On January 15, 2009 Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger landed a US Airways jet of 155 passengers and crew in the middle of the Hudson River in New York City saving all and becoming a hero around the world. He would be on every talk show, in every newspaper, on the cover of every magazine, an all around media darling.

Now 7 and ½ years later, director Clint Eastwood has made a movie simply called “Sully”, starring America’s nice guy Tom Hanks. Though the crash is the center of the movie the screenwriter, Todd Komamicki, has the movie revolve around Sully, the man before and after the crash, especially when he is being questioned as to whether he could have gotten back to LaGuardia airport, or had made it to Teterboro airport in New Jersey, by the National Transportation Safety Board as if trying to blame Sully for ‘pilot error’. (The NTSB claims that the movie is inaccurate regarding the hearings.)

Director Eastwood handles Sully’s nightmares following the landing, his life before and after the near disaster and telephone talks with his wife, Lorrie, who is at home. He shows the media surrounding Sully in New York and Lorrie at home. He and his cinematographer Tom Stern recreate the crash a couple of times and make each time harrowing even though you know the ending. From the moment the birds causing both engines to burn out the 208 seconds that Sully will always been known for will have you tensing up.

Kudos to Eastwood for keeping the film down to a sharp, fast moving 96 minutes and picking, directing a perfect cast. Tom Hanks delivers an Oscar nominating worthy performance just as Aaron Eckhart, as his co-pilot Jeff Skiles, deserves a best supporting nomination. Laura Linney, who has most of her scenes on the phone, as Lorrie Sully's wife, gives a moving performance while Anna Gunn is a standout on the NSTB.

For a change Eastwood has the music in the background almost unnoticeable taking nothing away from the movie though the Marriott hotels are sure noticeable in any scenes showing New York!

“Sully” is a good movie, certainly worth seeing not only for the story of Sullenberger but for Hanks best performance in awhile!

Movie trailer 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjKEXxO2KNE