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Sully
Movie

Sully

2016 • Biography, Drama

Woke Score
1
out of 10

Plot

On Thursday, January 15, 2009, the world witnessed the "Miracle on the Hudson" when pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger glided his disabled plane onto the frigid waters of the Hudson River, saving the lives of all one hundred fifty-five aboard. However, even as Sully was being heralded by the public and the media for his unprecedented feat of aviation skill, an investigation was unfolding that threatened to destroy his reputation and his career.

Overall Series Review

The movie follows Captain Chesley Sullenberger's heroic emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River and the subsequent investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The narrative centers on the conflict between human judgment, forged by decades of experience, and the cold, unfeeling data of computer simulations used by bureaucratic investigators. The film presents Sullenberger as an exemplar of traditional American values, focused on competence, duty, and professional integrity under immense pressure. It emphasizes the importance of human factor and teamwork, portraying a remarkable feat of skill that saved 155 lives. The primary focus is a simple, high-stakes question: Did the hero make the right decision, or was he an unnecessary risk-taker? The movie ultimately champions practical, on-the-job expertise over theoretical modeling and bureaucratic cost-saving measures.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics1/10

The narrative rests entirely on Captain Sullenberger's merit, skill, and 40 years of aviation experience. The central conflict is competence versus bureaucracy, not a lecture on intersectional hierarchy. The hero is a white male, but this fact is simply historically authentic; his race is never a factor in the story's themes or his character arc. The film operates on a universal meritocracy where a person is judged by their heroic actions and professional performance.

Oikophobia1/10

The movie is an explicitly inspirational story that champions American heroism and community resilience following a disaster, recalling the spirit of New York after 9/11. The core values celebrated are duty, courage, and professionalism. Institutions such as the aviation profession and the heroic response of New York City's ferry operators are viewed as shields against chaos. There is no deconstruction of heritage or framing of the home culture as fundamentally corrupt; the villain is impersonal bureaucracy and computer over-reliance.

Feminism2/10

Gender dynamics are traditional and complementary. Captain Sullenberger is the central, protective male figure, wading through the sinking plane to ensure everyone is off. His wife, Lorraine, is his primary emotional support, largely confined to anxious phone calls about their financial strain, a reflection of traditional family concerns in a crisis. The flight crew is shown as competent and working as a functional team alongside the male pilots. The narrative does not contain any 'Girl Boss' tropes, the emasculation of males, or anti-natal messaging.

LGBTQ+1/10

The film focuses exclusively on a real-world aviation crisis and the subsequent investigation. Alternative sexualities or gender ideology are completely absent from the narrative. The structure is normative, featuring the traditional male-female pairing of the captain and his wife as the personal anchor for the hero during the investigation.

Anti-Theism1/10

The event is consistently referred to as the 'Miracle on the Hudson.' Morality is objective, based on the non-negotiable value of 155 human lives and the objective truth of Sully's decision. Faith and a higher moral law are acknowledged through the use of the term 'miracle' and the reverence shown for human life. There is no hostility toward religion or Christian characters; the conflict is between man and machine/bureaucracy, not man and God.