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who is Whip’s polar opposite in every way. The flight soon encounters heavier-than- anticipated turbulence as they fly into a massive storm. Not a problem for Whip who steers the plane into the clearing, albeit in an unconventional and eyebrow raising way, to the relief of the flight’s 96 passengers and six members of the flight crew. But that’s when things start to go really wrong. Abruptly, the pilots encounter a series of inexplicable mechanical malfunctions, causing the plane to rock and dip and shudder like a rollercoaster. As these breakdowns began to multiply, causing the plane to spiral downward and seemingly out of the pilots’ control, Whip decides that his only recourse to maintain a level altitude is to maneuver the 50-ton plane into a barrel roll and complete inversion, which will allow it to glide without its engines until he can right the plane and land it. Within minutes, unable to make it to the airport, flying the plane just a few hundred feet off the ground, Whip finds a patch of nearby land adjacent to a church where he can attempt his landing. At 140 miles per hour, he inverts the aircraft and brings it down. The impact is shattering, but Whip, in an incredible, ingenious stroke, calmly manages to land safely enough to save all but six of the one hundred and two souls on board. For his miraculous landing, the media hails Whip as a hero. But, there are lingering questions. The cause of the crash isn’t entirely clear to his superiors and particularly to the NTSB, although Whip is quite sure had he not been in the cockpit, the plane would have nose-dived and all its passengers would surely be dead. Nonetheless an investigation ensues. As the query drags on, Whip is literally grounded as he struggles with his considerable demons. Convinced that his actions saved the passengers on-board, he is equally certain that his personal issues are not all that extraordinary and certainly had no bearing on the crash. Old and new allies rally around him. His friend and union representative Charlie Anderson takes on his case, as does the canny, sincere lawyer Hugh Lang. Whip’s droll pal Harling Mays is also around for support, if not always the moral kind. Along the way, Whip meets a kindred spirit, Nicole. A down-on-her-luck photographer and recovering substance abuser, Nicole may be just what Whip needs. If only Whip could figure out exactly what that is. “Flight” tells a harrowing story about one man’s amazing, heroic feat and how, in the process of defending himself, he discovers his true grace and valor. 2
Flight Path In 1999, screenwriter and former actor John Gatins served as a technical advisor on a “military-themed epic” where he spent much of his time with other technical advisors, mostly naval pilots. They shared “the most insane stories” about what they had to do to land these planes on ships in the roiling seas. For the writer, who harbors a fascination and a fear of flying, these vivid stories set his imagination in motion. The pressure, the exhilaration of accomplishing these mid-air acrobatics – what kind of mindset would they have and how would they find release back in the company of mortals on earth? So began a twelve-year odyssey that ultimately brought “Flight” to the screen. The main dramatic conflict explored in “Flight” is Whip Whitaker’s inability to be truthful to himself. He is an expert in denial, even as his personal downward spiral increases exponentially. As Gatins describes it, “’Flight’ is a character study about a guy really struggling with his own demons. And what should have been a typical day of work for him becomes a series of unfortunate events that leads to a disastrous occurrence on his plane. From there a larger story unfolds both personally and professionally for him. As that world continues to unfold, we watch the man in the center unravel.” Gatins extensively researched real-life air disasters. At that time, the legendary US Airways “Miracle on the Hudson” river landing accomplished by heroic pilot Sully Sullenberger, was still ten years away. However, with the help of the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) and interviews with pilots, eventually, Gatins drafted a 35- page outline of what ultimately became “Flight” – which became more than a mere disaster film when he also wove in some of his own history. “Part of my own personal life found its way into the fabric of the screenplay. For me it was an exercise examining my own kind of issues and demons that I’ve had throughout my life and how they relate to this character who has a big event that happens in his life,” Gatins says. Gatins explains that part of Whip’s addiction includes the lies he tells himself and the ones that other people ask him to maintain. His real crucible comes when “…the weight of those lies come to a breaking point where he’s going to have to make a decision,” Gatins says. 3
Page 1: PRODUCTION INFORMATION Introduction
Page 5 and 6: “What really appealed to me was h
Page 7 and 8: “We were so lucky to be working w
Page 9 and 10: “In one scene, he is not wearing
Page 11 and 12: Georgia accent, but it was the film
Page 13 and 14: Cheadle notes also that often Whip
Page 15 and 16: “My Grandpa was an instructor and
Page 17 and 18: little bit of set dressing, everyth
Page 19 and 20: Setting the film in motion - litera
Page 21 and 22: and make it exciting.” Since the
Page 23 and 24: Earlier in production, an aerial cr
Page 25 and 26: In Spring 2010, Washington made his
Page 27 and 28: eceived a Golden Globe Award for Be
Page 29 and 30: was critically well-received. Washi
Page 31 and 32: Lena and Lenz” at the Guthrie The
Page 33 and 34: Racer”), for which he received an
Page 35 and 36: Earlier he starred in “Mao’s La
Page 37 and 38: Other notable film work includes
Page 39 and 40: and "NYPD Blue." Next November, Tun
Page 41 and 42: stature as Steven Spielberg, Robert
Page 43 and 44: ROBERT ZEMECKIS (Director) won an A
Page 45 and 46: produced or executive-produced by P
Page 47 and 48: Upon his graduation from New York U
Page 49 and 50: John’s most recent screenplay,
Page 51 and 52: has also earned the distinction of

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