Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsABFFPride MonthOutfest OutfrontsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Aviator

  • 2004
  • PG-13
  • 2h 50m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
372K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,275
32
Leonardo DiCaprio in The Aviator (2004)
Theatrical Trailer from Miramax
Play trailer1:55
6 Videos
99+ Photos
BiographyDrama

A biopic depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes' career from the late 1920s to the mid 1940s.A biopic depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes' career from the late 1920s to the mid 1940s.A biopic depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes' career from the late 1920s to the mid 1940s.

  • Director
    • Martin Scorsese
  • Writer
    • John Logan
  • Stars
    • Leonardo DiCaprio
    • Cate Blanchett
    • Kate Beckinsale
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    372K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,275
    32
    • Director
      • Martin Scorsese
    • Writer
      • John Logan
    • Stars
      • Leonardo DiCaprio
      • Cate Blanchett
      • Kate Beckinsale
    • 897User reviews
    • 267Critic reviews
    • 77Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 5 Oscars
      • 85 wins & 131 nominations total

    Videos6

    The Aviator
    Trailer 1:55
    Watch The Aviator
    The Aviator
    Trailer 2:47
    Watch The Aviator
    Cate Blanchett Almost Played Clarice Starling?
    Clip 3:37
    Watch Cate Blanchett Almost Played Clarice Starling?
    A Guide to the Films of Martin Scorsese
    Clip 2:06
    Watch A Guide to the Films of Martin Scorsese
    'Bohemian Rhapsody' Cast Celebrate the Life of a Rock Star
    Interview 2:10
    Watch 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Cast Celebrate the Life of a Rock Star
    What Roles Did Leonardo DiCaprio Almost Play?
    Video 4:07
    Watch What Roles Did Leonardo DiCaprio Almost Play?

    Photos187

    John C. Reilly in The Aviator (2004)
    Leonardo DiCaprio in The Aviator (2004)
    Leonardo DiCaprio in The Aviator (2004)
    Leonardo DiCaprio and Gwen Stefani in The Aviator (2004)
    Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Beckinsale in The Aviator (2004)
    Leonardo DiCaprio in The Aviator (2004)
    Cate Blanchett in The Aviator (2004)
    Alan Alda in The Aviator (2004)
    Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett in The Aviator (2004)
    Leonardo DiCaprio, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett, and Adam Scott in The Aviator (2004)
    Alec Baldwin in The Aviator (2004)
    Leonardo DiCaprio in The Aviator (2004)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Leonardo DiCaprio
    Leonardo DiCaprio
    • Howard Hughes
    Cate Blanchett
    Cate Blanchett
    • Katharine Hepburn
    Kate Beckinsale
    Kate Beckinsale
    • Ava Gardner
    John C. Reilly
    John C. Reilly
    • Noah Dietrich
    Alec Baldwin
    Alec Baldwin
    • Juan Trippe
    Alan Alda
    Alan Alda
    • Senator Ralph Owen Brewster
    Ian Holm
    Ian Holm
    • Professor Fitz
    Danny Huston
    Danny Huston
    • Jack Frye
    Gwen Stefani
    Gwen Stefani
    • Jean Harlow
    Jude Law
    Jude Law
    • Errol Flynn
    Adam Scott
    Adam Scott
    • Johnny Meyer
    Matt Ross
    Matt Ross
    • Glenn Odekirk
    Kelli Garner
    Kelli Garner
    • Faith Domergue
    Frances Conroy
    Frances Conroy
    • Mrs. Hepburn
    Brent Spiner
    Brent Spiner
    • Robert Gross
    Stanley DeSantis
    Stanley DeSantis
    • Louis B. Mayer
    Edward Herrmann
    Edward Herrmann
    • Joseph Breen
    Willem Dafoe
    Willem Dafoe
    • Roland Sweet
    • Director
      • Martin Scorsese
    • Writer
      • John Logan
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    The Movies of Martin Scorsese

    The Movies of Martin Scorsese

    From Who's That Knocking at My Door to Killers of the Flower Moon, see some of our favorite stills from Martin Scorsese's films
    See the full gallery
    Production art
    Photos

    More like this

    Gangs of New York
    7.5
    Gangs of New York
    Blood Diamond
    8.0
    Blood Diamond
    Hell's Angels
    7.3
    Hell's Angels
    The Beach
    6.6
    The Beach
    Revolutionary Road
    7.3
    Revolutionary Road
    The Great Gatsby
    7.2
    The Great Gatsby
    Cast Away
    7.8
    Cast Away
    J. Edgar
    6.5
    J. Edgar
    The Irishman
    7.8
    The Irishman
    The Revenant
    8.0
    The Revenant
    Body of Lies
    7.0
    Body of Lies
    The Departed
    8.5
    The Departed

