Pushing Tin

Pros: interesting world to explore
Cons: goes into automatic pilot after twenty minutes

The funniest thing about Pushing Tin is contained in the opening credits. It turns out, the screenplay, by Glen and Les Charles, was actually adapted from an article in the Sunday section of the New York Times. Darcy Frey's, Something's Got to Give, ...

Pros: John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton
Cons: A Comedy? Not Hardly

This movie goes through a series of twists and turns and still leaves you wondering what its purpose was. Am I a comedy? Am I a drama? Am I a thriller?

The Plot
Nick Falzone (John Cusack) is an air traffic controller who...

Pros: Billy Bob and Jolie try to save this wreck and with mixed results
Cons: Cusack acts! ouch!

This film could easily be referred to as The John Cusack testosterone hour (or 124 minutes as the case was). As Angelina Jolie said to Cusack in the film "Are there people that actually find you charming?" I had to laugh. How very true. The film ...

Pros: A bit of a black comedy, interesting setting, some great lines, great cast
Cons: a bit predictable, more geared towards men, slightly limp ending

When I first heard about this movie, it was by reading the back of the box at the store. It was billed as a comedy with some drama. A bit of a black comedy. Okay, so that grabbed me. I love black comedies. And it had John Cusack in it - I've loved ...

Pros: a wide-range of talent with some 'darn good acting
Cons: 'Not to be taken too seriously folks!!

Whaaaat!! Crackpots managing our air-traffic control system? Yes, but with a twist of rivalry and humor!! When I decided to put my two cents in on this movie and came to the page, I was surprised that it was only recommended 31% of the time. Now,...

Pros: John Cusak is in it
Cons: Joan Cusak wasn't in it

Pushing Tin felt like the story of my life lately, in a very strange way. It was slightly disconcerting, mostly because I realized this way after I saw the movie… enough about me. I hadn't heard much about this movie, but it was in the comedy section...

Pros: Great character acting and development
Cons: Story is a bit stiff and dry

Pushing Tin did not get great reviews or at least it didn't get great reaction. I didn't read too many formal reviews at the time it came out. I have learned not to trust professional reviewers. They tend to hate movies I find acceptable. The General's...

Pros: Blanchett, Cusack, Jolie, Thornton
Cons: The threadbare story and muddled pacing.

Interested in what Air Traffic Controllers do? Well, based on this, you probably won't learn much, although the scenes in the tower are done quite well. I suppose you could make tax accounting look exciting with the proper lighting, editing and John...

Pros: Great depiction of what it's like to be an air-traffic controller
Cons: Kind of... blah

At first glance, this film seemed halfway interesting, considering that air traffic control is one of the most stressful jobs in America and that my fiance happens to be a controller in the Army. Well, on second glance, I wished I hadn't wasted the money...

Pros: Solid cast; interesting premise
Cons: Unrealistic, contrived plot

"I just move the blips around so they don’t hit each other, then I go home." That’s how one character sums up his job as an air traffic controller in "Pushing Tin." Let’s not lose sight of the fact, however, that those...

Pros: Relatively charismatic character portrayals, original and mildly insightful
Cons: Fake air traffic controller personalities (I hope!)

The Story

“You land a million planes safely, then you have one little mid-air and you never hear the end of it.” (Air Traffic Controller, New York Terminal Radar Approach Control or TRACON). “Pushing Tin” follows the...

Pros: Two good stars -- Cusack and Thornton
Cons: They didn't have a plot to work with.

This movie is a perfect example of a cinematic conundrum. How can a movie be bad when the individual actors are each good? How can a movie lack any simile of a plot when the characters are credible? How can I describe this movie when, overall, it...

Pros: FUNNY AT TIMES
Cons: ending kind of blah

I never really thought about how the plans didn't hit each other. Well, now I know and what a stressful job it can be at times as shown in Pushing Tin. I thought this was a pretty good movie, with some ups and downs. Let's start from the cast, which I...

Pros: Good source of encouragement; believable portrayal of air traffic controllers' stress
Cons: Not spectacular

I rent and watch videos in spurts. I go for a while where I watch four or more a week, and then, when I get disappointed with enough of them I pass by the video rental store for months in a row. Pushing Tin was the first video I have rented this year....

Pros: Cusack's endless talents
Cons: Precarious plotline

I can never tire of saying it...John Cusack is one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood today.

Having gotten that out of my system, I'll tell you about Pushing Tin!

Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton portray two men in the most...