"Sully" Sticks the Landing While Avoiding Cliché
On January 15th, 2009, U.S. Airways Flight 1549 lost both engines directly after takeoff from Laguardia Airport in New York City. The pilot, Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, was forced to attempt a water landing in the Hudson river. He succeeded, leaving all 155 people on the plane a little bit damp and cold, but miraculously, alive.
The “Miracle on the Hudson” was reported in every major news service in the days and weeks following the incident. If you didn’t watch it on the news, you heard about it on social media or from friends.
So the question is: can a director take a recognizable story with an ending that was broadcast all across the world, and make it into an interesting film?
The answer: Yes.
Sure, the plot of “Sully” is predictable. But director Clint Eastwood knew what he was doing. He took the inevitable premise of Flight 1549 and used it to create a tension-inducing atmosphere that keeps the viewer engaged throughout the entire film. This atmosphere is so well created that each time the crash was shown, I found myself clutching the armrests of my seat right along with the terrified passengers. Another example of masterful development of atmosphere was after the crash, when the passengers were waiting to be rescued. They stood on the wings of the sinking plane in the cold January air as the icy waters of the Hudson lapped at their feet. I found myself shivering right along with them, and had to forcibly remind myself that the theater that I was sitting in was a comfortable and normal temperature.
As Captain Sullenberger, Tom Hanks offers one of the finest performances of his career, bringing life and depth to a seemingly flat character while at the same time making him relatable to the common person. Hanks is joined by a good supporting cast and supplemented by writing that brings life to what could have been a very dull disaster flick.
This movie could have easily fallen into cliche. But rather than make a movie about one ordinary man becoming a hero, Eastwood chose to focus the film on other pieces of heroism. Like the heroic passenger who carries a crippled elderly woman who can’t walk. The other passengers who helped others into rafts and bandaged wounds. The ferryboat captains who saw the plane in the water and immediately set course to help. Like 1,200 first responders who arrived on the scene in only 24 minutes. Sully’s act of heroism would have meant nothing without the help of other ordinary heroes like these after the crash. That’s what this movie is about. Ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
“Sully” is great film that overcomes the shortcomings of predictable plot and shallow character depth with fantastic acting and a chilling atmosphere. Eastwood has directed yet another fantastic movie, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone.