ON A WING AND A PRAYER SMALL ON PRODUCTION, BIG ON FAITH

There are two types of stories we read about in an emergency situation: heartbreaking tragedy or miraculous survival. Sometimes they just show up in the news and we are left with a certain number of questions until it is not news worthy anymore as the story has been told. When it comes to airplanes there have been a bevy of fictional movies of someone saving the lives of everyone on board or a harrowing flight is part of the overall plot. There are crashes that are survived by some and those that live are left to fend for themselves. Fiction is usually a much happier version of what would happen in real life. There have been movies based on real life tragedies and miracles while being exact representations while others add some fictional drama to them. On A Wing and A Prayer on Amazon Prime is based on the true story of Doug and Terri White and their harrowing experience of having their pilot die while they flew home from Florida on a charter flight. While there are some dramatic additions to the story it stays pretty true to the events of that day and the words uttered to the towers and pilots on the ground trying to help them land.

Doug is played by Dennis Quaid and Terri is played by Heather Graham. They are a devoted family to each other and their faith. After the death of Doug’s brother they fly to Florida for the funeral. Doug is questioning his faith after the loss of his brother and others recently. Along with the family is the side stories of tower worker Dan Favio (Rocky Meyers), his friend Kari Sorenson (Jesse Metcalfe), and a young girl Donna (Raina Grey) who is an aviation enthusiast listening in on an aviation radio and tracking the flight. Dan appears to have a bit of a drinking problem, Kari is suffering from some sort of grief, and Donna doesn’t see her dad much because he is a pilot. These people all get pulled together due to this emergency and most help Doug and his wife (SPOILER ALERT) land the plane and save their family. The script takes a lot of dialogue from the actual conversations had that day which is pretty cool. All of the characters seem to have some form of faith restored due to the event.

First, you have to understand that this in no way diminishes the events of that day. Many people had to pull together resources and people to prevent a worse case scenario and have a good amount of faith in what they were doing. The first thing you will notice when watching this movie is that the production quality is not at the highest level. It’s equivalent to a TV special or Hallmark movie. While not extremely cheesy you will notice it a bit with lack luster special effects and some reuse of the same effect shots of the plane. Add in a storm that doesn’t ever get as threatening as it is portrayed. The dialogue is also choppy and not allowed to flow and breath. They spend a good amount of time with the actual flight after the pilot dies and there is a good amount of tension when watching. There is also a large amount of focus on faith. Anyone in that situation, no matter how much they don’t believe might start praying. There are actual moments from the White family relying on their faith, but at times it seems forced into scenes and doesn’t feel sincere. The side stories also aren’t very fleshed out and seem like a distraction at times. It takes most of the film to understand Kari’s grief and Donna and her friend Buggy just seem to be there and not helping in any way. They feel like they’re simply a form of comedic relief without adding to the story as they inexplicably ride their bikes onto the tarmac and a security guard can’t catch them in his car. Quaid and Graham do a great job and Jesse Case and Abigail Rhyne play their teenage roles well throughout. I wish Amazon had put a little more money into the production. They have enough! The film tends to vacillate between whether it’s a dramatic movie or a faith story. It’s both, but forcing one side or the other off and on detracts from the movie overall. It’s worth a watch if only for the real life story of the family and a surprise local connection, but be aware of what you’re getting into and don’t expect too much beyond that.