Denzel Washington was the Protagonist and Antagonist.

Rating: 8/10 (13 February 2013)

I enjoyed this movie despite believability down-drafts repeatedly reminding me it was 'just' a made-up story on a screen. Denzel Washington's performance, however, not unlike the way his character saved his passengers, kept me engaged.
Without the distractions of stretching credulity it may have been an instant classic. Or maybe not? Sometimes the writer can't get around pushing believability to tie together set-ups or plot points.
The first, as other reviewers' have noted, was the plane crash itself. It wouldn't have been too much more far-fetched for Whip to have stuck his arm out the window to fix some mechanical part in flight. Later on, no one sighted a national celebrity getting smashed in public; I assume the tabloids would have had a field day if the miracle on the Hudson pilot was seen drunk in public. And, despite the cable news networks hot on the trail of the missing "hero" pilot, no reporters thought to go to his Grandfather's Farm, a locale known for generations in the area.
But all of that was eclipsed by the story, which was Whip's struggle to come to terms with his alcoholism. Even for people who don't drink, we all have our demons, and so all self-aware people can relate to the drama. I enjoyed the movie.