Whenever you board a plane you’ve got to realize that you’re putting your life in the hands of another human being that could or could not be trustworthy. It’s a lot to think about since that person at the helm could be a drunk or a drug user and have impaired judgment while they’re piloting the craft, which could lead to any number of disasters. In Flight however, William is without a doubt the only reason that so many of his passengers survive. Drunk or not, he did what few if any other pilots could have done and managed to save the majority despite the injuries and unfortunate deaths. But as always, no good deed goes unpunished.
Here are a few things from the film you might not have known.
10. The film was inspired by a real-life disaster.
The crash of Alaska Airlines 261 was very similar to what happened in the movie. Unfortunately rolling the plane did not help this fated flight as they could not pull out of the maneuver.
9. Denzel Washington accepted a very meager salary for this film.
He took about a tenth of his original salary, which in comparison to what most people make is still considerable.
8. The director is a certified pilot.
Robert Zemeckis is a certified pilot in real life, so it stands to reason that he might have had some sort of input on the realism of the film.
7. Denzel is not a big drinker.
He’s said that he has seen the effects of being drunk on the job and he doesn’t appreciate it in anyone. He also only drinks very sparingly.
6. Delta Airlines granted the cast permission to use their flight simulator.
It was big help to show the cast and crew just what it was like to pilot a real aircraft and get a feel for the different situations they had to endure.
5. Every scene that was shot was used.
Nothing was left on the cutting room floor for this film. The only thing that was done included a few scenes being shortened here and there.
4. The alcoholism depicted in the film is very real according to experts.
While the piloting and the outcome isn’t entirely realistic according to those that know something about it, former alcoholics have been heard to say that the depiction of the struggle was very real.
3. This is Zemeckis’ first live-action film since Castaway in 2000.
Returning to live-action was something that could have been challenging or refreshing depending on how one looked at it.
2. It took ten years to finish this screenplay.
That seems like a long time to finish a screenplay, but it would be easy to explain if the screenwriter had a lot of other projects going on.
1. When John Goodman’s character is introduced to the audience Sympathy For The Devil is playing, which is the same song that plays in Fallen, in which he stars with Denzel Washington.
It’s almost a nod back to their first collaboration together to be honest. Plus, these two tend to compliment each other as actors.
Did you know this much about the film?
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