John Cusack is Nick Falzone, the bigshot air traffic   controller until the new man invades his territory. The new man is Russell Bell (Billy Bob Thorton), a man who is quiet but lives on the edge. He makes close calls on flights so Those landings could go faster. He is so crazy that he actually let a 747 Jet fly over his head so he could feel the air turbulence.

    Nick's wife Connie is played by Cate Blanchett. They have a very good relationship. Russell is married to the very attractive Mary(the very hot Angelina Jolie). They say in the movie that the rate of insanity in their field is like 50%. It's very stressful; they hold the lives of thousands of people in their hands each day. Russell and Nick become very competetive at work. This causes a lot of stress on Nick and seems to do nothing to Russell. This fighting leads to very close calls. Nick cheats with Mary, and his wife leaves him.He is losing his mind at work and his life at home. What is he gonna do?

    Pushing Tin has a few action filled scenes with the planes and in the traffic control room. The rest of the movie is just really slow and boring. The characters seem to talk endlessly about nothing and joke about the stress of their work. It's very repetitive in saying that you have to take risks sometimes. Some of those fast talking scenes in the control room are very good and there are some funny scenes but I found this film to be just very tiresome.

    The topic of the movie was quite original, but the script was like all other romantic comedies. It was written by Glen and Les Charles of Cheers fame. They used the same formula for Cheers. They used a previously unused sitcom topic but brought it overused stories inside this world. First the main characther is at the top of his field. Then a new man comes in and he starts to fall. Then the characther hits rock bottom. The characther learns his lesson and everything goes back to the way it was. This doesn't happen in real life. I know movies don't have to be based on reality but this movie isn't suppose to be out of this world so none of its true. It is suppose to be real but the way that everyting falls perfectly in to place is unbelievable and discouragong to me.

    John Cusack was good but I thought Billy Bob was pretty weak. He looked kind of weird, very skinny with a tan. I am so use to seeing him as the pale southern white guy from Slingblade, a personal fave of mine. He had some good moments but overall not good. Cate Blanchett did a good American accent, she is from Australia. It was no Oscar caliber performance like Elizabeth, it wasn't really a stand out performance at all. It was some of the usual American wife stuff, very loving and protective. Angelina Jolie is very good as the young but alone wife of crazy man Rusell. She is a very good actress. 2 out of 4 stars