Turbulenzen - und andere Katastrophen (1999)

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

Director:

Mike Newell

Writers:

Darcy Frey (article), Glen Charles (screenplay)

Stars:

John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Cate Blanchett

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Nick and the other boys (and Vicki Lewis) working the hotspot of air traffic control in New York are impressed with themselves, to say the least. They thrive on the no-room-for-error, fast-paced job and let it infect their lives. The undisputed king of pushing tin, "The Zone" Falzone, rules his workplace and his wedded life with the same short-attention span that gets planes where they need to be in the nick of time. That is, until Russell Bell, a new transfer with a reputation for recklessness but a record of pure perfection shatters the tensely-held status quo. The game of one-upmanship between the two flies so high as to lead Nick into Russell's bed with his wife. His sanity slipping just as fast as his hold on #1, Cusack's controller is thrown out-of-control when Thornton's wanderer quietly leaves town. Nick must now find a way to regain his sanity and repair his marriage before he breaks down completely.

---

Plot Keywords:

air traffic controller | air traffic control | marriage | job | female bodybuilder | 

---

Taglines:

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

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

Certificate:

6

Did You Know?

Trivia

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

---

Goofs

At the beginning of the movie, when Ed is believed to "go down the pipes", his scope shows two Continental Airlines flights with the same number (COA1250), supposedly representing two different planes.

---

Quotes

Nick Falzone: [to Russell Bell] I called your house and Mary said you'd be out here.
Nick Falzone: She sounds good
Nick Falzone: Oh, she wanted I give you this message, "See, I told you Colorado wasn't far enough".

---

Connections

Featured in Bridget Jones - Schokolade zum Frühstück (2001)

---

Soundtracks

Leading the Way
Written by Paul Pritchard
Courtesy of Associated Production Music

User Reviews

More real than you may think...

Okay, several parts of this movie were a bit far-fetched; (the wake turbulence from a heavy jet being one of them)but from a technical standpoint I can say that the phraseology, hazing, harassment, and ego trips are very accurate. Why? In a word, pride. Perhaps false pride at times, but pride nonetheless. The U.S. air traffic control system handles more traffic in a single day than any other country does in a week. Check the numbers, kids. It's true. The training is rigorous and relentless, and, at the risk of sounding like a commercial for the Marines, if you happen to be the one out of about a thousand who makes it through training to become a full performance level controller, it becomes a badge of honor. Very few people can do it. It is a close-knit family, which was also displayed in the film. If you'll notice the scene where a particular departure didn't "tag up" and one controller didn't notice it, several others jumped in to help out, and all joking and hazing stopped. Forgive my preaching, but this is the first movie that actually gave a somewhat accurate view of my profession, so hopefully I can be forgiven for being protective. (By the way, if I was married to someone who looked like Angelina Jolie, I'd keep her in the woods away from the slugs I work with, too.)

Details

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English French

Release Date:

29 June 2000 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Turbulenzen - und andere Katastrophen

Filming Locations:

Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$33,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,555,032, 25 April 1999

Gross USA:

$8,408,835

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$8,408,835

Company Credits

Production Co:

3 Miles Apart Productions Ltd., Art Linson Productions, Dogstar Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1