The 2009 Hudson River plane landing was one of the biggest news stories of the year, not because of the landing itself but because all 155 passengers and crew members survived with only minor injuries. The man who pulled off this incredibly feat was the decorated pilot, Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger.
Sully, the biographical drama directed by Clint Eastwood, is a film which narrates the event as it happened as well as the airline investigation and subsequent publicity that took place. Starring the brilliant Tom Hanks and Aaron Eckhart, this film brings to life the autobiography of Captain Chesley Sullenberger, titled Highest Duty.
Tom Hanks gives a brilliant performance as Sully. From his demeanour, right down to his believable portrayal as an experienced pilot, Hanks truly captures the dedication and values of Sullenberger, who paid the utmost respect to his duty as a pilot. Not only do we see Sully as a man who has been flying for forty years, but also a man who truly holds his professional duties to a high regard. This character portrayal is truly one of the best performances of the year and encapsulates exactly what viewers, who do not know Sullenberger personally, would think of him.
The film’s recount of the plane landing is carried out in a systematic way, from the lead up right through to the investigation. Eastwood does well to include time jumps between past flashbacks, the plane landing and the present, which allows for better understanding into the stress, the emotions and the accountability Sully faces. This editing sequence is marvellous and does wonders for the film in terms of portraying the biographical aspects of the story to viewers.
Emotions certainly run high in Sully as we watch as the plane goes down and the calm manner in which Sully and his co-pilot, Jeff Skiles, communicate with air traffic control to land the plane. The visual effects taking place and the effective cuts in each scene as the plane goes from engine failure to crashing down onto the Hudson River is fantastic. The moment upon landing is great. My heart was pounding as the plane landed and even dropped a bit upon impact with the water. The scene of passengers and crew fleeing onto life floats and standing on the wings was rife with emotion.
Furthermore, it is especially easy to connect with Sully and take his side as the airline investigation appears unjust, uncalled for and unnecessary. However, the performance by Hanks is once again, brilliant, as he handled every bit of criticism as well as praise with professionalism. Of course, he certainly was affected by the possibility that he could have made a mistake and pre-judged the situation, but the way in which events turned out to allow for Sully to regain his pride and sense of justice showed that he man did the right thing and his decision was the best possible course of action, given the nature of the situation.
With a small look into his personal life and the stress that plagued him throughout the investigation, Sully quickly became a character that viewers could sympathise and feel a kinship with as he too had a family and people he cared for. It’s easy to connect with him as a man who shouldered blame, questioning his actions, the possibility of having potentially endangered the lives of his passengers and crew on his mind, all the while being hailed a hero and thrust into the spotlight in which he wasn’t comfortable.
The camaraderie Sully had with his co-pilot adds a feel good nature to the film and further showed the impact Sully made on the lives of the people that were on that plane with him.
The film was so on point with illustrating what happened in 2009 that it was great to watch on screen. So too was the end credits of the film, which showed off the real Sully himself, along with the true survivors of the Hudson River landing as they paid tribute and thanks to the man who got them through one of the scariest times in their lives and essentially gave them back to their families and loved ones in one piece.
Sully is certainly a film to watch.
