Before the movie aired, Russell reportedly told the Los Angeles Times: "I know one thing, there's no in-between. It's either really going to be great or really horrible, just stinking."
It was a success. The film helped shoot Russell's career forward.
"I said, if I'm going to do this, I'm going out in flames. I'm controlling this airplane," Russell told GQ in 2016. "I'm taking it down, or I'm going to break through the clouds my way. And when I did that, that's when I had an epiphany moment, saying, 'Kurt, where have you been your whole life? Wake the f--k up. This is what you're supposed to do.'"