The Pilot

I met Cliff Robertson and his wife, Dina, in Florida in the 1980's. We spent some time together, dining, and talked on many subjects. I learned he had spent countless hours learning about alcoholism by talking to doctors, visiting clinics and hospitals. Lengthy discussions with men and women with the problem also allowed him to BE the roll. His demeanor and laid back style in real life was depicted in the movie, whenever he would talk to his daughter. He played the part of a man with a serious problem better than anyone could have. Each time I view the movie, I don't dwell on the man's problem, I focus on the real man facing life and a problem that faces so many. Nobody else could have pulled it off. Cliff was, and is, brilliant.

I'm not a pilot so the fact that so many reviewers appreciated the cockpit scenes is an added plus. I liked the movie because of its accurate depiction of an alcoholic and his recovery. The insidiousness of alcoholism is shown well. The relationships of people close to the alcoholic, to those who want to help and how the alcoholic hides or believes that he hides his problem are also very true to life. Not only is the movie uplifting because it shows that recovery is possible but also there is a strong "follow your heart and your passion" message. Finally, is it just me or is the new movie, Flight, by Zemekis with Denzel a total ripoff of this movie?? Seriously, saw the new movie yesterday which is a good movie but during the movie, I was going, "Wait, I saw this movie already about thirty years ago."

The whole point of this movie is this: the PILOT is an extremely talented and conscientious guy with a serious problem - he is an alcoholic. It's a disease!! People without this problem can never begin to understand what it is like. Trust me. I know. The PILOT knows he has a problem. He knows he has to stop. He just can't. This movie is about a decent guy in constant battle with himself, and his struggle to recover. If you missed this, then you missed the point of the movie.

Super movie. Aviation and alcoholism; rich movie topics done well. Haven't seen in 20 years. But I remember very well. It seems the CAT-III approach to SanFran was close to accurate for 1978. That's probably due to Cliff Robertson's knowledge of all things with wings. He also ended up directing the second half of the movie. Who with flying in their blood could resist the shots of the old DC-8 in flight?

The pilot's resistance to recovery is also on the bullseye. As well as his high level of functioning while under the influence.

This is the most technically accurate aviation movie I have ever seen. I only noticed one mistake (autopilot was disconnected with the fuel shutoff lever). Appears to have been filmed in an actual DC-8. The treatment of alcoholism also seems plausible.