On a Wing and a Prayer
When tragedy strikes in midair, an ordinary father must master an aircraft landing to bring his family home alive.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- tense
- earnest
- inspirational
- family movie night
- inspirational viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the true-story aviation drama formulaic and unconvincing, with limited suspense despite its inherently dramatic premise.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Doug White must land a plane after the professional pilot dies unexpectedly, making procedural improvisation the central narrative engine.
Doug's wife and children are aboard the aircraft, tying the aviation emergency directly to his responsibility for his loved ones.
The film's faith-oriented production context and inspirational framing connect the emergency landing to belief, prayer, and providential hope.
Most of the central crisis unfolds inside a passenger aircraft with little room for error or escape.
Films like On a Wing and a Prayer, and why
Sully
family-centered true-life crisis drama focused on an ordinary person forced to perform an extraordinary emergency task
The Captain
grounded aviation survival drama emphasizing procedural danger, courage, and family stakes
Miracles from Heaven
accessible inspirational drama about a family confronting life-threatening circumstances through resilience and faith
Movie Details
- Director
- Sean McNamara
- Release Date
- 2023-03-28
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (134)
Cast
- Dennis Quaid
- Heather Graham
- Jesse Metcalfe
- Tonglan Qiu
- Abigail Rhyne
- Jessi Case
- Brett Rice
- Selena Anduze
- E. Roger Mitchell
- Rocky Myers
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is On a Wing and a Prayer about?
- When tragedy strikes in midair, an ordinary father must master an aircraft landing to bring his family home alive.
- What is On a Wing and a Prayer like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of On a Wing and a Prayer as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is On a Wing and a Prayer violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in On a Wing and a Prayer.
- What did critics think of On a Wing and a Prayer?
- Critics broadly found the true-story aviation drama formulaic and unconvincing, with limited suspense despite its inherently dramatic premise.
- Which films are like On a Wing and a Prayer?
- Films with a similar feel include Sully, The Captain, and Miracles from Heaven.
- How long is On a Wing and a Prayer?
- On a Wing and a Prayer runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch On a Wing and a Prayer?
- In United States, On a Wing and a Prayer streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
