# Pushing Tin

Pushing Tin is 1999 American comedy-drama film about two cocky air traffic controllers that quarrel over proving who's more of a man.
    Directed by Mike Newell. Written by Glen and Les Charles.

## Nick Falzone

* Oh, you really think the pilot is controlling this plane? That would really scare me.
* To hold on to sanity too tight is insane.

## Mary Bell

* Mr. Falzone, what's the fewest number of words you can use to get out that door?
* [Listening to Nick ramble on about their affair] I am way too sober for this.

## Russell Bell

* If you ever want to sleep at night, don't marry a beautiful girl.
* I used to bowl, when I was an alcoholic.
* Human beings can tolerate a lot of pain, you never know until it happens.

## Tina Leary

* Hangin' left today, Ed?

## TRACON Manager

* I know he brings 'em in steep, and tight. But he gets the job done. He pushes tin.

## Dialogue

    Nick Falzone: [Finds Connie crying in the living room] What is it?
    Connie Falzone: Sit down, Nick. I've been explaining to the kids what it means that daddy... won't be around anymore.
    Nick Falzone: [drops bouquet] Hey... hey, hey Connie. Wait a minute, Connie... Connie, do you even want to hear my side of this?
    Connie Falzone: What's your side of my father dying...?
    Nick Falzone: [to Russell Bell] I'm personally going to see to it that you go down in flames!
    Airplane Pilot: What?
    Nick Falzone: Negative, United. That was not to you. Not to you!
[Jet flies low over Ed's house]
    Ed Clabes: Dammit! I left a *note*, to use alternate climbouts today. Who's on departure?
    Tina Leary: Uh, I dunno it's probably Harrison?
    Ed Clabes: Harrison, that asshole! I'll make sure every seven forty-seven leaving New York tomorrow night blows shingles off his roof!
    Tina Leary: Well, at least it drowns out Falzone.
    Mr. Feeney: Controlling air traffic's much like conducting an orchestra.
    Nick Falzone: Mr. Feeney used a metaphor. Can you say "metaphor"?
    Know-It-All Schoolboy: That wasn't a metaphor. That was a simile. "Laying pipe" is a metaphor. Did you know that an air traffic controller is responsible for more lives in a shift than a surgeon is in his life? It looks like a computer game.
    Nick Falzone: This is no game. You make a mistake here, there's no reset button.
    Schoolboy's mother: Don't touch me.
    Know-It-All Schoolboy: I hear controllers have the highest rates of depression, nervous breakdowns, heart attacks and alcoholism.
    Nick Falzone: Don't forget suicide, kid.
    Schoolboy's mother: He always researches our field trips. He's been online since he was 4.
    Russell Bell: Thought is the enemy.
    Nick Falzone: I know. I've been thinking too much. I had that thought actually.
    Mary Bell: Are there people who find you charming?
    Nick Falzone: Well they pretend, 'cause I try real hard.
    Nick Falzone: [to Russell Bell] I called your house and Mary said you'd be out here.
    Nick Falzone: She sounds good
    Nick Falzone: Oh, she wanted I give you this message, "See, I told you Colorado wasn't far enough".
    Nick Falzone: [Nick finds Mary crying in the supermarket] Anything I can do?
    Mary Bell: No, fine.
    Supermarket Boy: [to Mary] Is this man bothering you?
    Supermarket Boy: [to Nick] What did you say to her?
    Nick Falzone: Hey! Hey, go away. Go battle evil on aisle twelve!
    Nick Falzone: What do you need?
    Mary Bell: I told Russell.
    Nick Falzone: You told him what?
    Mary Bell: About us.
    Nick Falzone: Why did you do that? Why would you do something like that? What are you, fucking nuts? Why would you do that?Tell me why you'd do... Are you sick?
    Mary Bell:Last night was a major moment in our marriage. We reached this honesty and he shared something with me that was unbelievably personal.
    Nick Falzone: What?!
    Mary Bell:Like I'm gonna tell you. It was important I share with him in return.
    Nick Falzone: You know I gotta work with this guy? We work together!
    Mary Bell: I know. It's okay. He's not upset.
    Nick Falzone: Yeah, right!
    Mary Bell: He's all right about it.
    Nick Falzone: Bullshit! You understand? It's never all right! I'm a man! He's a man! Trust me! It's never all right. Ever! Ever!
    Mary Bell: He was moved that I was so honest.
    Nick Falzone: Your singing was beautiful.
    Mary Bell: My father. He was a professional singer, among other things.
    Nick Falzone: What are you listening to?
    Mary Bell: French tapes.
