The Pilot's Wife

Stop me if you've seen this one before: hubby-missing-believed-dead,wifey-then-finds-out- doubtful-things-about-him...ah, but this movie goes beyond the usual formula, throwing in some political, and criminal factors...one is never sure how things are going to turn out.

Most of the characters are entertainingly devious, playing various parts to achieve each different end.., can one even count on the "heroine" wife, and her daughter ?

The dialogue is brief, and to the point, the characters ring true (even the false ones!), and I was absorbed for almost two hours...I didn't understand the ending, which is perhaps a failing of my intelligence, rather than the film's intent, whatever, that cost the film a point, I deducted another, because it was, after all, a formula film, and a third because it wasn't "Love With The Proper Stranger" - my benchmark for romantic/suspense films.

As (nearly)always, the actors are good, but I must make especial mention of Christine Lahti...when she first appears, she's just awakened, she looks drab, and her age...but, to me, she was still an attractive woman...that's charisma!

The film has the potential to be quite good. It has an interesting story line which unfold throught the movie.

When she visits London and then Ireland, you can't help thinking that the movie would be must better if the crew had spent a little bit of money on plane tickets and done some filming there! The 4 or 5 cars which appear in the background seem to follow her to ireland, which looks suspiciously like the north american coast.

But on the whole, it's a fairly average movie to pass the time. Little bit more budget? then 8 out of 10. Otherwise, about 5.

One dark misty morning Kathryn Lyons, Christine Lahti, sadly walks down the steps of her upstairs bedroom to answer the door. Fearing the worst the man knocking Robert Heart, Campball Scott, is a member of the pilot union that her husband Jack, John Heard, belongs to. The news from Robert is bad. The plane that Jack was flying from London to Boston crashed into the sea some ten miles west off the Irish coast with all 104 passengers and crew missing and presumed dead.

Kathryn now has to tell her fifteen year-old daughter Mattie, Alison Pill, the news which puts the young girl in such a state of shock that she needed medication to get her nerves and herself back together. As tragic as the accident was that killed Kathryn and Mattie's husband and father as well as the 103 others on the plane the news that started coming out about the accident from those involved in investigating it made it far more tragic. It was no accident and even at a more personal level Kathryn begins to find out that she didn't lose her husband Jack over the Atlantic Ocean that cold and misty morning she lost him some six years earlier. It was only because of what just had happened that the truth was able to finally come out.

Hunting film with fine performances by all involved about how life can prove to be unbearable when you not only lose a loved one but when that loved ones love was not entirely directed at you.

The leading actors in the movie Christine Lahti, the pilot's wife, Alison Pill, the pilot's daughter, John Heard, the pilot, Robert Heart,, the pilot's union representative,and Kristy Mitchell, the pilot's dark secret. The movie made what looked like an afternoon soap opera into a highly absorbing and watchable feather film.

If you're a big fan of C Lahti - see this - her face is wonderful, catching myriad emotions with depth & grace.

The rest of it is lame - low plot, leads that die, ideas not followed through, unsatisfying characters going half-way, no pay off.

Campbell Scott, while easy on the eyes resorts to two tones - one flat & the other flatter.

Supporting cast has little to work with in the way of story, development or location. There is nothing redeeming about any of the film except for Lahti's acting.

You'd be better off browsing in the romance section of the used book store.

I found this film in the "new release" section of the video store. I found out after watching it that it was a 2001 TV movie. I'm glad I didn't know that before or I would have never rented it. There's something about renting movies made for TV. The "London" scenes were hokey. Having been there I wasn't easily fooled. The vegetation in the park where Muire was arrested doesn't exist in London. Also Kathryn took two cab rides and both cabs had the same license plate. If you've been to London, what are the odds of catching the same cab twice? OK, I'm picky but I liked the film anyway. It reminded me of a movie called "The Deep End" with Tilda Swinton. Airline pilot husband, wife in crisis, bratty kids. The formula seems to work.