Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Great performances in tense, quietly powerful true story.
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Sully
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 7 parent reviews
Based on 32 kid reviews
Kids say that the movie, based on a true story, features impressive performances, particularly from its lead actor, and provides an inspiring narrative about heroism during a life-threatening situation. However, some viewers find it intense and potentially frightening for younger audiences due to scenes of peril and mild strong language, suggesting that it's better suited for tweens and older.
- powerful performances
- intense subject matter
- suitable for older kids
- inspiring narrative
- some strong language
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
SULLY is a docudrama about the well-publicized events leading up to the day in early 2009 when U.S. Airways pilot Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) made a dramatic emergency water landing in the Hudson River. Although the landing was publicized as a crash, putting down in the river was the only way that Sully and his co-pilot, Jeff Skiles (Aaron Eckhart), could land without crashing after a flock of geese struck their plane and disabled both engines shortly after take-off. The movie's dramatic tension revolves around Sully's post-traumatic stress, as he wonders whether he did the right thing in the wake of the National Transportation Safety Board's insistence that computer simulations of the same conditions showed that he could have landed the plane at two different nearby airports. Meanwhile, the media brands Sully a hero for the ages after the "Miracle on the Hudson" resulted in zero fatalities for the 155 passengers and crew on board the Airbus A320.
Is It Any Good?
Hanks delivers a winning performance as in Eastwood's thoughtful tribute to Sully's courage and humble heroism. Once again, the double Academy Award winner reminds audiences why he's one of the best actors of his generation, fully immersing himself in the role of a man with quiet confidence in his four decades of piloting experience and expertise in Airbus safety. Utterly believable in Sully, both physically (that silver hair!) and expressively, Hanks shares a brotherly chemistry with co-star Eckhart, who looks authentically tortured, relieved, and amazed at the fact that they successfully landed the plane without any of the 155 people onboard being seriously hurt.
Although the story occasionally feels a bit padded -- for example, the phone calls between Sully and his wife, Evelyn (Laura Linney), start to feel repetitive -- it's impossible to deny the story's compelling nature and how extraordinary the captain's triumphant landing is in the history of aviation. Unlike Flight, which follows a fictional pilot's fall from grace when it's discovered he's an alcoholic and drug addict, the very real Sully is refreshingly free of that sort of character-staining back story. Even the temporary villains of the story -- NTSB officials led by Mike O'Malley, Anna Gunn, and Jamey Sheridan -- can't stop the truth from prevailing: Sully is a hero for our time.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Sully and the popularity of real-life hero stories. What's the movie's message about Captain Sully and what it means to be a hero/act heroically? Do you think there might be a downside to being a public hero? If so, what?
How did the plane crash sequence affect you? Was it realistic? Do different kinds of movie violence affect kids differently?
Which characters in the movie do you consider role models? Why? How do they demonstrate courage, compassion, and teamwork? Why are those important character strengths? How does Sully's character position him to be a hero? Did he consider himself that way?
Parents, if kids are worried about planes being taken down by birds, reassure them that the odds of an accident like the one in the movie are very low. Talk about the many measures in place to ensure that air travel is safe.
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 9, 2016
- On DVD or streaming : December 20, 2016
- Cast : Tom Hanks , Anna Gunn , Laura Linney
- Director : Clint Eastwood
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Warner Bros.
- Genre : Drama
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Teamwork
- Run time : 96 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some peril and brief strong language
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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