The terror of losing both engines in an airplane before getting enough distance from one of the most densely populated areas in the world has to be one of the worst feelings one can feel. Now, think of the pressure you would face when you are the pilot of said airplane. That is the main focus to the Clinton Eastwood directed “Sully,” a film starring Tom Hanks and Aaron Eckhart. It depicts the real life events that took place in 2009, when a plane in the New York area was struck by birds in both engines and was forced to emergency land on the Hudson River.

Monikered “The Miracle on the Hudson,” a near tragedy was turned into a worldwide miracle with Captain Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger and Co-pilot Jeff Skiles, depicted by Tom Hanks and Aaron Eckhart respectively,  at the center of attention. The film begins with both pilots being interrogated by the committee appointed to the investigation that’s looking into what they refer to as a ‘crash.’ The majority of screen time is focused of said investigation and the effects it has on Sully and his psyche.

Another major component of the film is the flashbacks that Sully has of his past including his inaugural flight as a crop duster pilot in his teenage years, as well as his first emergency landing as an Air Force pilot as a young man. Sully suffers from nightmares of what could have been a major accident as well as self-doubt as the committee continues to doubt his actions, claiming he had enough time to land back at the airport with simulations as proof.

The majority of the film is frustrating to watch as the committee relentlessly challenges Sully’s heroic actions and attempts to blame him for the ‘crash’ which is so obviously a skillfully executed miracle. However, the shining success of the movie are the parts that actually show the real footage of the 208 second landing in the Hudson River. Seeing the way our society, like Air Traffic control and NYPD, can come together and take action in the collective effort of saving our fellow citizens is an inspirational moment. All 155 passengers and staff survived with minor injuries, an event that was unprecedented as both engines had been destroyed.

While bureaucracy can sometimes make the world toxic and frustrating, moments like what Sully pulled off in 2009 will remind us that humanity can thrive when they work together for to survive.