Excellent for the most part but somewhat morally misguided

Rating: 8/10 (16 December 2016)

This is a pretty intense, gripping movie, which I could definitely relate to, having had problems with an alcohol and a DUI in the past, and dealing with the consequences of my bad choices in the present.I believed Whip's breakdown in the courtroom: given that he was dead drunk and coked up, I knew that he was going to snap one way or the other, and if he was tired of lying, then that's what it was. Loved the powerful, tear-inducing moment of glance exchanges between him and Ellen Block after he said "I am drunk right this moment".
However, here are the reasons I am giving it 8 out of 10:

In the end, Whip mentions that he sent letters of apology to the victims, even though it was proved that the plane malfunctioned because of a damaged part, not because of the pilot's actions, AS WELL AS that under given circumstances, he performed in the best possible way and saved most of the people except the ones who were not buckled up at the time of crash, compared to zero people in other pilots' flight simulations. YES, he has been drinking, and YES he should face the appropriate consequences for that, but he should not be taking on false guilt for something he couldn't have possibly prevented had he been a hundred percent sober and ten times more alert.

The whole moral message reeks too much of AA stuff, which I am not a big fan of. Of course, this is just one story and perhaps it worked for him, but it is just too preachy and cookie-cutter for me. (However liked the scene with his son in the end.)

If you know an alcoholic, especially one with a DUI or two, gently suggest they watch this movie, it will at least get them thinking in the right direction. But don't force it, or the slightly skewed moral might get stuck in their throat.