SYNOPSIS

‘HenNick Falzone is the undisputed king of control, ‘The Zone’ Falzone, as he works in air traffic control in New York. Always at a fast pace, where there is no room for mistakes. Nick rules his workplace and his married life with the same lack of concentration that gets the planes in on time. That is until Russell Bell, a new transfer with a reputation for recklessness but a track record of pure perfection, shatters the strained status quo. Nick must find a way to regain his sanity and repair his marriage before it collapses completely.

CINDIE SAYS:

While it didn’t achieve massive box-office success, Pushing Tin has earned a cult following for its offbeat humor, standout performances, and unique subject matter.

What makes Pushing Tin so distinctive is its setting. Air traffic control is a job that most people know exists but rarely think about — and even fewer understand. The film takes place primarily in the cramped, high-stress environment of a New York air traffic control center, offering viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the people responsible for keeping planes — and lives — safe in the sky.

The title, Pushing Tin, is slang for controlling aircraft, referring to the way these professionals “push” the “tin” (i.e., metal planes) through busy airspace. This backdrop provides the film with much of its tension, as the characters handle life-or-death decisions in real-time. The film’s frenetic pace in these scenes echoes the adrenaline-fueled nature of the job, where even a minor mistake can have catastrophic consequences.

In preparing for their roles, both John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton spent time observing real air traffic controllers to capture the intensity and split-second decision-making involved in the job. The film does a surprisingly good job of depicting the complexity of managing airspace — often dramatizing the jargon-heavy communications between controllers and pilots with authenticity, adding to the film’s sense of realism.