Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
True faith-based tale has scares but little suspense.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
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On a Wing and a Prayer
What's the Story?
At the start of ON A WING AND A PRAYER, it's Easter 2009, and Doug and Terri White (Dennis Quaid and Heather Graham) are flying home from Doug's brother's (Brett Rice) funeral with their two daughters (Abigail Rhyne and Jessi Case). Shortly after taking off in a small plane, their pilot (Wilbur Fitzgerald) dies of a heart attack. It's up to Doug, with Terri's support, to fly the plane safely to land, avoiding a major storm that's brewing off the coast. Doug has some flying experience, but not much -- and he's never been very good at landing. Helping him on the ground are a handful of experienced air traffic controllers, including the hungover Dan Favio (Rocky Myers), and one flight instructor (Jesse Metcalfe) who has experience flying the exact plane Doug and his family are in.
Is It Any Good?
While the true story behind this film is indisputably dramatic, the film version never quite achieves the suspense it wants to. Chalk this up to a predictable outcome and some heavy-handed faith-based messages and anthems wedged into On a Wing and a Prayer. Graham and Quaid are serviceable as a married couple with noticeably thick Louisiana accents. Other characters are cliched, like a hard-drinking single man, a traumatized former flight instructor, and an 18-year-old with an attitude. There are also two kids witnessing the action who add little to the story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how On a Wing and a Prayer creates suspense. Were you nervous watching the film at any point?
Doug is questioning his faith after his brother's death. Did you understand his doubts? How does faith help Terri and her daughters get through a scary situation?
What other films have you watched that were based on true stories? What special considerations do you think the filmmakers take into account when adapting someone's story to screen? Why might they change the facts for a film?
Did you think the characters in the airplane and also on the ground were brave in confronting this potential tragedy? How do you think you'd have reacted? Why?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : April 7, 2023
- Cast : Dennis Quaid , Heather Graham , Jesse Metcalfe
- Director : Sean McNamara
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Prime Video
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : STEM , Family Stories ( Siblings )
- Run time : 102 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : peril, some language, suggestive references and thematic elements
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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