    Nick Falzone: You're learning French?
    Mary Bell: I like to learn new things.
    Nick Falzone: Me too.
    Mary Bell: You speak it?
    Nick Falzone: French? Me? No.
    Mary Bell: I've always wanted to learn, though. They say it's the language of love. I'm not sure how much I love it. But... That is nice. If you're interested, I'll loan you these when I'm finished.
    Mary Bell: [After she has gone to bed with Nick] I'm so sorry...
    Nick Falzone: Why?
    Mary Bell: I wasn't talking to you.
    Nick Falzone: Who were you talking to?
    Mary Bell: God, I guess! I read that when a person does not trust another person, it's because they, themselves...
    Nick Falzone: They themselves what?
    Mary Bell: Are you turning this around so it's about me? Is it, Nick? Is this about you?
    Nick Falzone: What are you talking about?
    Mary Bell: You look me in the eye, and tell me you've never cheated on me.
    Nick Falzone:Come on. You want me to, I'm gonna be sick. I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be sick. This is not okay.
    Mary Bell: You are an asshole! Capital A-S-H...
    Nick Falzone: Stop hitting me!
    Mary Bell: Asshole! O-L-E!
    Nick Falzone:The captain, here. Shortly, we'll be descending. The cabin crew will complete, I know it's too early to ask you to forgive me. But do you think you could someday imagine starting to think about it? I just want you to know that if the situation were reversed, in my heart I'd forgive you.
    Mary Bell: There's nothing to forgive.
    Nick Falzone: What do you mean?
    Mary Bell: Wanna know why? Because I did it too. Russell et moi. We did the deed. Le grand of freaky-frick. We went all over the house. We went upside down. We went sideways. We should have worn helmets.
    Ed Clabes: [When the girls sit down at the table with the controllers at the diner] I'm married.
    Nick Falzone: [the controllers all laugh] And you were just about to throw yourself at him, weren't you?
    Leo Morton: Ed, can you take that Delta?
    Ed Clabes: No, I can't take the Delta, my airspace is finite.
    Barry Plotkin: Uh-oh, Ed's going down the drain.
    Ed Clabes: I am NOT going down the drain.
    Barry Plotkin: Oh yes you are. It happens every time you use the term "finite."
    Jethro (Sparta Pilot): Sparta 753 for Newark approach.
    Nick Falzone: Hey Sparta 753, is that Jethro?
    Jethro (Sparta Pilot): Yeehaw!
    Nick Falzone: How's my favorite redneck?
    Jethro (Sparta Pilot): Falzone, are you mocking me, son?
    Nick Falzone: Yes, before you run out of cornpone or whatever you use for fuel.
    Jethro (Sparta Pilot): Shoot, we wouldn't waste good moonshine to fly one of these shit-boxes. Now are you going to give me a vector or am I going to have to find New York by the smell?
    Nick Falzone: Oh, all right. Sparta 753 turn left heading zero-zeven-zero, maintain two-thousand till localizer. Cleared ILS runway four.
    Jethro (Sparta Pilot): ILS runway four. Hey let's have dinner some time control. I want to see if you are as ugly as you sound.
    Nick Falzone: OK, as long as I can find a place where we don't need shoes. Now will your pig be dinning with you or will you be sleeping alone?
    Dynajet Flight Attendant: Sir, will you please sit down! The Captain is in control of the plane!
    Nick Falzone: Oh, you think the Captain is in control? Now THAT would really scare me!
    Ron Hewitt: Hey Russell, we hear this story, they say you stood on a runway in New Mexico and let a 747 part your hair with wake turbulence. That happen?
    Russell Bell: No.
    Ron Hewitt: That's what we thought.
    Russell Bell: No, that was in Arizona.
    Barry Plotkin: You really did that?
    Russell Bell: Yeah!
    Barry Plotkin: Why?
    Russell Bell: Well, I guess my life was a little short on excitement. Of course, all that's changed tonight.

## Cast

* John Cusack as Nick "The Zone" Falzone
* Billy Bob Thornton as Russell Bell
* Cate Blanchett as Connie Falzone
* Angelina Jolie as Mary Bell
* Jake Weber as Barry Plotkin
* Kurt Fuller as Ed Clabes
* Vicki Lewis as Tina Leary
* Matt Ross as Ron Hewitt
* Jerry Grayson as Leo Morton
* Michael Willis as Pat Feeney
* Philip Akin as Paul
* Mike O'Malley as Pete
* Neil Crone as Tom
* Matt Gordon as Ken
* Joe Pingue as Mark
* Dwight McFee as Veteran controller
* Michael Hyatt as Trudy
* John Carroll Lynch as Doctor Freeze
* Kiersten Warren as Karen

## External links

* Pushing Tin quotes at the Internet Movie Database
* Pushing Tin at Allmovie