Big budget Hollywood movies are primarily about entertainment and earning money, but sometimes they are also conversation starters or have an educational component. That’s the case with the latest Denzel Washington film, <I>Flight.</I>
The story revolves around a pilot who gets in the cockpit still hung over (and possibly high) from the night before. When the plane encounters trouble, Washington’s character saves the day and becomes a hero – until the results of his blood test come back.
As he runs from the professional, legal and personal trouble he’s now facing, those in recovery or familiar with addictive behaviors will see some familiar signs. The avoidance, lying to himself and struggles with getting and remaining sober are hard to watch -- and all too common. At the same time, the story raises interesting questions about our culture and how we demonize addiction and those who battle substance abuse.
While Denzel’s character was certainly wrong to pilot a commercial airliner when not completely sober, were his efforts to save the lives in his care any less heroic because of his blood alcohol level? We have a penchant for putting people on pedestals only to knock them down, and the backlash this pilot endures makes it even harder to seek help. This quality portrayal of a flawed human being offers an opportunity to open up the lines of communication about responsibility, heroism and the stigma of addiction.
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