Sully (film)

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Sully
Theatrical release poster
Directed byClint Eastwood
Written byTodd Komarnicki
Starring
CinematographyTom Stern
Edited byBlu Murray
Music by
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
  • September 2, 2016 (2016-09-02) (Telluride)
  • September 9, 2016 (2016-09-09) (United States)
Running time
96 minutes[1][2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$60 million[3][4]

Sully is a 2016 American biographical drama film directed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood and written by Todd Komarnicki, about US Airways Flight 1549 and its pilot, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, based on the autobiography Highest Duty by Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow. The film stars Tom Hanks as Sullenberger, with Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney, Anna Gunn, Autumn Reeser, Holt McCallany, Jamey Sheridan and Jerry Ferrara in supporting roles.

Sully premiered at the 43rd Annual Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2016, and was released in the United States by Warner Bros. in conventional and IMAX theaters on September 9, 2016.[2]

Plot

On January 15, 2009, veteran US Airways pilots Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffery Skiles board US Airways Flight 1549 departing from LaGuardia Airport and take off. Barely three minutes into the flight, disaster strikes as the Airbus A320 hits a flock of Canada geese, which disables both engines of the A320. Without engine power and with no airports in range, Sully lands his ill-fated airliner in the frigid waters of the Hudson River. With 155 passengers and crew on board, Sullenberger, against immeasurable odds, successfully ditches the aircraft, sparing the lives of the crew and passengers, and he is dubbed a hero by the press for his actions. But soon afterwards, Sully's life is invaded by reporters and investigators who force Sully to put his job, family, and reputation on the line.

Cast

Tom Hanks (left) portrayed Chesley Sullenberger (right).

Production

The movie is based on Sully's autobiography Highest Duty whose rights were acquired in 2010.[5] From the start Sullenberger wanted the film to encompass "that sense of our common humanity" as a recurring theme, noting that the events depicted in the film took place shortly after 2008's Great Recession: Sullenberger explains: "People were wondering if everything was about self-interest and greed. They were doubting human nature. Then all these people acted together, selflessly, to get something really important done. In a way, I think it gave everyone a chance to have hope, at a time when we all needed it."[6]

By June 2015, it was reported that Tom Hanks was already in talks to play the lead role of Sullenberger.[7] Much of the rest of the cast was announced in that August (with Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney, Holt Mcallany and Jamey Sheridan joining),[8][9][10][11] September (Jerry Ferarra)[12] and October (Max Adler, Sam Huntington and Wayne Bastrup).[13][14][15]

Filming

Principal photography on the film began on September 28, 2015 in New York City.[16] On October 15, filming started in Atlanta, where a building in downtown Atlanta was transformed into a NYC hotel.[17] Filming took place in North Carolina, Los Angeles, Holloman AFB, New Mexico and Kearny, New Jersey and concluded on April 29, 2016.[18] It was shot almost entirely with Digital IMAX cameras.[19]

Release

Sully premiered at the 43rd Annual Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2016, and was released in the United States in conventional and IMAX theaters on September 9, 2016, by Warner Bros.[20]

Reception

Box office

In the United States and Canada, Sully was released on Friday, September 9, 2016, across 3,525 theaters, of which 375 theaters were in IMAX, and is projected to make around $25 million in its opening weekend, with Box Office Mojo projecting as high as $31 million due to its large theater count and the film's positioning.[21][22][23][24] Box office trackers are expecting Sully to launch in the same range as two titles: Hanks' 2013 hostage drama Captain Phillips, which opened with $25.7 million, and the 2012 airline drama Flight, which debuted to $24.9 million. The film is opening on the weekend after the Labor Day weekend which has proven to be a lackluster period of time for a film to accrue large revenue. But Deadline.com noted that this doesn't apply to every film released around this corner and it depends more on the type of film. Sully is one of the four wide releases of the weekend.[3] According to ticket selling website Fandango, the film outsold Hanks' previous film, Bridge of Spies, in advance ticket sales.[3] It earned $1.4 million from Thursday previews at 2,700 theaters, which marked the biggest of Hanks' career.[25] Box Office Mojo deemed it a strong number considering that it coincided with the first NFL game of the regular season.[24]

