Pushing Tin (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.

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Plot Keywords:

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

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and a scene of sexuality

Details

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English French

Release Date:

23 April 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mi espacio

Filming Locations:

Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$33,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,555,032, 25 April 1999, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$8,406,264, 4 July 1999

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 Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Angelina Jolie had just shaved her head for the dying scenes in Gia (1998). She wore a wig in this film.

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Goofs

When Nick dives into the snow during the bomb threat, he is shown rolling over as he lands on his back. When he is home watching himself on TV, however, the dive shown does not match the one he did earlier, as he is shown landing on his stomach.

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Quotes

Know-It-All Schoolboy: [In response to his teacher's request that the class say "metaphor"] That wasn't a metaphor. That was a simile. "Laying pipe" is a metaphor.

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Connections

Referenced in Tangled Web (2002)

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Soundtracks

She's a Lady
Written by Paul Anka
Performed by Tom Jones
Courtesy of Chrysalis Copyrights, Ltd.

User Reviews

A decent in-flight meal, but too much turbulence

Here's 1999's winner for the film least likely to be shown during an overseas flight. Cusack stars as a hotshot air traffic controller whose top dog status is threatened by the arrival of the equally gifted but enigmatic Billy Bob Thornton. Cusack's mounting rivalry with the inscrutable Thornton eventually consumes his personal life as he falls prey to Thornton's sexy wife (Angelina Jolie) and his marriage (to Cate Blanchett) gradually disintegrates. Director Mike Newell showed great flair in balancing comedy and drama in 1994's "Four Weddings And A Funeral", but here the mix is less assured and the extremes far too close together. Only fitfully amusing, "Pushing Tin" too rarely concentrates on its examination of air traffic controllers and their daily stresses, opting instead for a simple one-upmanship plotline with a superficial and sometimes flippant look at the men and women within whose hands we entrust our lives. The four leads are more than adequate in their roles, though the characters portrayed by Blanchett and Jolie (excellent during her brief appearances) are all but forgotten for long stretches at a time. As for rental possibilities, visibility should remain zero.