Sully Trailer (2016)

Trailer for Sully, starring Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart and Laura Linney.

On January 15, 2009, the world witnessed the "Miracle on the Hudson" when Captain 'Sully' Sullenberger (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.

Because they are both heavy hitters, we have to admit that we are surprised that it took this long for Tom Hanks and Clint Eastwood to finally work together on a feature. And it would seem that Eastwood, as a director, has developed a fascination with biopics. Sully comes after American Sniper, Jersey Boys and J. Edgar.

Just in case you've been living under a rock, the biopic is based on Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and the autobiography Highest Duty, which covers the following fallout after the airline captain successfully executed an emergency water landing in the Hudson River. The plane was forced to land after experiencing a bird strike with a migrating flock of geese, which took out both engines.

First off, having watched a few of the interviews with the real Captain Sully way back when, I have to admit that I'm impressed with Tom Hanks likeness of the man. A dash of grey hair and a grey mustache goes a long way! Hanks could have probably dropped an additional five to ten pounds, but I digress.

The trailer for Sully suggests that there was a lot of drama going on behind the scenes in the aviation field that the general population didn't know about. While Sully was the closest thing to a superhero to the media and general public, it looks like the pilot was getting hammered in somewhat of a blame game from the air safety investigators. Who knew?

The initial assumption about this biopic was that it wouldn't drive much interest. The event was too recent and all the facts seemed fairly laid out. But, judging by what we have here, there is a whole bunch more drama than anyone could have ever expected. Well, at least those that didn't bother to read the book.

For a first preview, the film looks fantastic and the musical accompaniment was spot on.