Flight (2012) is an American drama directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Denzel Washington as airline pilot William “Whip” Whitaker. The film opens with a catastrophic passenger-plane failure, where Whip manages to crash-land the aircraft in a way that saves most of the people on board. At first he is treated as a hero, but the investigation soon reveals his alcohol and drug use, turning the story into a character drama about addiction, denial, responsibility and public image. Kelly Reilly, Don Cheadle, Bruce Greenwood, John Goodman, Brian Geraghty and Melissa Leo appear in supporting roles. Although the crash sequence gives the film its most spectacular set piece, Flight is less an aviation disaster film than a study of a man whose professional skill cannot protect him from the consequences of his personal collapse.
Flight was filmed largely in Georgia, especially in and around Atlanta, which is also central to the story. The production used real Atlanta locations such as St. Joseph’s Hospital for the hospital scenes, Atlanta Marriott Marquis for the hotel material before the hearing, and Atlanta First United Methodist Church for support-group and recovery-related scenes. The St. Regis Atlanta, Turner Field, the former Meliá Atlanta Hotel and EUE/Screen Gems Studios Atlanta were also part of the production. The crash sequence was created through a combination of practical location work, sets and visual effects, with Hall’s Flying Ranch in Hampton and the Covington area among the Georgia locations connected to the film’s aircraft material. By keeping the production close to Atlanta, Flight gives its story a grounded regional setting: airports, hotels, hospitals, churches, rural crash sites and city interiors all work together to create a film that moves from public catastrophe to private reckoning.
Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Atlanta Marriott Marquis has appeared in several major films and television productions. It is used in Manhunter, Flight, The Hunger Games, and many more.
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