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Plane Sailing

In January of 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 left LaGuardia Airport in New York, en route to Charlotte, North Carolina and flew into a flock of birds shortly after takeoff, disabling both engines. Quick-thinking pilot Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger realized that his best hope to minimize the risk of death to passengers, crew and those on the ground was to land the plane in (or on) the Hudson River. Miraculously (spoiler alert), there were no casualties, neither in the plane nor on the ground nor in the water. Well... except for the birds, that is.

And while you may remember the incident and the hero captain, you may not realize that there was an NTSB hearing immediately after the crash that called into question that very pilot's decision-making skills. Could Sully have returned the plane to LaGuardia or set down safely at another nearby airport? The findings of this investigation would have significant impact on this senior pilot's future career in aviation or anywhere else. The film version of this story, aptly titled "Sully" hits theaters this weekend and reveals just what was happening behind closed doors in the days that followed the "Miracle on the Hudson."

I remember the incident well, but had no idea of what was going on behind the scenes in the days that followed. Although saving the lives of the passengers and crew was all the general public cared about, apparently an airplane is an expensive piece of hardware, and insurance companies, the airline, the manufacturer and investigators were looking for somewhere to lay blame.

Tom Hanks does an excellent (and understated) job getting into the head of the lead character,. He imagines (with vididly realistic CGI imagery) what might have been had he made different decisions that day, or if everything in the landing and rescue operation that followed had not gone completely right. The film covers the incident fairly extensively: we see all or part of what happened during those four tense minutes, as well as alternate scenarios, at various parts of the film. The most comprehensive treatment comes at the very end of the film as the voice cockpit recording is played for the first time. Aaron Echkart puts in a strong supporting performance as co-pilot Jeff Skiles, whose willingness to trust his pilot helped pull off the legendary landing.

Director Clint Eastwood deftly puts the dramatic tale on the big screen, with a screenplay by Todd Komarnicki based on the book "Highest Duty," co-authored by Sully himself along with Jeffrey Zaslow. Though there are certainly tense moments, and the depictions of both the actual landing and the alternatives is realistic enough to take your breath away, the story is more about the people who made it happen, and how it affected their lives in the days that followed. Although it's difficult to stretch a three and a half minute event into a 90-minute feature film, Eastwood manages to maintain a steady pace, building to a satisfying conclusion. The multiple depictions of the event itself could seem redundant, but different details are revealed with each retelling, keeping things interesting.

If you find the story of Flight 1549 compelling, check out "Sully" for a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the real story behind the "Miracle on the Hudson."

Also, if you have the opportunity to see the film in IMAX, do so. Most of the film was shot on large format ALEXA IMAX 65mm digital cameras which means you'll see more of what the director intended when you watch the movie in IMAX. Find out more here: "Sully in IMAX Gives you 26% more picture."