Is Plane a True Story? Is Brodie Torrance Based on a Real Pilot?

Directed by Jean-François Richet, ‘Plane’ tells the story of commercial pilot Brodie Torrance, whose Trailblazer Airlines Flight 119, with 14 passengers and three cabin crew members, falls victim to a major lightning storm, leading to an emergency landing on a remote island in the Philippines. After taking stock of the situation, Brodie must team up with a suspected murderer named Louis Gaspare to find a way out of the mess and save his stranded passengers. However, things become complicated when the plane’s inhabitants realize that the island is full of hostile militants who have plans to harm them if they don’t hurry their escape efforts. To that end, the action thriller film raises the stakes of its premise by showing the fear and anxieties of being stuck behind enemy lines with no way to protect oneself.

Plane Explores a Gritty Tale of Survival and Heroism in the Jungle

While there may be superficial ties to real-life planes that have gone missing due to accidents or other mysterious occurrences, the story presented in ‘Plane’ is a fictional narrative drafted by Charles Cumming and J.P. Davis. Cumming, a British novelist, provided the basic concept for the narrative through an original pitch to the studio. At the time, the title of the movie was set to be ‘The Plane,’ and its central premise revolved around a commercial airline crashing in a hostile region of the Middle East. This was later swapped when the script was finalized for Jolo Island, a volcanic island in the southwest Philippines. The film imagines the island to be packed with militants led by a notorious ringleader. This portrayal has been condemned by influential Filipino figures who consider it an unreliable commentary on the country’s internal situation.

The narrative’s authenticity may be questionable in places as it primarily tries to elevate its narrative through high-octane action set pieces. To that end, ‘Plane’ is more closely tied with other fictional projects that have gone down a similar route. Its creative team has described it as a blend of ‘Captain Phillips’ and ‘Flightplan,’ both films presenting a thrilling narrative that takes place inside a passenger vehicle of some kind where outside forces threaten the lives of its inhabitants. By allowing the drama to unfold within such a tight and congested environment, the Richet directorial naturally creates a greater sense of tension through claustrophobic intensity, which goes a long way in grounding the emotional stakes of the narrative, turning every encounter into a life-and-death scenario. However, a good chunk of the story also occurs outdoors, specifically in a jungle.

In an interview with Screen Rant, Gerard Butler, who plays Brodie Torrance, said, “These are stories that I love to tell. It’s like an everyday man in a very out of the ordinary … everyday people actually in a very out of the ordinary situation. And how do we as a people or as an individual deal with that situation? What is it going to pull out of us? What are the decisions that we have to make that will go wrong?” Thus, when stripped to its barebones, ‘Plane’ examines how ordinary, mundane people find a way to rise to the occasion when circumstances are bleak and a savior is needed. It ultimately tries to answer these difficult questions through a resolute protagonist who shows his capacity for the ugly side of life when it is deemed necessary, showing what individuals can accomplish when push comes to shove.

Brodie Torrance: A Fictional Pilot Shouldering a Great Deal of Responsibility

Like the rest of the story, Brodie Torrance in ‘Plane’ is a fictional pilot who is brought to life by the movie’s scriptwriters, Charles Cumming and J.P. Davis. As the protagonist, Brodie must showcase a great deal of leadership and heroism throughout the narrative to guide and save his fellow passengers and crew members from a terrifying ordeal. The character is shown to possess a mean temper when pushed over the edge and is also someone who has no qualms about being proactive when it comes to getting things done. This quality, in particular, makes him a formidable presence, one who is willing to even sacrifice himself for the sake of his passengers’ lives. We see this play out in abundance later in the narrative as Brodie shows his commitment to saving his passengers no matter the cost it might entail for him.

Gerard Butler stated that he played a pivotal role in the inclusion of a key scene in the narrative where Brodie watches a brutal encounter between the passengers and the militants. “That’s actually a moment that I had put in the script — watching something brutal happening to the passengers by the rebels,” he explained. “And I had a big fight for that scene because the studio said, ‘No, he’s the hero. He can’t watch this happen. He would have to go and do something about it.'” It is one of the rare occasions where Brodie feels the sting of failure as his passengers pay a hefty price while he has no choice but to sit back. While it may be hard to digest, it makes the character all the more real and vulnerable, showing him in a human light rather than as a hero with no imperfections. Still, regardless of the intricate pieces comprising his personality, he is a fictional pilot conceived by the writers.