On a Wing and a Prayer: Real Life Drama

Movie Review: On a Wing and a Prayer (2023) on Amazon Original 👍 

Dennis Quaid leads this preachy real-life drama about a Southern family whose faith is tested by death and calamity. (See movie trailer below.)

After attending his brother's unexpected funeral, Doug White (Dennis Quaid) and this family catch a private flight back home. But not long after takeoff, the elderly pilot dies, leaving Doug to fly and land the twin-engine plane he's never flown. In fact, he's only ever flown one plane before, a single-engine Cesna, and barely landed it safely, with instructors onboard. Now he has only his own wits, the help of his wife Terri (Heather Graham), and the devotion of two teenage daughters Bailey (Abigail Rhyne) and Maggie (Jessi Case) to drive him. 

On the ground guiding Doug are the Miami and local flight controllers and the one pilot who once faced the same circumstances years ago, Kari Sorenson (Jesse Metcalfe). Film is heavy on dramatic scenes as well.

Getting through the ordeal requires Doug and his family to dig deep into their personal faith and family relationships, themes which the film explores throughout.

On a Wing and a Prayer movie trailer via YouTube:

Blue Miracle: Good theme, good cast, good family film

Movie Review: Blue Miracle (2021) on Netflix

Blue Miracle is a good summer-weather watching movie. Good theme, good cast, good family film.

Based on a true story. Omar and his wife run an orphanage in Cabos San Lucas, Mexico, where they care for street orphans no one else will take in. 

A hurricane has inundated their building and destroyed much of their food, and the bank is calling in their overdue loan--their only hope to retain a safe home for their kids is to join a crusty old boat captain to win the challenging tourist-town fishing competition. Omar suffers a fear of fishing from a devastating accident during childhood, and none of the orphans have ever done this kind of fishing, plus crusty old Captain Wade is really just in this for himself and wants nothing to do with the kids, so the odds of success start off pretty low. But Omar is known by the kids as Papa Omar because he is like a steadfast father figure to every one of them, and he teaches the youngest a lesson about nailing his hopes and dreams to the wall with a nail he finds on the floor, and that becomes an omen for good and the source of their Blue Miracle.

As hokey as some of this script can feel, much of it depends on your ability to suspend your disbelief long enough to build trust in the characters to carry their hopes to fruition. It's high on aspirations and if you can give them all the benefit of your patience and good will, they will reward you with good performances through an optimistic and upbeat storyline. Hey, it's based on a true story! And they signed Dennis Quaid as the crusty old captain, who gives a fine performance as a guy who'd rather not be bothered by a bunch of little kids yet who gets pulled into their humanity.

Now, this isn't Best Picture material. It isn't Best Script or Best Cinematography material, either. But it's a good story with a lot of heart, and dang it, I think in the end you'll like it if not love it. I'd rate Blue Miracle a B^ for Bright Spot of the Day.