol laws sometimes uses the logic that it only harms those who use these substances. What effects of drug and alcohol use do we see in this movie? How does it involve others who are not users? What are the economic costs of drug and alcohol use? How much money would you be willing to pay to support drug and alcohol screening of airline pilots and people whose jobs may have life or death consequences?

This movie is loosely based on the story of a Canadian pilot who successful landed an Airbus 330 that had run out of fuel during the flight. You can learn more about Captain Robert Piche here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Piché

http://www.asrsq.ca/fr/salle/porte-ouverte/0403/salle_por_040304.php

The most recent home video release of Flight movie is February 4, 2013. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Flight

Release Date: 5 February 2013

Flight release to home video in either Blu-ray or DVD.

Flight on Blu-ray includes:

- Feature film in high definition

- Origins of Flight

- The Making of Flight

- Anatomy of a Plane Crash

- Q&A Highlights

Flight on DVD offers:

- Feature film in standard definition

Related home video titles:

Other movies depicting terrifying air travel rides include Flightplan (where a mother loses her daughter onboard the aircraft) and Flight of the Phoenix (when a crash in the dessert necessitates teamwork to rebuild the plane).

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Flight Movie Review: Mohit Chadda’s survival thriller can be boarded just once

Mohit Chaddha starrer Flight has hit the theatres and if you are planning to watch the movie, here’s a review of this survival drama

Movie Name: Flight

Flight Cast: Mohit Chadda, Zakir Hussain, Pawan Malhotra

Flight Director: Suraj Joshi

Flight Ratings: 2/5 stars

We have seen several movies based on flights and aircrafts in Bollywood and each one of it has managed to give us goosebumps. And now debutant director Suraj Joshi has come up with his thriller drama Flight starring Mohit Chaddha in the lead which has hit the theatres today. The movie has come at a time when theatres have just opened and big filmmakers have been their eyes on the silver screen. Amid this, Mohit Chadda’s survival drama has been grabbing eyeballs with its intriguing trailer which did leave the fans wanting for more.

But as they say, not all that glitter is gold. While the Flight trailer had left an impressive mark, the movie appears to be a little disappointing. To begin with, Flight happens to be a story of a multi-millionaire Ranveer Singh (played by Mohit Chadda) who owns an aviation company that is dealing with an image crisis after one of its flights crashed due to cheap, low-quality aviation parts. And while Ranveer is set to take the responsibility and expose this aviation scam, some of his stakeholders aren’t in a mood to take up the losses and plan a nasty trap for Ranveer which leaves him trapped in a non-stop locomotive speeding flight that is inching towards its doom.

The plot sounds quite familiar, isn’t it? Well, if you are a Bollywood buff, Flight will remind you of Dharmendra and Vinod Khanna’s The Burning Train or Keanu Reeves Speed as well. However, instead of a train/bus filled with passengers, this time is just one man who is shown to be a one-man army who is set to escape this doomed flight by hook or crook. Being the leading man Ranveer has been shown as a man with swag and irresistible charm. He can flirt with girls, fight the goons and is a man of principles and Mohit did a decent job doing so. But the disappointment comes in when he tries to mimic megastar Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan in not so required situations and loses his originality.

Although Flight did have its share of intriguing twists and turns which will keep you on the edge of your seat, this survival drama comes with an insipid storyline, poor dialogues and bad comic timings. On the other hand, the supporting cast of senior actors Zakir Hussain and Pawan Malhotra, who plays the role of Khanna uncle and Balraj akka Dadda, did a decent job with their respective characters and added on to the suspense element, but the stodgy script left their efforts in vain.

If this wasn’t all. This Flight had a terrible landing as well as the climax scene will leave you scratching your head. Overall, Flight is just a one time watch that seems bearable only by its intriguing twists and thrills.

Ranpreet Kaur, a Bollywood aficionado, holds a BSC in Mass Communication from Pran's Media Institute. With a vibrant

Ranpreet Kaur, a Bollywood aficionado, holds a BSC in Mass Communication from Pran's Media Institute. With a vibrant career, she contributed her storytelling skills in notable channels like News Nation and India TV. Ranpreet's passion for the glitz of Bollywood led her to explore the dynamic world of media.

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Vague Visages

Movies, tv & music • independent film criticism • soundtrack guides • forming the future • est. 2014, know the cast: ‘flight’.

The Flight cast features Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle and Kelly Reilly. This info article contains minor spoilers and character details for Robert Zemeckis’ 2012 movie on HBO Max . Check out more streaming guides in Vague Visages’ Know the Cast section.

Flight centers on the trials and tribulations of an alcoholic pilot. When Whip survives a crash after a bender, he defends his decision-making progress. The narrative follows the main protagonist as he reaches an epiphany about his life. Here’s every actor and character in Flight .

