Flight ( 2012 film ) - wikipedia Flight ( 2012 film ) Flight Theatrical release poster Directed by Robert Zemeckis Produced by Walter F. Parkes Laurie MacDonald Steve Starkey Robert Zemeckis Jack Rapke Written by John Gatins Starring Denzel Washington Don Cheadle Kelly Reilly John Goodman Bruce Greenwood Nadine Velazquez Brian Geraghty Tamara Tunie Melissa Leo Music by Alan Silvestri Cinematography Don Burgess Edited by Jeremiah O'Driscoll Production company Parkes + MacDonald Prods. ImageMovers Distributed by Paramount Pictures Release date October 14, 2012 ( 2012 - 10 - 14 ) ( New York Film Festival ) November 2, 2012 ( 2012 - 11 - 02 ) ( United States ) Running time 138 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $31 million Box office $161.8 million Flight is a 2012 American drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis. The film stars Denzel Washington as William `` Whip '' Whitaker Sr., an airline pilot who miraculously crash - lands his plane after it suffers an in - flight mechanical failure, saving nearly everyone on board. Immediately following the crash, he is hailed a hero, but an investigation soon leads to questions that put the captain in a different light. Flight was the first live action film directed by Robert Zemeckis since Cast Away and What Lies Beneath, both released in 2000, and his first R - rated film since Used Cars in 1980. It was also a box office success, grossing over $161 million worldwide and received mostly positive reviews. The film was nominated twice at the 85th Academy Awards, for Best Actor ( Denzel Washington ) and Best Original Screenplay ( John Gatins ). Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 4 Reception 4.1 Release 4.2 Critical response 4.2. 1 Top ten lists 4.3 Awards and nominations 5 References 6 External links Plot Airline pilot captain William `` Whip '' Whitaker Sr. uses cocaine to wake up after a night of little sleep in his Orlando hotel room. He pilots SouthJet Flight 227 to Atlanta which experiences severe turbulence at takeoff. Copilot Ken Evans takes over while Whip discreetly mixes vodka in his orange juice and takes a nap. He is jolted awake as the plane goes into a steep dive. Unable to regain control, Whip is forced to make a controlled crash landing in an open field losing consciousness on impact. Meanwhile, heroin addict Nicole Maggen is on the verge of being evicted. She overdoses on heroin and has to be wheeled out of the house by a paramedic. SouthJet Flight 227 flies inverted overhead in the midst of its emergency landing. Whip awakens in an Atlanta hospital with moderate injuries and is greeted by his old friend Charlie Anderson, who represents the airline 's pilots union. He tells Whip that he managed to save 96 out of 102, losing two crew members and four passengers, but mentions his copilot is in a coma. Whip sneaks away for a cigarette in the stairwell and meets Nicole, who is recovering from a heroin overdose in the same hospital. The next morning, his friend and drug dealer Harling Mays picks him up from the hospital. Having retired to his late father 's farm, he meets Charlie and attorney Hugh Lang, who explain that the National Transportation Safety Board ( NTSB ) performed a drug test while he was unconscious. Results showed that Whip was intoxicated during the flight. Hugh promises to get the toxicology report voided on technical grounds. Meanwhile, Whip visits and soon becomes intimate with Nicole, but Whip 's drinking habits clash with Nicole 's attempts to stay drug - free. Later at a crew member 's funeral, he attempts to persuade a flight attendant who survived to tell the NTSB that he was sober. Whip pays a visit to his co-pilot Ken Evans after he awakens from his coma. Evans has likely lost much of his ability to walk and may never pilot an airplane again. Although upset, Evans has no intention of telling the NTSB that Whip was drinking. Nicole decides to separate from Whip, following his failed attempts to stay sober. Hounding Whip, the media catches him drunk after he spontaneously drives to the home of his ex-wife and son, both of whom resent him. He stays with Charlie until the NTSB hearing, vowing not to drink. The night before the hearing, Charlie and Hugh move Whip to a guarded hotel room with no alcohol. Although his minibar is empty, he finds the door to an adjacent room unlocked and raids its minibar instead. Whip is discovered by Charlie the next morning, passed out and still drunk. Harling is called, who revives him with cocaine. At the hearing, lead NTSB investigator Ellen Block explains that a damaged elevator assembly jackscrew was the primary cause of the crash. She commends Whip on his