Pushing Tin (1999)

Director:

Mike Newell

Writers (WGA):

Darcy Frey (article)
Glen Charles (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

23 April 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Tagline:

A Comedy about Life, Love, Airplanes and Other Bumpy Rides.

Plot:

A feud develops between two air traffic controllers: one cocky and determined while the other is restrained and laidback, which inevitably affects their lives.

Plot Keywords:

Black Comedy | Air Traffic Controller | Adultery | Airplane | False Alarm

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

John Cusack	...	Nick Falzone
Billy Bob Thornton	...	Russell Bell
Cate Blanchett	...	Connie Falzone
Angelina Jolie	...	Mary Bell
Jake Weber	...	Barry Plotkin
Kurt Fuller	...	Ed Clabes
Vicki Lewis	...	Tina Leary
Matt Ross	...	Ron Hewitt
Jerry Grayson	...	Leo Morton
Michael Willis	...	Pat Feeney
Philip Akin	...	Paul
Mike O'Malley	...	Pete
Neil Crone	...	Tom
Matt Gordon	...	Ken
Joe Pingue	...	Mark

Also Known As:

Turbulenzen - und andere Katastrophen (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and a scene of sexuality.

Runtime:

124 min | Finland:119 min

Country:

Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

South Korea:18 | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Manitoba) | Iceland:L | Singapore:NC-16 | Malaysia:U (cut) | Malaysia:18PL | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | France:U | Germany:6 (w) | Mexico:B | New Zealand:M | Peru:14 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

3 Miles Apart Productions Ltd.

Trivia:

Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie first met on the set of this movie. They fell in love and were briefly married.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: During the bomb threat, Ross phones Sparta Airlines' base operations in Greensboro, South Carolina. There is no Greensboro in South Carolina -- Greensboro is in North Carolina. However, there is a Greenville in South Carolina, which shares its airport with Spartanburg, South Carolina, which may be origin of the name "Sparta Airlines".

Quotes:

Nick Falzone: Oh, you really think the pilot is controlling this plane? That would really scare me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

The King and I

Waste of talented actors and interesting subject matter.

Pushing Tin takes a unique subject matter, a job that affects almost everyone in America, and compelling lead character in the midst of a moving internal struggle and absolutely ruins it. Why did the director and/or producer have to try and make Top Gun for Air Traffic Controllers? The first scene of this movie was so laughable I almost walked out. These filmmakers adapted this movie from an article, as the opening credits state. Too bad they used the Hollywood cookie cutter to do it. Mr. Cusack and Mr. Thornton are enjoyable as usual and so was Ms Blanchett, unfortunately that is not enough.