It is very understandable why so many people are afraid of flying. If essential parts of the plane break down in mid-air, then a far quicker return to ground than anticipated could easily happen. These days, commercial passenger jets for major airlines are gone over with a fine-tooth comb almost every time they're on the ground, and they come with redundant systems so if one goes out, the backup can keep the plane operational until the pilots can safely land. That, however, is not the case with smaller, private planes, and certainly wasn't the case with military planes circa 1957.
The middle part of The Shepherd, Disney+'s contribution to the Christmas canon for 2023, captures that fear quite well. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Produced by Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón and based on a novella by Frederick Forsyth, best known for writing such thrillers as The Day of the Jackal and The Odessa File, it stars relative newcomer Ben Radcliffe, whose best-known previous role was in the short-lived CW sci-fi series Pandora, as Freddie, a young RAF pilot who, on Christmas Eve 1957, is homesick while stationed in northern Germany (the pilot was unnamed in the original story, so I assume he has been named here in honor of his creator). An unexpected opportunity to fly back to England in a De Havilland Vampire that night presents himself, and since it was to be a bright, moonlit night with no clouds, Freddie is given the assignment. Of course, the moment he clears the German coast, his radio and instruments go out and a thick fog rolls in, making it highly unlikely that he will be able to land his plane safely.
As I said, this middle part nicely captures the fear and tension of realizing that fuel is running out and there is no one coming to help you. But, unexpectedly, right after Freddie prays for salvation, a plane--specifically a WWII-era Mosquito--appears, and its pilot (John Travolta, who also executive produced this and whose participation is not being kept a secret by Disney) shepherds Freddie safely to an airfield in England.
One thing this special will do, I suspect, is educate people that shepherding disabled planes was a regular occurrence during the war. Indeed, this seems like such a fascinating and rarely-told story that I found myself wishing that we had a special about them and their real-life heroics, instead of this Christmas fairy tale. That's an unfortunate thought, as this really is a well-written, well-directed show. Iain Softley, who earned critical acclaim in the 1990s with Backbeat and The Wings of the Dove, and who lost his touch when he went Hollywood in the aughts with K-PAX and Skeleton Key, provides some lovely visuals. Radcliffe, who will again suit up as a mid-century flyboy in Apple+'s upcoming miniseries Masters of the Air, is fine, as is Travolta, in a fairly limited role.
The special has not one but two twists at the end, neither of which are too hard to see coming in advance (the first one is from the novella, but the second one isn't, which is probably why it feels like a twist too far). The Christmas Eve setting undoubtably contributes to the atmosphere of the piece, but this is one of those stories that, in theory, could be set at anytime of the year.
It's easy to see a situation where The Shepherd is blown up to 90 minutes, which would almost certainly be to its detriment, so I'm glad Disney and the filmmakers decided to keep it under 40 minutes (a decision that should allow it to be eligible for the Oscar for Short Live-Action Film). It's rather predictable, but looks great, and is ultimately heartwarming. And if it leads to a film about the real life shepherds, so much the better.
Next time: The three final specials from one of the most prolific Christmas special writers.
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