Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Flight’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

When we think of heroic acts, often times we instantly put the person who saved lives and placed themselves in harm’s way atop one heck of a high pedestal and with good reason. They did something brave, they did something incredible and upon virtue alone, they have to be better people than we are because we simply aren’t sure if we could have pulled off the same incredible feats they did. While this isn’t a bad thing by any means because good moments like that should be celebrated, we have to keep in mind that everyday heroes, are also everyday people.
 
They still get up in the morning. They still eat breakfast and go to the bathroom like the rest of us and most importantly, they have their struggles in life too. Because in the end we are all flawed human beings and of the many movies out there that celebrate heroic acts and the hope that said act inspires in all of us, few of these tales truly take a look at the human side of things, and all of the flaws that the hero in question carries with them in their day to day lives and one such story that accomplishes that darker look at heroes in magnificent and fascinating fashion, is the 2012 film, Flight.
 
Now in this motion picture we are introduced to a man named Whip Whitaker, and Whip, is a pilot who finds himself in one hell of a harrowing incident in the skies when his plane undergoes a terrifying malfunction, forcing Whip to think fast and land the plane as best as he can, and wouldn’t you know it? His quick thinking saves a vast majority of the lives on board, making him an instant hero in the public’s eye. But there is a slight problem with this newfound fame in that, Whip wants no part of it. Because Whip has a few skeletons in his closet, ones that will no doubt be exposed and taint his new role as an American Hero and now it will be up to Whip to deal with these matters to not only salvage his reputation, but to salvage his future in general…

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​This is one of those films that honestly flew under my radar simply because the marketing scheme as I recall it, more or less made it seem as though Whip simply made an honest mistake by having a few drinks the night before the flight in question, which led me to believe this movie was going to be nothing more than a tale that examines the nature of heroism and whether or not heroes can make mistakes. So, imagine my surprise when I settled in to watch this movie, only to find that Whip has a major problem with drugs and alcohol, something that would clearly make everyone have second thoughts about his heroic act in the sky and well, the surprises for this motion picture don’t end there.
 
Because at its core, this is a tale about addiction, and the lengths that addicts will go in order to maintain their addiction and everything that Whip does in this film, aside from landing that plane, is to keep the drugs and booze flowing and well, it’s a fascinating character study to say the least, one where the audience wants to see Whip embrace the good he’s capable of, but he keeps messing up time and time again and that’s a refreshing twist in its own right. Because normally in films when we meet someone who is flawed or suffering from an affliction, they rise to the occasion, but Whip is content right where’s he’s at and it is just fascinating to watch a character in essence refuse a better life.
 
Of course, what makes this film so successful in what it tries to accomplish comes by way of its strong performances, specifically Denzel Washington, who plays Whip and Denzel’s portrayal of this broken man is downright stunning since it’s clear that Whip is battling all kinds of demons and his internal struggle allows for us to root for the man, despite his flaws and it also makes the ending, all the more satisfying. If anything, this motion picture serves as a fine reminder of our flaws and of the struggles that come with being a human, and the fights we sometimes don’t believe we will ever win and that makes this movie a powerful and wonderful tale, one that needs to be seen if by chance you haven’t yet. 

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