Denzel Washington Reaches The Heights And The Depths in "Flight"

When you get on an airplane, whether you're a constant traveler or a white-knuckle bundle of nerves, it's good occasionally to be greeted by the pilot. The trip is in his or her hands. Pilots know what they're doing, right? Everything will be fine.

In the superb "Flight," the passengers on Whip Whitman's (Denzel Washington) trip have a bit to be worried about. Aside from facing an upcoming storm, the pilot has a secret. He's an alcoholic.

Whip is awakened the morning of the flight by an angry call from his ex-wife. It's truly the morning after the night before, with his very gorgeous, very nude flight attendant Katerina Marquez (Nadine Velazquez) in the hotel room with him. He does a line of cocaine to balance out a sky-high blood alcohol level. Just a little eye-opener.

In full pilot uniform and sunglasses, he confidently enters the plane looking, well, looking very Denzel, to the powerful "Gimme Shelter" as background music. His first officer, Ken Evans (Brian Geraghty), is a little bit green. Lovely Katerina ("Trina") is handling coach. Whip even takes a little nap during the flight. Then the plane literally falls apart. With an engine on fire and no control, Whip tells Evans they're going to roll the plane. ("We're gonna do what?") He rolls it, upside down, right side up, with luggage falling on screaming passengers. Incredibly, he successfully lands it in a field, with churchgoers running for their lives. In later testing and reenactment of the flight, it's proven that no one - no one - could have landed that plane, with only four fatalities among the 102 survivors. Trina was one of them.

Whip ends up in a hospital. He's visited by Charlie Anderson (Bruce Greenwood), who tells him he's a hero. He's all over the news. (A lovely bit of trivia: Greenwood and Washington acted together in "St. Elsewhere" in the 1980s.) He's also visited by Harling Mays, his drug contact (John Goodman, a real scene-stealer). Charlie then introduces Whip to lawyer Hugh Lang (Don Cheadle), who tells him a blood test revealed alcohol in his system. Because there were deaths, that could lead to a trial - and the death penalty.

Whip hides out at his father's farm to avoid the press and pours all the booze down the sink. Then a meeting with the lawyer paints a frightening picture, and he heads to a bar. A hearing is scheduled to take place. He's sequestered in a hotel room the night before, swearing to stay sober, but decimates a next-door minibar. Then comes the hearing. You have to see for yourself.

Denzel Washington balances the panache of the experienced pilot with the tragic plight of alcoholism. As cocky as he looked entering the plane, he later shows the downward spiral of his greatest weakness. He's been lauded for his performance, and there's Oscar buzz. He's already won Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor. Providing useful articles, reviews and writings on movies and films online.