"Pushing Tin" -- Flying around in Circles by Homer Yen (c) 1999
In the crowded skies over New York City, planes fly dangerously close to one another, but somehow manage to never collide. In the film, "Pushing Tin," hotshot air traffic controller Nick (John Cusack) and new-kid-in-town Russ (Billy Bob Thornton) have an uneasy working relationship that comes dangerously close to colliding, yet their story never manages to make an impact. What throws this film off-course? The answer is that the main story between these two could only muster as much flight as the Spruce Goose.
Nick is the charismatic leader of a tightly knit clique of air traffic controllers. These ATCs safely guide in dozens of airplanes every minute over the busy New York City skies. Nick, who has a sharp mind, an acute ability for spatial relationships, and a-mile-a-minute mouth, easily tames the chaos and congestion overhead. Looking at a dozen or so scattered blips on his radar screen, he confidently blurts out instructions to each of the incoming planes, urging them to change course or speed. It's an unenviable juggling act, and if he (or any of the ATCs) can not perform at their highest level, a mid-air collision becomes frighteningly likely. As Nick relays instructions, the scattered blips begin to take form. What was just a disorganized bunch of blips a few minutes ago has been transformed into a cadence of jumbo jets making their final approach. This guy definitely knows how to push tin.
Nick's self-esteem is about to be compromised when Russ, a new ATC, joins the group. He's an odd and quiet person who dons an Indian feather. But, he knows how to maneuver planes in for landings, and he's really good at it too. Russ's skill earns the respect of the other ATCs, while his eccentric demeanor makes him 'interesting' to Nick's wife (Cate Blanchart, the only bright spot in this film). Nick can't seem to handle his insecurity. He begins a personal quest to regain superiority, which will ultimately come at the expense of his honor, integrity, and even his family. Stories where a likable guy has to regain his previous greatness after a horrific fall is always nice feel-good film fodder. But Russ is too subdued and is in a constant state of Zen. He doesn't seem like much of a threat and their rivalry amounted to nothing more than a staring contest. Nick's obstacles didn't seem all that compelling. Contrast his relative short journey to the more challenging and ultimately more fulfilling quest of Jerry Maguire. Consequently, Cusack's character and his situation could not draw us into his life-turned-upside down world.
This mediocre rivalry and Nick's laffable ascension would make any of us assume crash positions. But hidden in this generally lifeless film are some nice 'slice-of-life' elements replete with heavy 'Lon-Guy-Land' accents, confessions, and revelations. I don't know many air traffic controllers, but I bet that they lead some interesting lives. On a field trip to the control station, a bespectacled egghead points out that ATCs are the most likely to commit suicide or suffer from mental breakdowns. At a picnic, wives identify themselves by which number wife they are ("I'm his fourth wife"), giving us a glimpse into the unique lifestyle of the ATC. I liked these little snippets and peeks into their lives. The rest of the movie, however, is just excess baggage.
Grade: C
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