valor and skill and notes that no other pilot was able to land the plane in trial simulations of the crash. She then reveals that two empty vodka bottles were found in the plane 's trash, despite the fact that beverages had not been served to passengers, and that Whip 's test was excluded for technical reasons. The only other member of the crew to test positive for alcohol was Trina, who died in the crash, and with whom Whip had spent the night before. Whip, unable to bring himself to blame Trina for his actions, admits to being intoxicated the day of the crash. Thirteen months later, an imprisoned Whip tells a support group of fellow inmates that he 's glad to be sober and does n't regret doing the right thing. Whip is seen looking at pictures of Nicole, family, and friends on the wall of his cell, along with greeting cards congratulating him on being sober for a year. He is working to rebuild his relationship with his son, who visits to talk with him about a college application essay on `` the most fascinating person that I 've never met. '' His son begins by asking, `` Who are you ? '' As a plane flies overhead, Whip replies, `` That 's a good question. '' Cast Denzel Washington and Kelly Reilly in Paris at the film 's French premiere, January 2013. Denzel Washington as William `` Whip '' Whitaker, Sr. Don Cheadle as Hugh Lang Kelly Reilly as Nicole Maggen Bruce Greenwood as Charlie Anderson John Goodman as Harling Mays Melissa Leo as Ellen Block Tamara Tunie as Margaret Thomason Nadine Velazquez as Katerina Márquez ( Trina ) Brian Geraghty as Ken Evans Peter Gerety as Avington Carr Garcelle Beauvais as Deana Coleman Justin Martin as Will Whitaker, Jr. James Badge Dale as Gaunt Young Man Piers Morgan ( cameo appearance ) Production Robert Zemeckis entered negotiations to direct in April 2011, and by early June had accepted, with Denzel Washington about to finalize his own deal. It was the first time Zemeckis and Washington worked together on a motion picture. By mid-September 2011, Kelly Reilly was in negotiations to play the female lead, with Don Cheadle, Bruce Greenwood, and John Goodman joining later in the month, and Melissa Leo and James Badge Dale in final negotiations. Screenwriter John Gatins said in early October 2011 that production would begin mid-month. Flight was largely filmed on location near Atlanta, Georgia, over 45 days in November 2011. The film 's relatively small budget of $31 million, which Zemeckis later calculated was his smallest budget in inflation - adjusted dollars since 1980, was due to tax rebates from Georgia and from Zemeckis and Washington having waived their customary fees. Gatins explained in a 2012 interview with the Los Angeles Times that the dramatic fictional crash depicted in Flight was `` loosely inspired '' by the 2000 crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261, which was caused by a broken jackscrew. That crash had no survivors. The airplane in Flight, a two - engine T - tail jet airliner, appears to be from the same model family as Alaska Airlines 261, a variant of the MD - 80. Many elements from the accident were used in the film such as the cause of the accident, segments of the radio communication, and the decision to invert the airplane. Flight reunites Washington with many co-stars from his past films including Don Cheadle ( Devil in a Blue Dress ), John Goodman ( Fallen ), and Bruce Greenwood ( Déjà Vu ). Sections of three decommissioned MD - 80 series aircraft were used in Flight. Reception Release Flight opened in 1,884 theaters across North America on November 2, 2012. In its first week, the film ranked second in the domestic box office, grossing $24,900,566 with an average of $13,217 per theater. Flight earned $93,772,375 domestically and $68,000,000 internationally for a total of $161,772,375, well above its $31 million production budget. Critical response Flight received mostly positive reviews from critics. The film has an approval rating of 78 % based on a sample of 220 critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The site 's consensus states `` Robert Zemeckis makes a triumphant return to live - action cinema with Flight, a thoughtful and provocative character study propelled by a compelling performance from Denzel Washington. '' Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 based on reviews from 40 critics. Denzel Washington 's performance received praise from various critics. The Hollywood Reporter 's Todd McCarthy wrote that the film `` provides Denzel Washington with one of his meatiest, most complex roles, and he flies with it. '' Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun - Times gave the film four stars ( out of four ) writing, `` 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. '' He also noted the plane 's upside - down flight scene was `` one of the most terrifying flight scenes I 've ever witnessed '' and called the film `` nearly flawless ''. Ebert went on to name the film the sixth best of 2012. Although the film was not nominated for Best Picture, he later noted that he felt it deserved to be. Entertainment Weekly wrote, `` Denzel Washington did n't get an Oscar nod for nothing : His performance as an alcoholic airline pilot ensnared by his own heroics is crash - and - burn epic. '' The film received some criticism from airline pilots who questioned the film 's realism, particularly the premise of a pilot being able to continue flying with a significant substance - abuse problem. The Air Line Pilots ' Association in an official press release dismissed the film as an inaccurate portrayal of an air crew and stated that `` we all enjoy being entertained, but a thrilling tale should not be mistaken for the true story of extraordinary safety and professionalism among airline pilots. '' Airline pilot Patrick Smith also commented that `` a real - life Whitaker would n't survive two minutes at an airline, and all commercial pilots -- including, if not especially, those who 've dealt with drug or alcohol addiction -- should feel slandered by his ugly caricature. '' The pilot also criticised the portrayal of the relationship between copilot and captain, the decision of Whitaker to increase speed dangerously in a storm, and the ultimate dive and crash landing of Whitaker 's aircraft. Top ten lists 3rd -- Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer 3rd -- Rafer Guzmán, Newsday 6th -- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun - Times 7th -- Richard Roeper, RichardRoeper.com 7th -- Kyle Smith, New York Post 8th -- Brian Tallerico, Hollywood Chicago 9th -- Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune 9th -- Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly Awards and nominations List of awards and nominations Award Subject Result Academy Award Best Actor Denzel Washington Nominated Best Original Screenplay John Gatins Nominated AACTA Awards Best International Actor Denzel Washington Nominated Art Directors Guild Award Excellence in Production Design for a Contemporary Film Nelson Coates Nominated Black Reel Award Best Film Flight Nominated Best Actor Denzel Washington Won Best Supporting Actress Tamara Tunie Nominated Best Ensemble The Cast of Flight Nominated Broadcast Film Critics Association Award Best Actor Denzel Washington Nominated Best Original Screenplay John Gatins Nominated Chicago Film Critics Association Award Best Actor Denzel Washington Nominated Chicago International Film Festival Founder 's Award Robert Zemeckis Won Dallas - Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award Best Actor Denzel Washington Nominated Golden Globe Award Best Actor -- Motion Picture Drama Denzel Washington Nominated Hollywood Film Festival Spotlight Award Kelly Reilly Won NAACP Image Award Outstanding Motion Picture Flight Nominated Outstanding Actor Denzel Washington Won Outstanding Supporting Actor Don Cheadle Nominated Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture John Gatins Nominated National Board of Review Spotlight Award John Goodman, also for Argo, ParaNorman, and Trouble with the Curve Won Online Film Critics Society Award Best Actor Denzel Washington Nominated Palm Springs International Film Festival Award Director of the Year Robert Zemeckis Won Satellite Award Best Actor -- Motion Picture Denzel Washington Nominated Best Supporting Actor -- Motion Picture John Goodman Nominated Best Screenplay, Original John Gatins Nominated Best Visual Effects Jim Gibbs, Kevin Baillie, Michael Lantieri and Ryan Tudhope Won Best Editing Jeremiah O'Driscoll Nominated Best Sound ( Editing & Mixing ) Dennis Leonard, Dennis Sands, Randy Thom and William Kaplan Nominated Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Lead Actor Denzel Washington Nominated St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Best Actor Denzel Washington Nominated Best Scene ( favorite movie scene or sequence ) The plane crash Nominated Visual Effects Society Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture Nominated Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award Best Actor Denzel Washington Nominated Writers Guild of America Award Best Original Screenplay John Gatins Nominated References ^ Jump up to : McCarthy, Todd ( October 15, 2012 ). `` Flight : New York Film Festival Review ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 24, 2012. Jump up ^ Horn, John ( October 