Read More at VV — Know the Cast: ‘Bookie’

Flight Cast: Denzel Washington as Whip Whitaker

Character Profile: An alcoholic pilot. He is the son of a Tuskegee Airman who vows to quit drinking after a plane crash. Whip struggles with his alcoholism before a fateful hearing.

Washington’s Resume: Malcolm X in Malcolm X (1992), Alonzo in Training Day (2001), Frank Lucas in American Gangster (2007), Tobin Frost in Safe House (2012), Joe “Deke” Deacon in The Little Things  (2021)

Read More at VV — Know the Cast & Characters: ‘Reality’

Flight Cast: Don Cheadle as Hugh Lang

Character Profile: Whip’s lawyer. He is an attorney from Chicago. Hugh challenges Whip about his deceptive statements.

Cheadle’s Resume: Buck Swope in Boogie Nights (1997), Basher Tarr in the Ocean’s 11 Movie Franchise (2001-), Graham in Crash (2004), Paul Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda (2004), Mo Monroe in Black Monday (2019-)

Read More at VV — Know the Cast & Characters: ‘White House Plumbers’

Flight Cast: Kelly Reilly as Nicole

Character Profile: Whip’s love interest. She is a heroin addict and former photographer. Nicole separates herself from Whip in order to pursue her goals.

Reilly’s Resume: Caroline Bingley in Pride & Prejudice (2005), Jenny in Eden Lake (2008), Mary Morstan in Sherlock Holmes (2009), Beth Dutton in Yellowstone (2018-), Rowena Drake in A Haunting in Venice (2023)

Read More at VV — Know the Cast & Characters: ‘Love & Death’

Flight Cast: Bruce Greenwood as Charlie Anderson

Character Profile: Whip’s friend. He is a mild-mannered union leader. Charlie introduces Whip to Hugh.

Greenwood’s Resume: John F. Kennedy in Thirteen Days (2000), Pike in Star Trek (2009), Gil Garcetti in American Crime Story (2016), Randolph Bell in The Resident (2018-), Roderick Usher in The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)

Read More at VV — Know the Cast & Characters: ‘Somebody Somewhere’

Flight Cast: John Goodman as Harling Mays

Character Profile: Whip’s associate. He is a charismatic drug dealer. Harling helps Whip prepare for a fateful hearing.

Goodman’s Resume: Dan Conner in Roseanne (1988-2018), Charlie Meadows in Barton Fink (1991), Walter Sobchak in The Big Lebowski (1998), John Chambers in Argo (2012), Howard in 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

Read More at VV — Know the Cast & Characters: ‘Succession’

Flight Cast: Melissa Leo as Ellen Block

Character Profile: An NTSB investigator. She interrogates Whip at a hearing. Ellen’s line of questioning leads to an epiphany for Washington’s protagonist.

Leo’s Resume: Ray Eddy in Frozen River (2008), Alice Ward in The Fighter (2010), Holly Jones in Prisoners (2013), Susan Plummer in The Equalizer (2014), Goldie Herschlag in I’m Dying Up Here (2017-18)

Read More at VV — Know the Cast & Characters: ‘The White Lotus’

The Flight cast also includes:

• Tamara Tunie as Margaret Thomason
• Nadine Velazquez as Katerina Marquez
• Brian Geraghty as Ken Evans
• Peter Gerety as Avington Carr
• Garcelle Beauvais as Deana
• Boni Yanagisawa as Camelia Satou
• Justin Martin as Will
• James Badge Dale as Gaunt Young Man
• Piers Morgan as Himself
• E. Roger Mitchell as Craig Matson

Q.V. Hough ( @QVHough ) is Vague Visages’ founding editor.

Categories: 2010s , Drama , Film , Know the Cast , Movie Cast Guides , Movies , The Rewatchables , Thriller

Tagged as: 2012 Film , 2012 Movie , Boni Yanagisawa , Brian Geraghty , Bruce Greenwood , Cast Guide , Cast List , Character List , Denzel Washington , Don Cheadle , Drama Movie , E. Roger Mitchell , Film Actors , Film Actresses , Film Cast , Film Characters , Film Plot , Film Summary , Flight , Garcelle Beauvais , James Badge Dale , John Goodman , Justin Martin , Kelly Reilly , Melissa Leo , Movie Actors , Movie Actresses , Movie Cast , Movie Characters , Movie Plot , Movie Summary , Nadine Velazquez , Peter Gerety , Piers Morgan , Q.V. Hough , Robert Zemeckis , Streaming , Streaming on HBO , Streaming on HBO Max , Streaming on Max , Tamara Tunie , The Rewatchables , Thriller Movie

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