Storyline
On Thursday, January 15th, 2009, the world witnessed the "Miracle on the Hudson" when Captain Chesley Sullenberger, nicknamed "Sully" & is portrayed by Tom Hanks
glided his disabled plane onto the frigid waters of the Hudson River,
saving the lives of all 155 aboard. However, even as Sully was being
heralded by the public and the media for his unprecedented feat of
aviation skill, an investigation was unfolding that threatened to
destroy his reputation and his career. Written by
Warner Bros.
Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
Plot Keywords: hudson river | investigation | airplane | aviation | bathroom | See All (56) »
Taglines: The untold story behind the miracle on the Hudson
Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated PG-13 for some peril and brief strong language | See all certifications »Parents Guide: View content advisory »
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Details
Official Sites: Official site
Country: USA
Language: English
Release Date: 9 September 2016 (USA) See more »
Also Known As: Miracle on the Hudson See more »
Filming Locations: New York City, New York, USA See more »
Box Office
Budget: $60,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend: $35,028,301 (USA) (9 September 2016)
Gross: $76,848,908 (USA) (21 September 2016)
Company Credits
Production Co: FilmNation Entertainment, Flashlight Films, Kennedy/Marshall Company, The See more »
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos
Color: Color
Aspect Ratio: 2.39 : 1
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Jeff Skiles: Yes
[pause]
Jeff Skiles: I'd do it in July.
[Final words of the film]
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Written by Clint Eastwood, Tierney Sutton and J.B. Eckl
Performed by Tierney Sutton Band (as The Tierney Sutton Band)
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Laura Linney claimed that despite not sharing any screen-time with Tom Hanks, they were genuinely on-line with each other during the filming of the phone conversations. See more »Goofs
In the sit-down interview with Katie Couric, her left hand is shown without a ring on her ring finger. The second time she is shown, she has a ring on her ring finger of her left hand. See more »Quotes
Charles Porter: [At the NTSB investigation proceedings] Mr. Skiles, is there anything you would have done differently?Jeff Skiles: Yes
[pause]
Jeff Skiles: I'd do it in July.
[Final words of the film]
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Crazy Credits
Photos of the real plane and rescue are shown during the credits. They are followed by a brief video with real people from that day including the passengers and Captain Sullenburger. See more »Soundtracks
Flying Home (Theme from 'Sully')Written by Clint Eastwood, Tierney Sutton and J.B. Eckl
Performed by Tierney Sutton Band (as The Tierney Sutton Band)
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Frequently Asked Questions
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He's the Captain now
Greetings again from
the darkness. Society has a tendency to go to extremes – hero worship
for those who probably don't deserve it and character assassination for
those who have the gall to be less than perfect. Chesley "Sully"
Sullenberger has experienced both. On January 15, 2009, Sully made the
decision to land the crippled aircraft of US Airways flight 1549 right
into a river … an event immediately labeled "Miracle on the Hudson".
Surprisingly, this is the first film collaboration for Tom Hanks and director Clint Eastwood. Both have cinematic experience with true life stories and real people: Hanks most recently in Captain Phillips and Bridge of Spies; and Clint with American Sniper and J. Edgar. This one is the perfect fit as Hanks takes on a good man who takes pride in doing his job, and Clint brings to life a story that showcases the best of human nature.
Tom Komanicki adapted the screenplay from the book "Highest Duty", co-written by Sully and Jeffrey Zaslow. Much of the attention is given to the doubts and uncertainty Sully experienced during the NTSB review. The scrutiny of his work by the committee (played here by the ultra-serious Mike O'Malley, Anna Gunn, Jamey Sheridan) left his career and reputation dangling, inspiring nightmares that are much worse than yours and mine.
Certainly we are in awe of what Sully pulled off that morning, but as movie goers, we are anxious to see the plane crash/splash/landing. Clint comes through in breath-taking fashion. While it lacks the hysterics and drama of the upside-down plane in Flight, this re-creation is so realistic that we nearly obey the flight attendants repeated instructions of "Heads down. Stay down". Even the cockpit chatter, passenger evacuation, and first responder's (many of whom are real life folks, not actors) activities are played in matter-of-fact manner … more people just doing their job. We shiver knowing the icy Hudson River water is 36 degrees, and we feel Sully's anxiety as he desperately tries to get a final count … a count that he prays will hit 155.