20, 2012 ). `` How the movie ' Flight ' got off the ground ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 4, 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` Flight ''. boxofficemojo.com. Box Office Mojo. Jump up ^ Kit, Borys ( April 20, 2011 ). `` Robert Zemeckis in Talks for Live - Action ' Flight ' With Denzel Washington Circling ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 20, 2012. Jump up ^ Zeitchik, Steven ( June 3, 2011 ). `` Robert Zemeckis finally looks to take ' Flight ' ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 20, 2012. Jump up ^ White, James ( September 13, 2011 ). `` Kelly Reilly Takes Flight ''. Deadline.com. Retrieved October 20, 2012. ^ Jump up to : Morris, Clint ( September 22, 2011 ). `` Exclusive : Cheadle, Greenwood join Zemeckis 's Flight ''. Moviehole.com. Retrieved October 20, 2012. Jump up ^ Fleming, Mike ( September 28, 2011 ). `` John Goodman Boards Robert Zemeckis ' Flight With Denzel Washington ''. Deadline.com. Retrieved October 20, 2012. Jump up ^ Kit, Borys ( September 30, 2011 ). `` Melissa Leo, James Badge Dale Booking ' Flight ' ( Exclusive ) ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 20, 2012. Jump up ^ Warner, Kara ( October 5, 2011 ). `` Denzel Washington 's `` Flight '' Is 12 Years In The Making ``. MTV. Retrieved November 7, 2011. ^ Jump up to : Horn, John ( 21 October 2012 ). `` How the movie ' Flight ' became airborne ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 23 October 2012. Jump up ^ Flight used a former American Airlines MD - 82, N442AA, the main fuselage for the crash mock - up, a more complete nose for filming, and a former Delta Air Lines MD - 88, N901DL, and for on stage work, a former Continental Airlines MD - 82, N16807. Unchecked citation is `` ' Flight ' the Movie ''. Airliner World Magazine. No. April 2013. Jump up ^ Flight at Rotten Tomatoes Flixster Jump up ^ `` Flight ''. Metacritic. CBS. Jump up ^ Ebert, Roger. `` Roger Ebert Flight review ''. Chicago Sun - Times. Retrieved 2 December 2012. Jump up ^ Ebert, Roger. `` Ebert 's Top Movies of 2012 ''. Chicago Sun - Times. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2013. Jump up ^ Entertainment Weekly Staff ( February 8, 2013 ). `` The Must List ''. Entertainment Weekly. New York : Time Inc. : 8. Jump up ^ Smith, Patrick ( November 18, 2012 ). `` Real Pilots Laugh at ' Flight ' ''. The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on November 27, 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2012. Jump up ^ ALPA News Release. Alpa.org ( October 31, 2012 ). Retrieved July 13, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Real Pilots Laugh At ' Flight '. The Daily Beast ( November 18, 2012 ). Retrieved July 13, 2013. External links Flight -- official site Flight on IMDb Flight at AllMovie Flight at Rotten Tomatoes Flight at Metacritic Flight at Box Office Mojo Wikimedia Commons has media related to Flight ( 2012 film ). Films directed by Robert Zemeckis I Wanna Hold Your Hand ( 1978 ) Used Cars ( 1980 ) Romancing the Stone ( 1984 ) Back to the Future ( 1985 ) Who Framed Roger Rabbit ( 1988 ) Back to the Future Part II ( 1989 ) Back to the Future Part III ( 1990 ) Two - Fisted Tales ( 1992 ) Death Becomes Her ( 1992 ) Forrest Gump ( 1994 ) Contact ( 1997 ) What Lies Beneath ( 2000 ) Cast Away ( 2000 ) The Polar Express ( 2004 ) Beowulf ( 2007 ) A Christmas Carol ( 2009 ) Flight ( 2012 ) The Walk ( 2015 ) Doc Brown Saves the World ( 2015 ) Allied ( 2016 ) The Women of Marwen ( 2018 ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flight_(2012_film)&oldid=803490037 '' Categories : 2012 films English - language films 2010s drama films American films American aviation films American disaster films American drama films Film scores by Alan Silvestri Films about alcoholism Films about drugs Films about prostitution Films about aviation accidents or incidents Films directed by Robert Zemeckis Films set on airplanes Films set in Florida Films set in Atlanta Films shot in Georgia ( U.S. state ) ImageMovers films Paramount Pictures films StudioCanal films Screenplays by John Gatins Hidden categories : Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from June 2015 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Čeština Deutsch Español فارسی Français 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Latviešu Magyar Македонски Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Simple English Suomi Svenska ไทย Türkçe Українська اردو 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 2 October 2017, at 21 : 07. 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Question: denzel washington movie where he's a pilot
Answer: Flight