Critical response

Sully has received positive reviews from critics, with praise going to Hanks' performance and Eastwood's direction. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 83%, based on 140 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "As comfortingly workmanlike as its protagonist, Sully makes solid use of typically superlative work from its star and director to deliver a quietly stirring tribute to an everyday hero."[26] On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average to reviews, the film has a score of 76 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[27]

Peter Debruge of Variety gave the film a positive review, praising Hanks and saying, "This is Hanks’ show, and he delivers a typically strong performance, quickly allowing us to forget that we’re watching an actor. With his snowy white hair and moustache to match, Hanks conveys a man confident in his abilities, yet humble in his actions, which could also be said of Eastwood as a director."[28] IGN reviewer Simon Thompson awarded 9/10, writing: "Sully is a beautifully balanced, classily [sic] nuanced and hugely engaging film that avoids all the clichéd pitfalls it could have slipped into. Tom Hanks gives one of the best performances of his career and Clint Eastwood’s direction is beautiful and rich. It’s not just a great movie, Sully is one of the best pieces of cinema that a major Hollywood studio has released this year."[29] Manohla Dargis of The New York Times praised both the film and Eastwood's direction; she writes that the film is "economical and solid, and generally low-key when it’s not freaking you out."[30] Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter praised the film by calling it, "[A] vigorous and involving salute to professionalism and being good at your job".[31] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone praised the film by giving 3 and a half stars out of 4 and wrote, "the movie earns your attention and respect by digging deep, by finding the fear and self-doubt inside a man who'd never accept being defined as a hero. It's an eye-opener."[32] Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded 4 stars out of 4, praising the film as "an absolute triumph" and Hanks' performance who, "delivers another in a long line of memorable, nomination-worthy performances."[33]

Controversy

The film generated controversy surrounding its depiction of the National Transportation Safety Board as "prosecutorial and closed-minded".[34] In a promotional video preceding the film's release, director Clint Eastwood claimed that the NTSB was "railroading" Sullenberger and "was trying to paint the picture that he had done the wrong thing."[34][35] Upon the film's release, NTSB investigators objected to the film's portrayal of them as inaccurate.[36] After reviewing the factual record and viewing the film, The New York Times wrote that "the film’s version of the inquiry veers from the official record in both tone and substance" and "depicts the investigators as departing from standard protocol in airline accident inquiries."[34] NTSB lead investigator John Balzano disputed the film's depiction, saying that investigators "weren't out to embarrass anybody at all", and a former NTSB investigator also expressed concern that the depiction would be taken by moviegoers as evidence of "government incompetence".[35]

In an interview about the controversy, actor Tom Hanks told the Associated Press that Sullenberger reviewed an early draft of the film's script, which identified NTSB investigators in the story by their real names, and asked that the investigators' names be removed. According to Hanks, Sullenberger felt that the real-life investigators "were not prosecutors" and it was not fair to associate them with changes in the story depicting "more of a prosecutorial process."[35]

In 2016-07-08, a lawsuit was filed at Los Angeles County Superior Court by a film's consultant named Scott Heger against Warner Bros. Entertainment, Kiki Tree Pictures and Tim Moore for breach of oral contract, fraud and labor code violations. The plaintiff claimed Warners declined to pay Heger because he didn't have a written contract and his services were rolled into the airplane procurement agreements with Blair. In addition, the plaintiff also claimed the producers threatened to "blacklist" him if he sued.[37]

