It's not spoiling anything for you to tell you that, in the new movie "Flight," Denzel Washington plays an alcoholic, drug addicted airline pilot.This movie is gritty. The sexual images and sexual language, not to mention the drug scenes, are pervasive. So, would I recommend it for older teens? Absolutely. This movie, to me, is not about an airplane crash. Although that part of it is intense and on the edge of your seat scary.
It's about addiction. It's clearly about self destruction. And....my favorite movie theme...redemption.
We talked a good bit afterwards about whether or not it was realistic that the pilot could have accomplished the miracle of landing the plane if he'd been sober. My take is no, he couldn't. But that doesn't mean that he didn't have a much greater chance of killing everybody on board every other flight he piloted drunk.
Makes me grateful for my neighbor who randomly blood tests professionals. For instance, he has, just prior to take off, boarded a plane and blood tested the pilot and crew.
So, you pilots out there, thank you for not ever trying the stunt the Denzel Washington character pulled in the movie "Flight."
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