Distributor: Paramount
Pictures
Opening Weekend Box Office:
#2 with $24,900,566
Domestic Box Office
Gross to-date: $61,336,000
Gross Revenue: $63,436,000
Production Budget:
$31 million
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Though he has stayed away from the live-action space since his work in 2000’s mega-hits Cast Away and What Lies Beneath, because he is responsible for some of my favorite movies like Back to the Future and Forrest Gump, you can bet that I was paying attention when I first heard that Robert Zemeckis would be helming Flight. Argo may have wowed audiences and critics in October, generating some definitive favoritism for Awards Season, but as the first drama release for heavily-weighted November and December schedule, expectations were through the roof for Denzel Washington’s newest project. Granted, Denzel Washington has more than enough star-power to guarantee a strong audience turn-out, but when you add-in other crowd-pleasers like Don Cheadle and John Goodman, it is obvious that filmmakers were swinging for the fences. And in terms of pre-release buzz, the gripping plane crash featured in the trailers resonated with a wide-array of audiences, playing-off of a common fear and promising to tell the kind of story that has heretofore remained largely untold. I fully acknowledged that it may have become difficult to travel on a commercial airliner after viewing Flight, but given the early critical praise and the pedigree of all those involved, I knew that this wasn’t the kind of drama that could be missed.
Offering a deep insight into a
truly complicated character, Flight
introduces audiences to airline captain William “Whip” Whitaker (Denzel
Washington), a hard-partying and heavy-drinking pilot who is forced to take
drastic action when the plane he is flying experiences mechanical difficulties
and enters a steep dive just minutes before final descent. Though the crash-landing leaves him injured,
Whip is informed that his maneuvers saved 96 of the 102 souls that were aboard
the aircraft, thereby instantly transforming him into a national hero. Unfortunately, the levity is short-lived, as
former colleague and representative of the pilots union Charlie Anderson (Bruce
Greenwood) introduces Whip to attorney Hugh Lang (Don Cheadle), the latter of whom
indicates that Whip must appear before an NTSB board for a hearing, and that
the revered pilot tested positive for both alcohol and cocaine in his system at
the time of the crash. Given the
seriousness of this revelation, the perceived hero could face manslaughter
charges and serious jail time; and as his life is placed under the microscope,
Whip tries to take solace in the company of a reformed heroin addict, Nicole
Maggen (Kelly Reilly), and his close friend and former drug dealer Harling Mays
(John Goodman). Forced to take a hard
look at how both his previous and current choices have affected those around
him, Whip must make some drastic changes if he is to ever mend certain
relationships and avoid spending the foreseeable future behind bars.
Like I said in the “Short and Sweet”
review, easily the strongest component of Flight
involves the superb performances delivered by the talented cast, and as
expected, Denzel Washington is at the front of the line for that coveted
accolade. Though his true nature was
hinted at in the trailers, it is still unnerving once you realize the depth of
alcoholism from which Whip suffers, and Denzel Washington brings that internal
struggle to life brilliantly, playing the kind of tortured soul that you both
pity and revile. Every time you believe
that Whip is making progress, he suffers an even more dramatic fall-from-grace,
and that kind of character development is remarkably balanced and more than
enough to keep you truly invested in the “hero’s” fate. Don’t worry, even though the alcoholism angle
can be a definitive downer, there is also some considerable levity present in
the narrative, thanks largely to scene-stealer John Goodman; when he shows up
in the final act to help Whip make preparations for his hearing, the audience
was roaring with laughter…something that had been conspicuously scarce since
our favorite pilot started hitting the bottle hard. In the end though, despite the stellar
acting, Flight does lull at a few
points, even abandoning a few interesting angles to maintain the overall
serious tone of the film…one that might not resonate with mass audiences.
Given the intensity of the crash
sequence that was used as the main selling-point for Flight, most audiences might be tempted to think that this drama
moves at a brisk pace with considerable adrenaline, but the dissonance between
expectations and reality could act as a pretty serious turn-off. Don’t worry, the plane crash it truly
gripping and exciting, showcasing that Zemeckis certainly hasn’t lost his touch
when it comes to live-action, but he didn’t exactly succeed in executing a
flawless character study. For as
entertaining as Denzel Washington is as an actor, there were a few notable
points where things got a little boring, making me wish that the narrative had
chosen to focus on a few more story arcs in addition to the alcoholism
struggle. Early in the film, as he is
recovering from the crash in the hospital, Whip meets a lively cancer patient
who hints at notions of fate and predestination in relation to the crash, but
after he leaves, the story hook is abandoned entirely; the added philosophical
implication might have clashed with the psychology of addiction, but I still
thought that the movie could have tried to merge the two. These weak points may not sink the overall
quality of Flight, but they will
likely prevent Denzel Washington’s newest awards-bid from being the runaway red
carpet favorite that many were expecting.
Opening against a family-friendly
animated comedy and taking first place is an immensely tall order for an
original drama that fully earns its R-rating, so no one was altogether disappointed
when Flight earned second place with
nearly $25 million. And when weighed
against a surprisingly-modest $31 million production budget, Paramount Pictures
has to be happy that the well-received drama has already surpassed $60 million
at the box office. In light of all the high-profile
releases coming down the pipe in the next few weeks, it is certainly good news
that this character-driven drama has already made a significant impact. Unfortunately, Flight did run into some controversy after release, as Budweiser
was apparently NOT happy with how their product was portrayed in relation to
alcoholism…taking those kind of liberties with brand identity without approval
indicate a pretty significant oversight from someone in the studio’s consumer
products department. Despite that little
setback though, if you are looking for a jarring and altogether deep filmmaking
experience, then you cannot go wrong with Flight.
Overall Recommendation: High
