Sully Sticks the Landing

          I remember how big a deal it was on January 15th, 2009 when a passenger flight in New York ran into a flock of geese and had to make an emergency landing on the Hudson River. But even that wasn’t the most astonishing thing; it was that the captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger managed to do this with no casualties to 155 people on board. For a few weeks it was all the media could talk about, praising Sully as a hero. 
          But what many of us maybe didn’t realize, was the extensive inquest into the incident; and it’s this as well as the landing itself that’s the subject of Clint Eastwood’s new film Sully.
          The movie opens following the whole Hudson River episode with Sully (Tom Hanks) dealing with the aftermath. This includes both a series of monotonous meetings with airline officials not too happy to have lost their plane, as well as his new status as a celebrity and “hero” of New York. But through all this Sully’s troubled, reflecting on the incident as well as envisioning the disasters that could have taken place as he and his superiors wonder if the emergency landing could have been avoided.
          Sully reminds me a lot of the film Flight, which also dealt with a pilot steeped in celebrity and controversy following a miracle landing. But unlike that film this one is based on a true story and Sully didn’t have a drug problem. It’s commitment to realism is one of its biggest strengths. Not only in how Sully’s unprepared for his sudden hero worship, his reactions to the media; but in the Hudson landing itself. The film shows us the landing in a non-linear way that actually works pretty well and makes sense in the present context. The look of the plane, the regular take-off procedures, the flight attendants and their geniality to the passengers. It does a great job putting you in the situation and allows the audience to experience the near-disaster and feel what everyone aboard was going through. We see how the floatation devices are deployed, the rescue carried out by first responders, and it’s very interesting. We’re given glimpses into the personalities of some of the passengers and even though you know everyone survives, there’s still some suspense at work. And though the movie’s pace is a bit slow, you’re with it for most of the runtime.
          Aaron Eckhart is good as Sully’s loyal first officer Jeff Skiles, and so is Laura Linney as Sully’s wife (though sadly she doesn’t get nearly enough to do in this film). But of course this is Tom Hanks’ movie. And as always, Hanks is terrific! He really is the best part of the film, conveying both the confidence and self-doubt of this man with genuine dedication. There are points in the story when evidence comes to light and you get an idea of the circumstances, that you yourself even wonder if Sully made the right choice. He also plays the reluctant celebrity really well and the quick thinker under pressure, relying on experience over protocol where need be. It may not be quite as great as his last performance as a captain (he’s had more than a few) in Captain Phillips, but it’s definitely proof Hanks is still one of the best. Also Mike O’Malley and Anna Gunn deserve a shout-out for their performances as the investigators.
          The only flaws with this movie are that maybe there was a bit too much repetition. The events of January 15th are played out at multiple points in the film through either flashback or record and I feel like we were seeing the same thing one time too many. There’s only so many times an airplane landing in a river can look exciting. We got a couple flashbacks to Sully’s early life as a pilot which are just padding. It’s not really relevant to the plot and is merely showcasing a backstory that we’re already given by Sully’s remarks about having been a pilot for forty years. There’s also a scene where the cast appear on Letterman and the effects don’t quite blend in to seven year old footage of that show. Forrest Gump this ain’t. They probably should have just recreated the interview like they did with Katie Couric.
          But overall, Sully is a pretty good time. With a great leading performance, a sense of realism, and a story presentation that’s very engrossing. It’s a fascinating look into a fascinating event, and a man who though humble, deserves quite a bit of credit for his heroic actions.