REVIEW: On a Wing And a Prayer Had Too Many Characters & Not Enough Story
When placed in a life-or-death situation, what would you do? Would you give up or face it head on? What if you had to help said person face that life-or-death situation? Could you keep a level head even though the odds are not in their favor? That is the exact case in Prime Video’s new movie, On a Wing And a Prayer. Based on a true story, the movie follows Doug White (Dennis Quaid), who is placed in a terrifying situation when the man piloting the plane he and his family are on dies mid-flight. Now, White has to place his faith, and trust in the hands of a group of flight controllers and Kari (Jesse Metcalfe) a flight instructor if he has any chance of landing this plane and keeping his family alive.
Directed by Sean McNamara and written by Brian Egeston, the movie is a good balance of faith and action, but there were way too many characters. As the characters are introduced you begin to wonder what part they will play in the overall story, only to come to realize that a majority of them don’t play a major part. In the real story, most of these characters probably played a major part in the family’s survival, but that wasn’t the case for the movie. Each character was briefly introduced, not really explaining who they were or what part they play. Besides the White Family and Kari, none of the characters were fleshed out. Without these additional characters, the creative team would have had more time to really develop its characters, namely Kari.
Quaid steps in as the patriarch of the White family and seemed a little too over the top for me. I understand his character was going through a near death experience, but some of his dramatic moments just didn’t fit the character for me. Heather Graham played the matriarch of the White family, Terri. Graham does a nice job portraying the calming hand needed during the harrowing experience, but you are left wondering why she ultimately was not the one who landed the plane with how calm she was. Metcalfe plays flight instructor Kari and my only negative was there not enough to his story. His character was one I wish had received more attention during the writing process because things didn’t add up in his storyline.
On a Wing And a Prayer is set to be released to Prime Video, so you can, thankfully, watch it whenever you want. You can also turn it off anytime you want. If you are looking for a movie with a satisfactory ending this is it. Just be prepared for a slow beginning and a story that just doesn’t fit the narrative.
Grade: C