It's about taking responsibility.

Rating: 10/10 (4 June 2014)

Denzel Washington gives a masterful performance as a poly-substance abuser who finallyis forced to confront the truth ... about himself. It is about a man living a lie until it catches up with him, with tragic results. For the story is a tragedy. It depicts a good man brought down by a serious character flaw. Nobody can help him; he can only help himself. The principal character, Whip, has many good traits and is actually an engaging character ... when he is sober. But his engaging personality is a façade that conceals huge emotional problems. Yet Whip is neither contrived nor implausible. Indeed, he is a metaphor for anyone with a serious substance abuse issue. Thus, the movie can resonate with any adult audience. Thus movie challenges the audience to take stock of their own possible substance abuse, a problem which, sadly, is all too pervasive in a society that not only condones but actively encourages people to drink and smoke. The movie's depiction of a man destroying himself is neither melodramatic or overblown. Instead, it provides a provocative dramatization of a problem that adversely effects so many people in so many adverse ways. For this story to be effective, the audience must be convinced that Whip is in fact culpable. This point the movie skirts. Did the plane crash because of mechanical failure or because of Whip's erratic, yet heroic, flying? This the movie never fully reveals. The audience must decide for itself who is really to blame. The movie also provides a realistic dramatization how various interest groups who could be adversely effected by the crash mobilize their resources to protect their interests, with the truth taking a backseat. The union, the airlines, the government, and Whip himself all act to protect themselves and transfer blame to others. Nobody wants their feathers ruffled, and it is in this context that Whip is finally forced decide if he will act like a man.