Life on the Line is a 2015 American direct-to-video disaster thriller film directed by David Hackl and written by Primo Brown, Marvin Peart and Peter I. Horton. The film stars John Travolta, Kate Bosworth, Devon Sawa, Gil Bellows, Julie Benz, Ryan Robbins and Sharon Stone. The film was released on November 18, 2016, by Lionsgate Premiere. The film's story follows a crew of electrical linemen who while working to maintain the power grid of their Texas town find themselves in the middle of a deadly storm and have to fight for their lives.
Plot
A man named Duncan gives an interview for a documentary. He is asked what it is like for him to be a lineman.
A lineman named Danny Ginner speaks with his daughter Bailey, who is frightened of the storm. Danny leaves and goes out to fix a downed power line with a crew during a rainstorm. When a truck arrives, Danny's brother Beau shows up. Beau climbs the line and fixes a shorted wire.
Danny notices that Beau missed a crucial spot. When Beau offers to go back up, Danny stops him and chooses to do it himself. As he is fixing the wire, the power line is struck by lightning, sending Danny plummeting to the ground. Danny is rushed to the hospital. Maggie, who is Danny's wife, rushes to the hospital. As she is distracted, her car is struck by a truck at an intersection, killing her. The next morning, Beau visits the house and comforts Bailey, his niece.
Fifteen years later. Beau and Bailey are living together. Bailey is a waitress at a local diner, while Beau is now the head lineman for the company. Before they head out, Beau and Bailey notice that new neighbors are moving in across the street, who are identified to be Carline and Eugene. Beau notices that Eugene also works for the power company. Beau goes to work and discovers that the other workers, including his friend known as Pok' Chop have thrown him a surprise birthday party.
Later that day, Beau finds that Duncan has started working for the same company. It is revealed that Duncan and Bailey used to date, but that something happened between them. Duncan is later shown living with his alcoholic mother. Duncan is trying to rekindle the relationship, much to the dismay of another one of Bailey's ex-boyfriends, Ron.
Eugene and Carline's relationship is strained when it is revealed that Carline had cheated on Eugene in the past and that is why he is suspicious whenever he sees Carline near a man or talking to another man.
After spending some time together, Carline notices that Bailey is pregnant. Bailey reveals that it is Duncan's baby. Beau wants Bailey to go to college, but Bailey is conflicted since she is pregnant.
Ron comes over to try to rekindle his relationship with Bailey but is unable to when Carline comes to help Bailey run Ron away. Later that night, Bailey looks out the window and notices a taxicab pull up to Carline & Eugene's house. She sees Carline coming out of the house and getting into the taxi, while Eugene is at work.
Eugene becomes increasingly suspicious of Carline, even to the point of going through her phone. When she catches him doing so, she takes her phone from him. He tells her that he has seen phone numbers on her phone that he didn't recognize. Carline tells him that she's been spending a lot of time with Bailey and her friends. Later on, as he is about to head to work, Eugene notices Bailey about to leave. He goes over to ask Bailey if she's been spending time with his wife. He mentions her friends and Bailey looks confused. Carline spots this and comes over to find out what Eugene is talking to Bailey about.
Eventually, Bailey & Duncan rekindle their relationship, much to Beau's dismay, since he wants Bailey to go to college and make a life for herself. One night at a local bar, Beau gets drunk and voices his opinion to Duncan, until Pok' Chop goes to intervene and tells Beau to go home.
When a storm arrives, a power line falls down and causes the pole to fall onto a set of train tracks. Shortly afterward, a train runs into the downed power line and derails. Beau and his team are called out to help.
On another side of town, Eugene calls Carline and tells her that all he wanted was to hear her voice.
Eugene climbs to the top of an electrical tower and contemplates committing suicide. He eventually decides against it and goes home.
As night falls, the storm steadily worsens. Ron gets out of his car and heads towards Eugene and Carline's place. He breaks into the house and tries to assault Carline, due to her comments towards him from earlier. Eugene arrives on scene and brandishes a gun.