Film Review: On A Wing And A Prayer

By What on What's Good - Jovin Tardif February 22, 2023

On A Wing And A Prayer

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, LightWorkers Media

United Artists Releasing, Amazon Studios

Release date

April 7, 2023 (Prime Video)

Description

In this extraordinary true story of faith and survival, On a Wing and a Prayer follows passenger Doug White’s (Dennis Quaid) harrowing journey to safely land a plane and save his entire family from insurmountable danger, after their pilot dies unexpectedly mid-flight.

My Rating

6/10

#whatonwhatsgood Fan Club Rating

65%

#whatonwhatsgood Express Review

On April 2009, Doug White (Dennis Quaid), his wife Terri (Heather Graham), and two children, Bailey (Abigail Rhyne) and Maggie (Jessi Case) were flying back home from Florida to Louisiana on a private plane.

After taking off, the pilot dies of a heart attack. Doug who has little to no flying experience is left to take over the controls. Terri takes over in the co-pilot seat.

With some help from air safety officials and Kari (Jesse Metcalfe), Doug was provided step-by-step advice on how to land the plane.

“On a Wing and a Prayer” is a decent thriller. You get to see how this family dealt with several issues on board including a storm and a random allergic reaction.

Social Media

#OnAWingAndAPrayer

Directed by

Sean McNamara

Written by

Brian Egeston

Produced by

Roma Downey, Autumn Bailey-Ford, and Karl Horstmann

Starring

Dennis Quaid as Doug White

Heather Graham as Terri White

Jesse Metcalfe as Kari Sorenson

Abigail Rhyne as Bailey White

Jessi Case as Maggie White

Brett Rice as Jeff White

Rocky Myers as Dan Favio

Selena Anduze as Lisa Grimm

E. Roger Mitchell as Brian Norton

Joe Knezevich as Ralph

Brandon Quinn as Ellis Ross

Roger Anthony as Bill Jones

Raina Grey as Donna

Trayce Malachi as Buggy

Anna Enger Ritch as Ashley Harrison

Wilbur Fitzgerald as Joe Cabuk

Holly A. Morris as Claire

Rachael Markarian as Linda

James Healy Jr. as Pastor Williams

Cinematography

Christian Sebaldt

Edited by

Jeff Canavan

Music by

Brandon Roberts

Dennis Quaid discusses On A Wing And A Prayer

“As a pilot myself, I wouldn’t give this guy much of a chance of landing. A King Air is a pretty powerful twin-engine plane and a lot to handle. He has no idea how to fly this airplane. The only thing he knows is the button to push to talk to the control tower.”
“Doug White is a salt-of-the-earth kind of person from Louisiana. He’s a pharmacist. He is not seeking fame or fortune. And he wanted this story to be told right. I hope we did him justice.”

Heather Graham discusses On A Wing And A Prayer

“But you never know what’s going to happen, do you? You just have to trust that something bigger out there is looking out for you. A friend of mine calls what happened to the Whites ‘the gift of desperation.’ When something terrible happens to you, it makes you grow emotionally and spiritually.”
“She’s just so sweet and colorful and sassy. She has two kids and she’s a very loving mom, as well as a pharmacist, like Doug. Doug is very charming and funny, but behind closed doors, I think she’s the real strength in their marriage.”
“Dennis Quaid actually is a pilot and he says that flying is easy but landing is hard, which is a metaphor for life, isn’t it? The flight controllers went to great lengths to help a family that none of them had ever met. They were never alone. And that’s really beautiful.”

Jessi Case discusses On A Wing And A Prayer

“I am just so impressed by the resilience of this family. Doug and Terri hold each other accountable for staying positive even in times of unbelievable stress. They held it together because their faith was unshakable. When you have something to hold on to and believe in, it helps break the mindset that this dark moment is never ending.”
“In the movie, her relationship with her younger sister Bailey is the classic younger sister-older sister dynamic of ‘You steal my clothes,’ ‘I’m embarrassed to be your sister,’ ‘Give me all your candy.’ Still you can see how strong their bond is when the chips are down.”

Abby Rhyne discusses On A Wing And A Prayer

“She’s so spunky. It was great getting to tell her part of the story. She and Maggie have some sisterly conflict, as most sisters do. But they really love each other.”
“I can’t imagine being in a situation like that. I don’t think Bailey and Maggie realize at first how much trouble they are in. Their parents are putting on a strong front for them. But as time goes on, the girls start to realize the gravity of the situation.”
“And then they’ll see how Doug uses his faith to pull through. To me faith means believing in something that you can’t necessarily see or touch but that gives you hope.”