Pushing Tin

Based on an excellent New York Times Magazine article on the stresses and strains of air traffic controllers' lives, Pushing Tin focuses on the rivalry between two controllers at New York's high-pressure radar approach control--hot-shot Nick Falzone (John Cusack) and laconic newcomer Russell Bell (Billy Bob Thornton). For about half an hour, the film is actually about that high-pressure world, with plenty of crisply-paced scenes that drop us right into the milieu without spoon-feeding us the lingo. In fact, all systems are go with Pushing Tin…except for the central storyline. Cusack and Thornton are such talented actors that it took me a while to realize that their alpha-male bickering has absolutely nothing to do with the world of air traffic controllers. When the story falls apart completely (in the final 45 minutes), it's clear that the film has missed the opportunity of visually translating the source article's rich psychological material, opting instead for mundane squabbling that could just as easily have taken place in the world of rival matadors, or rival insurance salesmen, or rival periodontists. Not recommended. (S. Renshaw)