Clint Eastwood's 'Sully' Biopic Lands Its First Trailer

Daniel here. When news broke that Tom Hanks was cast as airline captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger – the real-life angel with jet wings who, in 2009, famously piloted an A320 to an emergency water landing on the Hudson River, saving the lives of all crew and passengers in the process – approximately no one was surprised. If you ever need to cast an IRL hero for the big screen, Hanks’ evergreen likeability automatically makes him the safest choice; personally, as much as I really, really, really, really, really, really like Hanks, I’d have loved to see William Hurt take the controls. Regardless, we now have our first trailer for Clint Eastwood’s Sully and down to its Oscar-nominated, underutilized actress propped as a wallpaper wife, it’s about what you've come to expect from a ripped-from-the-headlines biopic these days. To some, it seems the surest route to stoic is stale.

In lieu of our traditional Yes No Maybe So, a whole bunch of Maybe concerns... 

• How it will stretch two hours’ worth of drama from a single incident that in actuality didn’t last that long? How will it craft a compelling character arc for a figure of such broad-stroked, well, likeability. No points for originality, as it seems to take Flight’s plan of cross-examining his methodology and, briefly, toxicology. That said, its shards of PTSD and demythologizing its hero archetype through personal doubt look promising.
• While J. Edgar was a dud in the American History Eastwood department, some (including the Academy) found American Sniper’s mode of pointed patriotism to be persuasive. This could go either way.
• Eastwood’s scummy blue scrim has deservedly taken a lot of flack over the years and, for a few shots in the trailer anyway, cinematographer Tom Stern has opened a critical window for some light to make its way into the frame.
• As mentioned, The Lovely Laura Linney seems totally wasted here, issuing words of support to her husband and little else. As if that’s not bad enough, they gave her a hale bay wig to go with it. The Film Experience couldn’t be more thrilled with the movies’ recent showcases for senior actresses – Blythe Danner, Susan Sarandon, Sally Field, to name a few – but how about giving our middle-aged actresses some vehicles as well?

A firm “I hope to God I’m surprised” on this. Does it look like Eastwood's latest will take flight?

Beauty Break: Movie Stars in Uniform

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

We'll still be posting this weekend but it'll be a bit lighter daily until Tuesday morning. To celebrate this holiday commemorating those who've given their life in service to the country or who have passed on more generally, let's celebrate with beautiful movie stars in uniform but who are no longer with us after the jump...

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Best Shot: The Beguiled (1971)

This week's Hit Me With Your Best Shot subject is Don Siegel's fascinating whatsit called The Beguiled (1971). It's little like Siegel's other collaborations with his muse Clint Eastwood and assigning it to a genre is also difficult both of which might explain its fairly quiet reputation. With the news coming that Sofia Coppola will soon be remaking it, our eyes drank every frame up. And wow is this story of a wounded Yankee grifter in A Confederate girl's school ripe for a revisit. You might say that imagining how Coppola's halflidded female gaze might view this is nearly as exciting as the movie itself but in some ways it already feels like a Sofia Coppola film. Profound interest in sensual and anthropological gazing at the desires of women who can't articulate their desires? Check!

Some of the English language posters are hilariously false, suggesting it's a shoot-em-up manly western. One poster actually has four men on it when Eastwood is the only man of significance in the movie and practically the entire film involves a group of women buzzing around and hypnotized by the sick man in their midst. So I've illustrated with a French poster that feels right.

Best Shot choices are after the jump...

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Great Moments in... Craft Services

Clint Eastwood likes broccoli.

This report just in from the set of Sully, Clint Eastwood's latest. It is not a biopic about the star of Monsters, Inc. The 85 year old workaholic's latest project will star Tom Hanks as Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger who landed a plane in the Hudson River in 2009 (remember that?) to save everyone's lives onboard. It seems a slim premise for a whole feature but maybe Clint will keep the running time short for a change? That would give him more time to squeeze in a second or third picture for 2016, you know. 

Hot Rumor Alert: The Return of Doris Day?

Doris Day a year ago when she was turning 90Clint Eastwood has supposedly convinced Doris Day to return to the movies. She hasn't been in one since... (gulp)... the summer of 1968 when the romantic comedy With Six You Get Eggroll premiered. It had a plot not entirely unlike The Brady Bunch which premiered the following year.  Day's character even had three sons she was bringing along into the new blended family.

This rumor seems suspect. If they can't convince the legend to spend even one night at an industry event honoring her, which is often the rumor in regards to the sore subject of the annual Honorary Oscar selections -- why would she be willing to spend weeks in front of a movie camera and all the promotion that that would then entail, including surely, more events than just one honoring her to promote it when it premiered!

I'm not sure I believe this rumor at all though it's cute to think of Octogenarian Eastwood strolling across the street or the lawn or what have you in Carmel to hand the 91 year old legend a movie script. Does she even remember what they look like? There's no word yet on what the movie or the role is but Clint Eastwood always has a lot of projects simmering so it could be anything. I suddenly pictured her in the cast of that probably aborted Eastwood-helmed A Star is Born remake with Beyoncé. Heh.

UPDATE: Doris Day has since denied this but then she would. 

Related Post: 200 Oldest Living Screen Stars of Note