Glen Powell earns his wings as Fall River fighter pilot in military drama 'Devotion'
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The historical drama “Devotion” honors the tragic, but inspiring, true story of elite Navy fighter pilots, Ensign Jesse Brown and Lt. Tom Hudner, a native of Fall River. The friendship they develop during the Korean War is real-life Goose-and-Maverick stuff. “Devotion,” however, is the tonal opposite of “Top Gun.” It offers thrilling aerial sequences and intense battles, but there’s no “need-for-speed” adrenaline rush. In this “Danger Zone,” the stakes are significantly higher.
Director J. D. Dillard (“Sleight”), working from a script by Jonathan A. H. Stewart and Jake Crane, presents an intimate portrait of the two unlikely friends. Jonathan Majors (“The Harder They Fall”) is Brown, the son of Mississippi sharecroppers and the first Black pilot to complete Navy flight training. Glen Powell, taking to the skies again as a hot-shot aviator, a la his role in this past summer’s “Top Gun: Maverick,” is Hudner, the blond-locked golden boy from the Spindle City. Together, they became two of the Navy’s most celebrated wingmen.
The movie is set in 1950 on an airbase in Rhode Island. It’s a time when interracial friendships didn’t fly. The script doesn’t sugarcoat the racism and discrimination Jesse endures every day. He’s forced to work twice as hard as his white counterparts, his superior officer refuses to pin the wings on Brown’s lapel at graduation, and he stays up all night studying flight manuals. He also must pass the swimming test 10 times ‒ with weights in his flight suit. As a motivation tactic, he writes down every hateful word tossed at him – “your monkey ass should not even be flying” – and then repeats them in front of a mirror. Jesse only sheds his armor when he’s with his wife, Daisy (Christina Jackson, terrific), and toddler daughter. At home, he’s lighter, all smiles and snuggles, “lovingly and completely” theirs.
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Hudner is only one of two pilots Brown brings home for dinner. When they’re sent off to battle, Daisy asks Hudner to “protect” her husband in the sky. It takes him a bit to figure out what that means.
The script, which is a bit too expository at times, benefits from great chemistry between Powell and Majors. The strength of their relationship is the trust they develop as pilots and as men. “Don’t help me,” Brown says, after confronting yet another racist jerk, “just be my damn wingman.” And that’s exactly what Hudner does – even when it involves hanging out with Elizabeth Taylor (Serinda Swan) in a Cannes casino.
When the Cold War heats up, the two are sent to Korea with a crew that includes Carol (Nick Hargrove), Marty (Joe Jonas – yup, one of the singing brothers) and Thomas Sadoski as Dick Cevoli, the commanding officer. On Dec. 4, 1950, while fighting the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, Brown’s aircraft crashes behind enemy lines after being shot down by Chinese infantry. He survives, but finds himself stuck in deep snow and frigid temperatures. Hudner acts to save him, intentionally crash-landing his Corsair to do it. You might think it a screenwriter’s concoction, but it’s all true. Hudner uses bare hands to throw snow on the flames. A rescue helicopter shows up, but it’s too late.
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“Devotion” does feel formulaic and predictable in spots, but it also gets a lot right. The third act is the strongest, with the final scene between Hudner and Daisy turning out to be a gut punch. There were a lot of veterans at the screening I attended, and there wasn’t a dry eye anywhere. Let that be a warning to bring the tissues. You’re going to need them.
‘Devotion’
Rating: PG-13 for strong language, some war action/violence and smoking
Cast: Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell
Director: J.D. Dillard
Writer: Jake Crane and Jonathan A. H. Stewart
Running time: 139 minutes
Where to watch: In theaters
Grade: B
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Glen Powell Jonathan Majors soar as fighter pilots in Devotion
