Ground Control

Ground Control is a 1998 action thriller movie directed by Richard Howard and starring Kiefer Sutherland, Robert Sean Leonard, and Bruce McGill. The film revolves around an air traffic controller who takes the blame for a fatal crash that happened on his watch and the events that follow when he is forced to come back to work.

The movie starts with the introduction of Jack Harris (Kiefer Sutherland), a senior air traffic controller at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) who is haunted by a tragic plane crash that occurred on his watch a year ago. After the accident, Jack took a leave of absence from work and started working as a radio host, but now he is called back to duty due to the shortage of controllers at LAX.

As Jack returns to work, he finds that things have changed since he left. The new air traffic manager, T.C. Bryant (Bruce McGill), is a hard-nosed bureaucrat who is obsessed with punctuality and efficiency. He has no patience for the controllers' casual approach to their job, and he is determined to make sure that nothing goes wrong on his watch.

One night, while Jack is working in the control tower, he receives a distress call from a passenger plane which has lost its pilot due to a heart attack. Jack quickly takes control of the situation, and with the help of his colleagues, he manages to guide the plane safely to the ground.

As the night progresses, however, things go from bad to worse. A savage storm is brewing over LAX, and there are more emergencies to deal with. A cargo plane carrying a dangerous load has lost its hydraulics, and it's up to Jack and his team to ensure that the plane lands safely. Meanwhile, a reporter (Kristy Swanson) is investigating the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash that happened a year ago, and she starts to suspect that Jack may not be entirely responsible.

As the storm intensifies, the tension in the control tower reaches a boiling point. Jack and T.C. are at loggerheads, and their disagreement threatens to compromise the safety of the planes in the air. Things come to a head when a passenger plane carrying T.C.'s wife (Kelly McGillis) and child is hijacked, and it's up to Jack and his team to save the passengers.

Ground Control is a fast-paced action movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The movie does an excellent job of capturing the high-pressure environment of air traffic control, and the tension between the characters is palpable. Kiefer Sutherland gives an excellent performance as the troubled hero, and he is well supported by the rest of the cast. The movie also boasts some impressive special effects, particularly during the storm sequences.

In summary, Ground Control is an adrenaline-fueled action movie that is sure to thrill audiences who love airplane disaster movies. With a great cast, high stakes, and thrilling action sequences, it is a movie that is definitely worth checking out.