The Pilot's Wife

One dark misty morning Kathryn Lyons, Christine Lahti, sadly walks down the steps of her upstairs bedroom to answer the door. Fearing the worst the man knocking Robert Heart, Campball Scott, is a member of the pilot union that her husband Jack, John Heard, belongs to. The news from Robert is bad. The plane that Jack was flying from London to Boston crashed into the sea some ten miles west off the Irish coast with all 104 passengers and crew missing and presumed dead.

Kathryn now has to tell her fifteen year-old daughter Mattie, Alison Pill, the news which puts the young girl in such a state of shock that she needed medication to get her nerves and herself back together. As tragic as the accident was that killed Kathryn and Mattie's husband and father as well as the 103 others on the plane the news that started coming out about the accident from those involved in investigating it made it far more tragic. It was no accident and even at a more personal level Kathryn begins to find out that she didn't lose her husband Jack over the Atlantic Ocean that cold and misty morning she lost him some six years earlier. It was only because of what just had happened that the truth was able to finally come out.

Hunting film with fine performances by all involved about how life can prove to be unbearable when you not only lose a loved one but when that loved ones love was not entirely directed at you.

The leading actors in the movie Christine Lahti, the pilot's wife, Alison Pill, the pilot's daughter, John Heard, the pilot, Robert Heart,, the pilot's union representative,and Kristy Mitchell, the pilot's dark secret. The movie made what looked like an afternoon soap opera into a highly absorbing and watchable feather film.

If you're a big fan of C Lahti - see this - her face is wonderful, catching myriad emotions with depth & grace.

The rest of it is lame - low plot, leads that die, ideas not followed through, unsatisfying characters going half-way, no pay off.

Campbell Scott, while easy on the eyes resorts to two tones - one flat & the other flatter.

Supporting cast has little to work with in the way of story, development or location. There is nothing redeeming about any of the film except for Lahti's acting.

You'd be better off browsing in the romance section of the used book store.

I found this film in the "new release" section of the video store. I found out after watching it that it was a 2001 TV movie. I'm glad I didn't know that before or I would have never rented it. There's something about renting movies made for TV. The "London" scenes were hokey. Having been there I wasn't easily fooled. The vegetation in the park where Muire was arrested doesn't exist in London. Also Kathryn took two cab rides and both cabs had the same license plate. If you've been to London, what are the odds of catching the same cab twice? OK, I'm picky but I liked the film anyway. It reminded me of a movie called "The Deep End" with Tilda Swinton. Airline pilot husband, wife in crisis, bratty kids. The formula seems to work.

This movie was aired this week in the UK one afternoon and made for enjoyable and compulsive viewing. The story was good and all the talent worked well and I was impressed how slick was the direction and editing in telling the story. American movies work to high production values and this was no exception, very slick and watchable, but seeing what was supposed to be Ireland and London destroyed the credibility of the movie, the magic was gone. Why? I've looked at the credentials of the Producer, Director, and Art Department and they're all seasoned fine professionals, so I'd love to know why so many continuity errors were allowed in the final cut. Was is ignorance? or was there a budget problem? Somebody please tell me! Well if you think I'm being picky, here goes - Nova Scotia may look like Ireland but buildings are in stone or brick. The harbour looked nothing like Ireland, more like Norway.The Canadian registered helicopter wouldn't be working in Eire, they've got their own. A liberal dose of gaffer tape could have converted the "C" into a "G" making it a British aircraft, that would have been credible. Irish military trucks do not wear North American plates. No British Police force uses American cars or vans. The Irish Police are called the GARDA and that is displayed on their police cars which are current models with Eire plates, not like the old model England registered Range Rover used in the story. Come on guys, its a different country! The black Rover model she drove to Malin Head (and which had been parked in the London street)is a rare 1950's model, was she supposed to have rented it? Driving on the left looks OK but the double yellow lines in the centre of the road scream WRONG! Over here they mean No Parking and are at the side of the road. It seems as if the Art Department didn't know, and didn't bother to check for continuity errors, while the Director could have covered most of these sins with tighter shots. All of this adds up to a big lack of professionalism. There were many other small errors which it wouldn't be fair to include, there has to be a balance. I have only mentioned the real howlers that spoilt the story. Someone somewhere on this movie didn't care and let the team down. Getting the correct information in pre-production wouldn't have been a cost issue to this production, so there you go, only get 6 out of 10 - must try harder!

I quite liked this film, apart from the later UK 'setting' and how the story skirted close to glorifying the IRA. Christine Lahti portrayed a strong character whose life fell apart not once, but about three times, whilst discovering the truth about the death - and life - of her pilot husband. And Glasgow-born Kirsty Mitchell was strangely compelling as Muire ('M-yoo-ire', as Lahti's character stumbled with). I felt like the film should have ended a scene or two before it actually did, and I don't know what Lahti's character established by visiting Ireland, but the rest of the story kept me hooked. I also admired how an obvious scene was avoided, in the hotel room between Kathryn and the union rep (is that what he was? Did he turn out to be some kind of government agent in the end? Not sure). The contrast between the wife's broken memories of her husband - shining his shoes, waving goodbye in full uniform, playing happily with the daughter - and the uncovered truth was dramatic and well filmed. The London and Ireland 'locations' (in Halifax, Nova Scotia) were tired and the stuff of American mythology - did somebody in the pub actually say 'Guv'nor'? - but that was the only real failing. I'll definitely read Anita Shreve's novel, to compare the two versions. The comments on airport security and terrorism did not escape deeper consideration either, after last year's tragic events.