"Sully" Tells The Story Behind The Story
DETROIT (WWJ) – It's hard to believe that more than seven years have passed since what came to be known as the "Miracle on the Hudson." It was on January 15, 2009 when Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger glided his disabled plane to a landing on the Hudson River.
With a job that requires me to stay on top of the news, I was well aware of this story. But, what I and probably lots of other people weren't aware of, was the grilling Sully would take afterward.
That's what I really liked about this movie. "Sully" tells the story behind the story. When Sully was being hailed as a hero for saving the lives of all 155 people onboard US Airways flight 1549, federal investigators continued to question his actions, asking why he didn't fly the plane to the nearest airport, instead of opting for a water landing. As Sully would tell them time and time again, the plane never would have made it to the airport.
Tom Hanks (one of my favorite actors of all time*) is fantastic, as he is in all of his movies, as Captain Sully. It's a role that Hanks says he couldn't turn down, even though he had been working practically non-stop for about six years, and was looking forward to taking some time off. Hanks embodies the role and when you see him onscreen, you don't see Hanks, you see Sully. That, to me, is one sign of a great actor.
Starring alongside Hanks is Aaron Eckhart as Sully's co-pilot, Jeff Skiles, and Academy Award® nominee Laura Linney as Sully's wife, Lorrie Sullenberger. And while numerous other actors deliver stellar performances (the NTSB investigators in particular), I really enjoyed seeing Michael Rapaport as the bartender Pete. He's always funny and fun to watch!
"Sully" is very well done and definitely worth checking out. It's based on the book "Highest Duty," written by Jeffrey Zaslow. Directed by Clint Eastwood. Rated PG-13.
See you at the movies!
*Hear me talk about this and see the responses I get from Lee Thomas and Tom Santilli by tuning in to "CriticLEE Speaking" on Saturday, September 10, on Detroit's Fox 2!
Be sure to tune in to WWJ Newsradio 950 every Friday for my weekly look at the movies with Midday Anchor Jackie Paige.
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Member:
Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA)
Detroit Film Critics Society (DFCS)
African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA)
Digital Arts, Film & Television (DAFT)
National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ)
