Super Sully
Sully is directed by Clint Eastwood and stars Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney, and Anna Gunn. Sully tells the story behind the “Miracle on the Hudson,” an event in which, on January 15, 2009, an airplane was forced to perform a water landing in New York City’s Hudson River after suffering multiple bird strikes to both its engines. The incident, which could have ended in tragedy, was a miracle thanks to the efforts of Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger (Hanks) and his co-pilot Jeff Skiles (Eckhart), who managed to land the plane safely on the cold, glassy surface of the Hudson. However, the subsequent investigation into the “crash” by the NTSB reveals that, while Sully’s daring actions indeed saved the day, there may have been no need to endanger the lives of 155 people with such a risky and often-fatal maneuver.
Heroism sometimes comes at a price.
Tom Hanks is one of my favourite actors of all time and he has done nothing in recent years to make me question that claim. His frequent collaborations with Steven Spielberg have seen him taking on a number of compelling and memorable roles from a soldier in Saving Private Ryan to an insurance salesman-turned-political negotiator in Bridge of Spies. This is actually Hanks’ third performance as a Captain (with past roles in Saving Private Ryan and Paul Greengrass’ Captain Phillips) and is a further testament to his natural ability to realistically portray heroic everyman roles. Hanks plays the role of Sully as a quiet, nervous, and subdued man – a man who is “overwhelmed” by all the attention he is receiving for pulling off “the impossible.” For the vast majority of the film we see things through Sully’s eyes, and with the experienced and seasoned direction offered by such a veteran as Eastwood we are able to feel his every emotion as he flies through this deeply troubling and painfully stressful ordeal – before and after the fact.
The film also explores the psychological toll the crash takes on Sully, as he is haunted by visions of what could have been had he followed protocol like he was supposed to. This element and theme of PTSD is seemingly carried over from Eastwood’s previous directorial feature American Sniper, in which a battle-weary Bradley Cooper was forced to battle his personal demons at home while fighting the very real demons overseas. Understanding Sully’s trauma is central to his character as he continually questions himself and his actions, never being quite sure that he truly did the right thing – and as a very hard-hitting opening scene illustrates, that fateful January morning could have ended much, much worse.
“No one has ever trained for an incident like this.”
Eckhart plays Sully’s light-hearted co-pilot, who acts as the film’s comic relief and does his best to reassure his friend that he did the right thing, no matter what anyone may say. He’s right there with him through it all – thick and thin – and acts as his crutch during the scenes in which they are interrogated by the NTSB, who want to paint the picture that he did the wrong thing and should have followed protocol. Laura Linney plays Sully’s wife, though her role is restricted to simply speaking with her husband on the phone and offering reassurance and support where necessary. If the film had an antagonist, it would be Mike O’Malley’s Charles Porter, who heads the NTSB investigation and relentlessly grills Sully at every turn, leading to some tense courtroom-esque scenes.
A scene more gripping and intense than most blockbuster fare.
The film’s third act is a bit long but it’s buoyed by the incredible set piece of the plane landing in the river, with fantastic cinematography by Tom Stern and gripping direction by Eastwood bringing the scene to life before your eyes. The scene itself is a hodgepodge of great performances by Hanks and Eckhart, the aforementioned cinematography and direction, but weak and wooden acting from the passengers and noticeably dated CGI. It takes some element of reality away from the film but does nothing to dampen the overall effect of the scene, as we see the accident, landing, and rescue of the passengers and crew from a variety of perspectives. Hanks and Eastwood note, in their own ways, that this event was not just one man’s heroism but that of an entire group of first-responders banding together in a moment’s notice to lend a hand to those desperately in need. It’s truly a story of heroism, courage, and the power of miracles.
Overall
Sully is one of the finest films of 2016, with impeccable direction by Clint Eastwood and another effortlessly amazing performance by Tom Hanks. Rarely do we see a film that tells the story of a hero being criticized for his actions, but with Sully we see a darker side to heroism, one where being the hero isn’t as glamorous as it seems. This is a story of a real hero who saved real people in a time of real danger and where the haunting psychological baggage he carried after the fact followed him, never quite letting him take off from it. If ever you needed something to restore your faith in humanity, Sully may very well be it.
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