Summary
On a Wing and a Prayer takes a true story and turns it into an over-dramatized Hollywood film that is horrible.
Prime Video brings a powerful true story to life with the feature film On a Wing and a Prayer. The film was initially set to debut in theaters in August of 2022, but the merger of MGM and Prime Video thwarted the release to April 7, 2023, on Prime Video.
The film is directed by Sean McNamara and stars Dennis Quaid and Heather Graham.
On a Wing and a Prayer Review and Plot Summary
On a Wing and a Prayer follows the story of a small-town pilot who dies during a flight causing a passenger to land the plane in order to save his entire family and everyone on the plane.
The film begins with us meeting Doug, who is trying to learn something new. So, Doug takes to learn how to fly a plane, and we enter into him trying to land the plane. Things aren’t going particularly well, as he is getting full of sweat and unable to control his anxiety as he prepares to land.
His flight teacher continues to try and help him along in the process, but Marcus continues to fail.
After this, we meet Doug’s crew, his wife Terri, and his spoiled daughter Maggie at a BBQ competition. Everyone in the family is excited because Doug and his friend have won the tournament. One night, Doug gets a phone call that his brother has passed away.
All of this causes friction with the family dynamic, with his wife Terri saying God will always be there, but after losing his father and brother, he starts to doubt God’s existence.
READ: Is On a Wing and a Prayer based on a True Story?
This is where the film kicks into high gear with Doug and his family flying on a private jet, and the moment happens when the pilot dies mid-flight, and Doug must take over the plane to save his family’s life. This is also where the movie gets extremely Hollywood with the overbearing score and the super dramatic dialogue that comes off very badly.
I can’t knock the cast for trying their best to make something out of nothing. Dennis Quaid and Heather Graham are veteran actors, and this isn’t their first rodeo with bad scripts. Their chemistry is the true highlight of the entire film.
I loved the emotional support that Graham provided Quaid during the vital moments of the film.
Another thing I didn’t love was that there were too many other factors within the story. You have this little kid listening, seventeen different people trying to talk to Doug, and they don’t do a great job settling into one space.
The film should’ve felt claustrophobic because it was a man in this small plane, but because they bounced so much, you don’t feel that once.
Is On a Wing and a Prayer good or bad?
It’s overly dramatized to the point that it’s unwatchable. You have some moments that are at least decent and a score that is actually rather decent.
Outside of that, it’s a rough script that fails to connect you emotionally.
Is On a Wing and a Prayer worth watching?
You have bad movies that are bad and bad movies that are at least decent enough to be watchable, and On a Wing and a Prayer falls under the former.
I fully understand why Prime Video aborted the mission of releasing this in theaters because it has bomb written all over it. It will drop on their streaming platform, and everyone will forget this movie exists in two weeks.
What did you think of the 2023 Amazon Prime Video film On a Wing and a Prayer? Comment below.
Glad to hear I wasn’t the only one who thought this was dire.
Sorry Rick Valero, you missed the point. It was a very exciting movie with a family friendly PG rating. Yes, we didn’t need the side story with the pre teen pilot want to be.
My guess is you would prefer more , blood and guts, vulgar displays that seem prevalent these days.
Some movies aren’t for everyone but maybe everyone is suited to some movie.
This is a real story about real people and the amazing way that God can being just the right people together at the exact right time and people get saved. I loves the while movie, music and testimony of Gods grace and marcy!!!
This is a real story about real people and the amazing way that God can being just the right people together at the exact right time and people get saved. I loved the whole movie, music and testimony of Gods grace and marcy!!!
Had to post a comment. This movie was horrible. Amazing how hollywood wokesters can take an interesting real life story and turn it into something so unwatchable.
Agreed. The movie tries so hard to be family friendly and spiritual that it comes off as cheesy and unbelievable. I was surprised that 2 veteran actors starred in a movie this phony. And no, I don’t prefer violence, blood and guts, profanity and sex sex sex. I believe in good people, good families, and good marriages. I also want to watch movies tha feel good because they are *believable*. It can be done. It wasn’t done here.
It’s depressing that family friendly movies feel they have to be phony to live up to clean family goodness.
I believe in goodness. I also live in the real world and value reality.