Pushing Tin (1999)

48% of critics liked it
(66 reviews)
43% of users liked it
(32,851 ratings)

The intense world of air-traffic controllers is played for both drama and laughs in Pushing Tin. John Cusack plays Nick Falzone, the top air traffic controller at New York's Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) Center, where he negotiates air traffic and landing patterns for the Kennedy,… More The intense world of air-traffic controllers is played for both drama and laughs in Pushing Tin. John Cusack plays Nick Falzone, the top air traffic controller at New York's Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) Center, where he negotiates air traffic and landing patterns for the Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports, America's most congested airspace. It's a tough, stressful job that's highly demanding and Nick is very good at it -- and he takes no small amount of pride in that. So Nick is less than enthusiastic when a new controller comes on board; Russell Bell (Billy Bob Thornton) transferred into TRACON from the Southwest, in search of a greater challenge. In direct contrast to the wired edginess of Nick's personality, Russell is a model of Zen cool who is so focused on planes it's said he once stood in the wake of a 747 just to know what it felt like. Soon work becomes a constant competition between Russell and Nick, and their competitiveness doesn't stop when work is over. However, the rivalry begins to take a different turn when Nick takes notice of Russell's beautiful but hard-drinking wife Mary (Angelina Jolie), while Nick's wife Connie (Cate Blanchett) finds herself more than a bit intrigued by Russell. Pushing Tin was written by Glen Charles and Les Charles, who previously received notice for their television work on such series as M*A*S*H, Cheers and Taxi, and directed by British filmmaker Mike Newell, who's last project, Donnie Brasco, also took him into a little seen side of New York City. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 2 hr. 4 min.
Directed By: Mike Newell
Written By: Glen Charles, Les Charles
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Apr 23, 1999 Wide
On DVD: Aug 14, 2001
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Janet Maslin, New York Times
A four-character story with four characters worth watching!
Todd McCarthy, Variety
A lively flight!
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
The movie takes a dive at the end, but it's wonderful fun before that.
John Venable, Supercala.com
Can't really answer why this one got made. It's very uninteresting.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Chris W

The films is pretty good, then it falls apart and doesn't quite recover. The performances are the best part, and I liked that this film was about a subject that hasn't been shown on screen before. Too bad the screenplay craps out, otherwise this would be a far better film.… More
The films is pretty good, then it falls apart and doesn't quite recover. The performances are the best part, and I liked that this film was about a subject that hasn't been shown on screen before. Too bad the screenplay craps out, otherwise this would be a far better film. I'll be nice and give it a solid B-.
Luke B

A wonderful film about becoming the second best. Cusack is his perfect self, he represents the insecure everyman who is given a run for his money by the "interesting" Billy Bob Thornton. Thornton's character of Russel is brilliant, he's slightly odd, quite slimy… More
A wonderful film about becoming the second best. Cusack is his perfect self, he represents the insecure everyman who is given a run for his money by the "interesting" Billy Bob Thornton. Thornton's character of Russel is brilliant, he's slightly odd, quite slimy and maybe a tad evil without ever being these things. It's how Cusack and others play off him that really create such a sinister being. Jolie is perfect, she's never looked better and her role is fantastic although she has a lack of screen time. Blanchett is also reduced to playing a typical wife, though her innocence and chemistry with Cusack do create someone sympathetic. The film is often laugh out loud, but overall it's not the most memorable of the bunch.
Jason D

Very watchable movie about male competitiveness
Cindy I

Only watched this because John Cusack was in it. I'm willing to give pretty much any film he's in a chance. This time? Wish I hadn't.
xGary X

I'm normally a fan of John Cusack, but this so-called comedy drama is nothing but Cusack and Thornton comparing dick length combined with new age bullshit, surrounded by obnoxiously macho ass holes in bad shell suits. Every character in it is thoroughly unlikeable and the only… More
I'm normally a fan of John Cusack, but this so-called comedy drama is nothing but Cusack and Thornton comparing dick length combined with new age bullshit, surrounded by obnoxiously macho ass holes in bad shell suits. Every character in it is thoroughly unlikeable and the only reason I could see for sitting through it is so pervs can super slo-mo the completely gratuitous Jolie nipple shots on their DVDs. A rare miss from Mr. Cusack.
danny d

very entertaining flick, one of cusack's best
Michael G

I was hopeful but at least I got to see Angelina Jolie's nipple. Thornton's character was kind of neat but that was about it.
Leigh R

I liked it.
Aaron N

A comedy about men that work in an air traffic control tower. That could be good stuff, and it is for the most part. Everything that goes on involving work is pretty good. When it comes to the women issues, it's kinda meh, but still it's got a good cast, and it's enough… More
A comedy about men that work in an air traffic control tower. That could be good stuff, and it is for the most part. Everything that goes on involving work is pretty good. When it comes to the women issues, it's kinda meh, but still it's got a good cast, and it's enough fun to see.
Joseph E

Cusack kils th big screen in "Pushing Tin, and that's a compliment.
Ina S

Pretty dull.