Doug White was flying back home to Louisiana with his family when he noticed that the pilot had passed out. Suddenly, White was no longer a passenger. He was the pilot.
“I can’t control this thing,” White warned as a pilot on the ground gave him instructions for landing the aircraft.
That pilot — Kari Sorenson — disagreed.
“Yes, you can,” he responded. “Sometimes you gotta trust in things you can’t see.”
White and his family end up doing just that in the new movie “On a Wing and a Prayer,” which hits Amazon Prime on April 7. The film follows the true story of White (Dennis Quaid) who attempts to safely land a plane and rescue his family after the pilot dies mid-flight.
The emergency that happened fourteen years ago, on Easter Sunday in 2009, made national headlines at the time.
In the movie, as in real life, White and his family place their trust in God.
An award-winning cast
The film starring Quaid, Heather Graham, and Jesse Metcalfe is one of hope. Quaid plays a relatable character. In his nightmarish position, he faces doubts and fears, but he never stops trying. At the most critical moments, he always encounters encouragement, whether from his wife or from air traffic controllers.
White, along with the other characters, spring into action and set aside their daily worries to come together and focus on what’s most important: Loving and helping each other while trusting in God.
When situation goes from bad to worse as White navigates what is considered a suicide mission, he and his family ask for help from each other and from God.
“God, send your angels to hold up the wings,” White’s wife prays with their two teenage daughters.
The last instruction he receives before landing is to “let go,” hinting at the importance of “letting God” take control.
A conversation
During a pre-screening of the film, Doug White, whom the film is based on, said that he hoped viewers walk away with three things.
“I want them to realize that God is in control of the whole world,” White said, before adding that he wants non-believers that see the film to become more curious about God and wants people who have walked away from the church to reevaluate their decision and return.
At another point, he expressed that he wants pastors to be able to use the movie to show people in the pews, among other things, that there’s always hope — and to encourage them to “continue to walk with God, and do what you need to do when people are looking and when people are not looking and it’ll be alright.”
White, who spoke with Quaid several times during the movie-making process, said that the movie “brought back a lot of emotions from that day” and added “we’re pleased with [the movie], as a family that went through it.”
Produced by Roma Downey
The producer, Roma Downey, perhaps best known for starring in “Touched by an Angel,” said that the “remarkable tale of courage and inspiration” stood out to her from the start.
“From my point of view, as a producer, I just thought this is the kind of film that we need,” she said. “People are always hungry for stories of hope, stories that will uplift them, stories that enrich them.”
Like White, she wanted the film to bring viewers closer — or back to — God. She pointed out themes that she hoped pastors could use, including asking for help, team spirit, the power of prayer, and letting go to let God.
The film, she said, spoke to her personally.
“I just think of all the places in my life…that I felt like I’ve tried to land a plane, not like Doug did, but tried to land a plane in the challenges of my life,” she explained. “We’ve had family health challenges, we’ve had certain work challenges — anything that has felt challenging in our lives — and that with God’s help, we’ve been able to bring those things in to land.”
“I really hope that that’s what people take away from it,” she said. “That even though it’s this big epic thriller that, at the heart of the story, is a heartbeat of faith.”
Katie Yoder is a contributing editor for Our Sunday Visitor.
