In On a Wing and a Prayer, a passenger in a private plane is forced to fly and land it after the pilot dies mid-flight. The biographical film is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
Doug White (Dennis Quaid) is a 56-year-old pharmacist with minimal experience in flying a Cessna aircraft alongside his brother, Jeff.
Later, he is informed that Jeff has passed away, which makes him question the existence of God, since so many that were close to him have been taken away.
Doug, his wife, Terri (Heather Graham), and daughters, Maggie (Jessi Case) and Bailey (Abigail Rhyme) are returning from Jeff’s funeral to Louisiana, when a tragedy occurs.
The pilot loses consciousness minutes after the plane takes flight, and Doug takes control of it. He also begins to communicate with the air traffic team.
In this narrative that is based on a true story, several individuals form the authority come together to try and land this family safely.
Performances
Quaid is excellent as the protagonist. He captures the emotions of his character well and, as the film progresses, convincingly portrays what Doug is going through.
Apart from him, Rocky Myers, as aspiring air traffic controller Dan Favio, and Jesse Metcalfe, as experience pilot Kari Sorenson, impress.
Positives
The film makes viewers aware of extraordinary events that actually took place, and makes a decent attempt at making the narrative engaging enough to watch.
It makes sure to explain the jargon in simple terms and the viewers will never feel as though they do not understand any detail.
The runtime is apt and the editing is crisp enough not to let the film drag at different points, and the supporting characters are interesting, and not just treated as side pieces.
Negatives
Despite being a survival film, you never quite get the feeling that the stakes are high and the family could perish at any given moment. Several moments feel too far-fetched as well.
There are moments for levity, but they don’t land at all and feel out of place. On a Wing and a Prayer is at its best when it takes itself seriously and the tension is palpable.
The character of Terri doesn’t feel like a real person. Her reactions to dire situations are unnatural and her belief in faith feels like a caricature more than someone who genuinely believes in God.
Verdict
On a Wing and a Prayer is a watchable film but considering the story it is trying to tell, it falls a long way short of being remarkable.
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