Aaron Eckhart plays co-pilot Jeff Skiles and has a couple of memorable scenes, and Laura Linney embraces the thankless role of telephone wife of Sully during the aftermath and hearings. We get a glimpse of Sully's background with flashbacks to his flight lessons at a Denison Texas private airfield, as well as a portion of his military service. Hanks is the perfect choice for a role that would have suited James Stewart just fine if it were the 1940's.
The conflict here comes from the NTSB inquiry. Backed by computer simulators that show the plane could have coasted back to LaGuardia, we get the distinct feeling that the committee's goal is finding human error – naming a scapegoat (other than Canadian geese) for their "lost" plane. It's Sully who reminds us that the committee is simply doing their job … just as he was, Skiles was, the Flight Attendants were, and the first responders were.
This is technically expert filmmaking. We know the ending, but are glued to the screen. Frequent Eastwood collaborator Tom Stern handles the cinematography, and like the acting and story-telling, the camera work avoids any excess or over-dramatization. The film provides one of the best examples ever of the duality of hero worship and intense scrutiny, and how a person can be a hero by simply doing their job. The closing credits show clips of the flight's reunion and every survivor would agree that the best among us allowed a continuation of life … something that could have gone to the other extreme.
Surprisingly, this is the first film collaboration for Tom Hanks and director Clint Eastwood. Both have cinematic experience with true life stories and real people: Hanks most recently in Captain Phillips and Bridge of Spies; and Clint with American Sniper and J. Edgar. This one is the perfect fit as Hanks takes on a good man who takes pride in doing his job, and Clint brings to life a story that showcases the best of human nature.
Tom Komanicki adapted the screenplay from the book "Highest Duty", co-written by Sully and Jeffrey Zaslow. Much of the attention is given to the doubts and uncertainty Sully experienced during the NTSB review. The scrutiny of his work by the committee (played here by the ultra-serious Mike O'Malley, Anna Gunn, Jamey Sheridan) left his career and reputation dangling, inspiring nightmares that are much worse than yours and mine.
Certainly we are in awe of what Sully pulled off that morning, but as movie goers, we are anxious to see the plane crash/splash/landing. Clint comes through in breath-taking fashion. While it lacks the hysterics and drama of the upside-down plane in Flight, this re-creation is so realistic that we nearly obey the flight attendants repeated instructions of "Heads down. Stay down". Even the cockpit chatter, passenger evacuation, and first responder's (many of whom are real life folks, not actors) activities are played in matter-of-fact manner … more people just doing their job. We shiver knowing the icy Hudson River water is 36 degrees, and we feel Sully's anxiety as he desperately tries to get a final count … a count that he prays will hit 155.
Aaron Eckhart plays co-pilot Jeff Skiles and has a couple of memorable scenes, and Laura Linney embraces the thankless role of telephone wife of Sully during the aftermath and hearings. We get a glimpse of Sully's background with flashbacks to his flight lessons at a Denison Texas private airfield, as well as a portion of his military service. Hanks is the perfect choice for a role that would have suited James Stewart just fine if it were the 1940's.
The conflict here comes from the NTSB inquiry. Backed by computer simulators that show the plane could have coasted back to LaGuardia, we get the distinct feeling that the committee's goal is finding human error – naming a scapegoat (other than Canadian geese) for their "lost" plane. It's Sully who reminds us that the committee is simply doing their job … just as he was, Skiles was, the Flight Attendants were, and the first responders were.
This is technically expert filmmaking. We know the ending, but are glued to the screen. Frequent Eastwood collaborator Tom Stern handles the cinematography, and like the acting and story-telling, the camera work avoids any excess or over-dramatization. The film provides one of the best examples ever of the duality of hero worship and intense scrutiny, and how a person can be a hero by simply doing their job. The closing credits show clips of the flight's reunion and every survivor would agree that the best among us allowed a continuation of life … something that could have gone to the other extreme.
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