Pushing Tin
- Rate Movie[Total: 11 Average: 3.5]
- Directed By: Mike Newell
- Written By: Glen Charles, Les Charles
- Release Date: April 23, 1999
- Domestic Distributor: FOX
- Cast: John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Cate Blanchett, Angelina Jolie
Box Office Info:
Budget: $38 million | Financed by: FOX; New Regency |
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Domestic Gross: $8,408,835 | Overseas Gross: N/A |
Pushing Tin began development at FOX 2000, after the studio quickly scooped up the rights to the March 24, 1996 New York Times article Something’s Got to Give about the high pressure stakes of air traffic controllers. The article rights went to FOX for $200,000. Producer Art Linson spearheaded the project after first reading the article and in his tell-all book about the horrors of Hollywood What Just Happened?: Bitter Hollywood Tales from the Front Line (also made into a not very interesting movie), Pushing Tin was one of his few projects made with complete ease. The screenplay quickly came together that everyone was proud of; a solid cast led by John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Cate Blanchett and Angelina Jolie was assembled; filming went without incident and was on schedule and budget — but the movie ended as a commercial disaster.
Linson stated the budget for Pushing Tin was $38 million and financing came from FOX and New Regency. Linson wrote that the first sign of commercial trouble came from a few test screenings, where the movie played to half an empty theater — which did not bode well for its box office prospects when auds did not want to even see Pushing Tin for free. FOX dated the picture for April 23, 1999 and it bowed against the low-budget comedy Lost And Found. Reviews were mixed and Pushing Tin opened with a miserable $3,555,032 — placing #4 for the weekend led by the holdover smash The Matrix. Those that showed up hated the film and gave it a C cinemascore and Pushing Tin sank 64.8% to $1,250,045 the following frame. It died stateside with a mere $8,408,835.
Overseas numbers are not available, but the trades at the time stated the movie barely made any box office impact in any market.