References

  1. ^ "Sully (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. September 5, 2016. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  2. ^ a b Sully in IMAX
  3. ^ a b c Anthony D'Alessandro (September 7, 2016). "Clint Eastwood's 'Sully' Launches Fall Awards Season, But Can 'Bough' Break At No. 1? – B.O. Preview". Deadline.com. Retrieved September 8, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  4. ^ Ryan Faughnder (September 6, 2016). "'Sully' and 'When the Bough Breaks' to choke 'Don't Breathe' at the box office". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  5. ^ McClintock, Pamela (June 2, 2015). "Clint Eastwood's Next Movie Revealed: Capt. "Sully" Sullenberger Tale (Exclusive)". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  6. ^ Rainy, James. "Tom Hanks, Chesley Sullenberger Hail 'Common Humanity' of Clint Eastwood's 'Sully'". Variety. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
  7. ^ Fleming Jr, Mike (June 18, 2015). "Tom Hanks In Talks To Play Heroic Pilot Sully Sullenberger In Clint Eastwood Film". deadline.com. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  8. ^ Ford, Rebecca; McClintock, Pamela (August 11, 2015). "Aaron Eckhart Joins Tom Hanks in Captain Sully Movie (Exclusive)". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  9. ^ Fleming Jr, Mike (August 17, 2015). "Laura Linney Joins Clint Eastwood's 'Sully' To Play Hero Pilot's Wife". deadline.com. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  10. ^ A. Lincoln, Ross (August 19, 2015). "Holt McCallany Flies With Eastwood's 'Sully'; 'Good After Bad' Casts Leads". deadline.com. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  11. ^ Ford, Rebecca (August 27, 2015). "Captain Sully Movie Adds Jamey Sheridan (Exclusive)". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  12. ^ Kroll, Justin (September 11, 2015). "Jerry Ferrara Lands Role in Eastwood's 'Sully,' Will Return to Starz's 'Power' (EXCLUSIVE)". variety.com. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  13. ^ Ford, Rebecca (October 6, 2015). "'Glee' Actor Max Adler Joins Captain Sully Movie (Exclusive)". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  14. ^ Sneider, Jeff; Verhoeven, Beatrice (October 15, 2015). "Sam Huntington Joins Clint Eastwood's 'Sully,' Romantic Comedy 'Second Nature' (Exclusive)". thewrap.com. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  15. ^ Hipes, Patrick (October 9, 2015). "Wayne Bastrup Takes Flight In 'Sully'; Beau Knapp Enlists In 'Sand Castle'". deadline.com. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  16. ^ Lesnick, Silas (September 30, 2015). "Clint Eastwood and Tom Hanks Begin Production on Sully". comingsoon.net. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  17. ^ "'Sully', starring Tom Hanks, moves from NYC to Atlanta". onlocationvacations.com. October 15, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  18. ^ "Tom Hanks claims he put £100 bet on Leicester to win the Premier League". The Daily Telegraph. April 26, 2016.
  19. ^ "Clint Eastwood Shooting 'Sully' Almost Entirely With Imax Cameras". variety.com. April 21, 2016.
  20. ^ Stone, Natalie (December 18, 2015). "Clint Eastwood's 'Sully' Gets Early Fall Release Date". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
  21. ^ Ryan Faughnder (September 6, 2016). "'Sully' and 'When the Bough Breaks' to choke 'Don't Breathe' at the box office". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  22. ^ Pamela McClintock (September 9, 2016). "Box-Office Preview: 'Sully' Buckles Up for Strong Takeoff as Fall Commences". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  23. ^ Dave McNary (September 6, 2016). "Box Office: Tom Hanks' 'Sully' Set to Land With Moderate $25 Million". Variety. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  24. ^ a b Brad Brevet (September 8, 2016). "'Sully' and 'When the Bough Breaks' Set to Kick Off Fall 2016 Movie Season". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 9, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  25. ^ Anita Busch (September 9, 2016). "'Sully' Soars With $1.35M For Warner Bros. — Thursday Box Office". Deadline.com. Retrieved September 9, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  26. ^ "Sully (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  27. ^ "Sully reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  28. ^ "Telluride Film Review: 'Sully'". Variety.
  29. ^ Simon Thompson (September 8, 2016). "Sully Review". IGN. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  30. ^ Dargis, Manohla (September 8, 2016). "Review: Sully Landed the Plane. Then He Had to Endure the Spotlight". The New York Times. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  31. ^ McCarthy, Todd (September 9, 2016). "'Sully': Telluride Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  32. ^ Travers, Peter (September 8, 2016). "'Sully' Review: Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks Make Heroic Pilot Story Soar". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  33. ^ Roeper, Richard (September 6, 2016). "'Sully': Brace for emotional impact of Tom Hanks' cockpit triumph". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  34. ^ a b c Negroni, Christine (September 9, 2016). "'Sully' Is Latest Historical Film to Prompt Off-Screen Drama". The New York Times. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  35. ^ a b c Lowy, Joan (September 8, 2016). "Real-life investigators object to portrayal in 'Sully' movie". Associated Press. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  36. ^ Bahr, Lindsey (September 7, 2016). "Hanks, Eckhart take flight as real-life heroes in 'Sully'". Washington Post.
  37. ^ 'Sully' Producers Sued by Aircraft Consultant for Failure to Pay

External links

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