"Sully": the verdict from Swindon UK
Last night I went to a pre-release viewing of Sully in Swindon UK. I am now left fuming and brooding about watching the new film.
The good bits about "Sully":
1. Superb video and sound in the iMax theatre.
2. Excellent performances from Tom Hanks (Captain Sullinberger), and Aaron Eckhart (Co pilot Jeff Skiles).
3. Depictions of the bird strike, water landing and rescue were all close enough to be informative and entertaining.
But that is it!
The bad side is simply deplorable.
1. The depiction of the inquiry is utter codswallop. It bears not a shred of accuracy and worse still it will send movie viewers away with a completely wrong understanding of the role of Air Accident investigators.
According to ICAO's (International Civil Aviation Organisation) guidance on investigations, the sole function of an air accident investigation is to learn what happened.
Specifically stated at the start of the guidance for investigators is:
( QUOTE from ICAO Annex 13 )
"3.1 The sole objective of the investigation of an accident or incident shall be the prevention of accidents and incidents. It is not the purpose of this activity to apportion blame or liability." UNQUOTE
The problem is that Clint Eastwood has mixed fact and fiction in the same film thus ruining it for all. The unknowing will come away with their heads full of rubbish and the knowing will come away feeling very disappointed and frustrated.
Why were the investigators all fictional characters while all the other protagonists were real and using the names of the real people.?
Apparently Clint has put a small sentence in the small print explaining the investigation is fictional, but who reads that? Certainly the people sitting near us last night came away utterly fooled. Such a pity.
Beware of believing the mixed messages conveyed in "Sully”.