The Terminal (2004)

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writers (WGA):

Andrew Niccol (story) and
Sacha Gervasi (story) ...

Release Date:

18 June 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Comedy

Tagline:

Life is waiting.

Plot:

An eastern immigrant finds himself stranded in JFK airport, and must take up temporary residence there.

Plot Keywords:

Airport | Flight Attendant | Passport | New York City | Passenger

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Tom Hanks	...	Viktor Navorski
Catherine Zeta-Jones	...	Amelia Warren
Stanley Tucci	...	Frank Dixon
Chi McBride	...	Mulroy
Diego Luna	...	Enrique Cruz
Barry Shabaka Henley	...	Thurman
Kumar Pallana	...	Gupta Rajan
Zoe Saldana	...	Dolores Torres (as Zoë Saldana)
Eddie Jones	...	Salchak
Jude Ciccolella	...	Karl Iverson
Corey Reynolds	...	Waylin
Guillermo Díaz	...	Bobby Alima (as Guillermo Diaz)
Rini Bell	...	Nadia
Stephen Mendel	...	First Class Steward
Valeri Nikolayev	...	Milodragovich (as Valera Nikolaev)

Also Known As:

Terminal (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief language and drug references.

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Russian | Bulgarian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | France:U | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Spain:T | Iceland:L (original rating) | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Finland:K-3 | South Korea:All | Malaysia:U | India:U (cinema release) | Sweden:7 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Brazil:12 | Chile:TE | Germany:o.Al. | Hong Kong:IIA | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:MG6 | Norway:A | Peru:PT | Philippines:G | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 (certificate #40891)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

The note on the photocopy of the hand attached to the sign "All Gates" says "FREE THE GOAT".

Goofs:

Continuity: When Viktor finally leaves for New York, the chief security guard gives Viktor his coat. In the background, the security guard/desk girl walks over to her husband twice.

Quotes:

[first lines]
PA announcer: United airlines announcing the arrival of Flight 9435 from Beijing. Customer service representative please report to gate C42.

Movie Connections:

References "The Outer Limits" (1963)

Soundtrack:

I Love New York

Very good film

I liked The Terminal. I liked all of the people and all of the situations.

Most people who saw this liked the minor characters especially Gupta who took particular delight in watching people slide on his wet floor.

That was fine, but not to be difficult I liked the courtship between the very shy but proper food delivery person and the immigration official better. Navorski was kind gentle and wise as acting as their Cyrano. He neither fell in love with nor did he take advantage of her.

The Terminal is a romance in the tradition of (say) Picnic. As a teenage, I watched with envy as William Holden easily courted a beautiful, vulnerable younger Kim Novac. What did it matter that he was old enough to be her father? The girls in movie houses still drooled over him and wished they were her.

So with this. Most male reviewers take exception to Zeta Jones in The Terminal. Much more sophisticated these days. Pity. She was actually quite good. She was like the little Mermaid: much of what she conveyed could not be done with her voice. The same thing with the Zeta Jones character: everything she said had to be done with her eyes and tears. She knows Navorski's value. She knows his character and how good he is. She wants him and is certain he wants and deserves her, but she knows that sooner or later she will betray him and that would devastate him. She knows herself so well that she feels unworthy of him. She cannot betray such a good and honorable man. What then does that make her? Is she any less honorable and worthy? Should she be any less desirable for the boys than William Holden for the girls?

This film is not Schindler's List. But it's not Beach Blanket Bingo either. It is a wonderful character study well worth seeing.