Why Sully Is Actually One of Clint Eastwood’s Best Movies

Sully received a critical reception that was fairly mixed, but time has proven that it, in fact, is one of Clint Eastwood's best.

Kelly ReillyMay 23, 2023

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Clint Eastwood is one of the greatest directors of alltime, and he’s regarded as one of the most important figures in the development of the western genre. Although it was his role as “The Man With No Name” in Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly that made him an international star, Eastwood quickly proved that he could helm westerns of his own with High Plains Drifter, Pale Rider, The Outlaw Josey Wales, and the Best Picture Oscar-winner Unforgiven. However, Eastwood is not restrained to the western genre alone, as he’s earned an equal amount of praise for films such as Million Dollar Baby, Invictus, American Sniper, and Gran Torino.

Eastwood’s 2016 film Sully was based on the viral news story about the U.S. Airways Pilot Sully Sullenberger, who miraculously saved the lives of his entire crew of passengers when he was forced to land on the Hudson River. Tom Hanks portrays the titular hero, and Laura Linney appears as his wife Lorraine. Sully received a critical reception that was fairly mixed. Time called it “a little soggy,” and The Guardian said that “even a likable and authoritative performance from Tom Hanks can’t keep this movie in the air.” However, time has proven that Sully is in fact one of Eastwood’s best.

A Creative Look at History

Eastwood is certainly no stranger to taking recent events from history and turning them into dramatic projects. However, there’s an intensity to The 15:17 to Paris, Richard Jewell, The Mule, and American Sniper that Sully lacks. Rather than devoting the entire runtime to showing the infamous crash and Sully’s decisions, the film opens up within the aftermath of the event. Sully has been praised as an icon, but he still feels regrets about what he could have done differently. As Sully attends press conferences, talk shows, and a meeting with the National Transportation Safety Board, he’s forced to think back on that fateful day. By slowly tying in the crash and focusing on its effect on Sully himself, it feels like Eastwood is actually engaging with history instead of just replicating it.

While Eastwood’s other biopics such as J. Edgar has been criticized for focusing solely on the title character, he does a great job at showing what each of the passengers experienced during the crash itself. There’s a great sense of community that emerges as Eastwood shows the passengers coming together and rejoicing in their survival. Aaron Eckhart gives a terrific supporting performance as Sully’s co-pilot during the crash, Jeffrey Skiles. Jeff initially seems to not have been as traumatized as Sully was by the events, and Sully even remarks on his good humor after they appear together on a late night show. However, there are emotional moments towards the end in which Jeff reveals that he’s still in awe of Sully’s achievements, and doesn’t feel like he deserves the same amount of praise.

A Powerful Examination of Trauma

Trauma is not an easy thing to translate into a film, as it can be a highly personal experience that evokes very different types of reactions. While some films accentuate the melodrama into cheesy scenes that don’t feel realistic, neither Hanks nor Eastwood is trying to make light of the situation. Sully is obviously a professional, and maintains his composure throughout the film. He experiences flashbacks of the fateful day and all of the events beforehand, and as a result he becomes emotionally closed off. Sully has never lost a passenger in the middle of a flight, and he does not rest until he has guaranteed that everyone has reached safety. It’s a very authentic depiction of heroism; while Eastwood has overplayed patriotism in films like Flags of Our Fathers

and American Sniper, Sully shows his admiration for men who simply perform their job excellently in the midst of traumatic circumstances.

The film is also very respectful of the event’s connection to the 9/11 tragedy. Considering that the crash involved a plane in New York, it forces many characters to reflect upon the tragedy of 2001. Sully himself even imagines the haunting image of a burning plane headed towards a building. Tying in 9/11 imagery in such an overt way could have been very disrespectful, as films like Remember Me have referenced the disaster in ways that are disrespectful. However, Sully explores the legitimate responses to comparisons between the events.

Tom Hanks’ Most Understated Performance

Hanks is one of the greatest actors of all-time, and he’s been continuously excellent for so long that sometimes people take him for granted. While his work doesn’t seem impressive considering his track record, there’s a subtle brilliance to his performance in Sully that some critics did not give Hanks credit for. Sully is part of a shocking recent trend in which Hanks turns in an excellent performance, yet fails to receive an Academy Award nomination; considering he was also recently snubbed for his stunning work in Captain Phillips, Saving Mr. Banks, Bridge of Spies, The Post, and News of the World, it feels like he’s been unappreciated. While Hanks did end up receiving a Critics Choice nomination for Best Actor, the film’s only Oscar nod was for Best Sound Mixing. As always, the Oscars tend to award more populist choices and avoid films that demand the viewers’ attention-to-detail.

Hanks has a calm demeanor and gravity to him that feels completely authentic. Eastwood didn’t need to include any expositional passages simply to explain all of the steps Sully took to ensure the flight’s success because Hanks’ attention-to-detail is so excellent. While Hanks has worked with many legendary directors, Sully is somehow his first film with Eastwood. The two make a very natural duo; Eastwood is renowned for his restraint and historical accuracy, and Hanks has similarly found success playing many real people. Considering that Eastwood has announced that his upcoming project Juror #2 will be his final film, the possibility that he’ll work with Hanks again seems relatively slim.