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Director Martin Scorsese designed each year in this movie to look just the way a color movie from that time period would look. Achieved mainly through digitally enhanced post-production, Scorsese re-created the look of Cinecolor and two-strip Technicolor. Watch in particular for the scene where Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio) meets Errol Flynn (Jude Law) in the club. Hughes is served precisely placed peas on a plate, and they appear blue or turquoise, just as they'd have looked in the two-strip Technicolor process. As Hughes ages throughout the movie, the color gets more sophisticated and full-bodied.
    • Goofs
      The scene in which Howard Hughes locks himself in the projection room and cuts off most contact from the outside world for an extended period of time is somewhat misleading. Though Hughes battled germ phobia all of his life (the fear of germs was instilled in him early on by his mother) Hughes did not become a recluse until much later in his life. The scene that is portrayed in the movie is very similar to a documented incident where Hughes did spend almost a year in a private movie theater however it wasn't until he was near 50 years old.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Howard Hughes: [repeating over and over again] The way of the future...

    • Crazy credits
      The Warner Brothers logo is the classic shield version, and is shown in 2-color Technicolor, rendered as a static painted card instead of the modern 3D animated sequence.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Christmas with the Kranks/A Very Long Engagement/The Life and Death of Peter Sellers/Alexander/Bright Leaves (2004)
    • Soundtracks
      Music from Hell's Angels
      Written by Adolph Tandler

      Courtesy of Universal Studios

    User reviews897

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    An Interesting Muddle
    "The Aviator"--a biopic of Howard Hughes-- is clearly one of Scorsese's lesser works. Still, a lesser work from Scorsese is far superior to the greatest work of your average director. Here's the rundown:

    The first quarter of the film is a total triumph, showing the young Hughes' bold endeavors in film when he produced what was at the time the most expensive and lavish film ever made. Scorsese tipping his hat to old Hollywood is the most fun he has had since "Goodfellas." The costumes, set designs, and pacing of this portion of the film are stunning and suck the viewer in.

    The rest of the film, despite Scorsese's amazing and vivid attention to detail, is a muddled mess, giving us glimpses into Hughes' obsessive (and compulsive) ways, his womanizing, his ambitious foray into aviation and the early days of commercial flight, his fight against Congress at the end of WWII, and the notorious plight and ultimately single flight of his infamous "Spruce Goose." It's all semi-educational and semi-entertaining, but in the end I think the complicated life of Hughes remains a mystery.

    As for the performances, they are amazing (thanks in most part to Scorsese, the ultimate actor's director). Leonardo Dicaprio in the title role gives yet another performance that goes against my natural loathing of him, and although he seems a bit too boyish playing Hughes in the latter years (and the film really suffers for it), he's impeccable for the better part of the film. Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn is simply stunning and steals every moment she is on screen. Her look, her mannerisms, and her speech perfectly match the screen legend to a haunting degree. Alan Alda and Alec Baldwin in supporting quasi-villain roles are methodically perfect. And the nicest surprise was Kate Beckinsale, a normally flaccid actress, playing Ava Gardner. She came across as gorgeous, intelligent, and maximized her minimal screen time without ever overtly stealing her scenes. Like Sharon Stone in "Casino" and Cameron Diaz in "Gangs of New York" Scorsese once again coaxes a great performance out of an otherwise unremarkable pretty face.

    In the end, "The Aviator" flies high thanks to Scorsese and the acting, even if the real person it depicts remains lost in a muddle of half truths and speculation.
    helpful•105
    43
    • WriterDave
    • Jan 22, 2005

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ4

    • Why did Howard look quite a while and very cautiously to the cameras at Sen. Owen Brewster at the beginning of the hearing ?
    • Is "The Aviator" based on a true story?
    • Why didn't Hughes just cut power to both engines and glide to earth?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 25, 2004 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Germany
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • Persian
    • Also known as
      • Phi Công Tỷ Phú
    • Filming locations
      • RMS Queen Mary - 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach, California, USA(interiors)
    • Production companies
      • Forward Pass
      • Appian Way
      • IMF Internationale Medien und Film GmbH & Co. 3. Produktions KG
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $110,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $102,610,330
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $858,021
      • Dec 19, 2004
    • Gross worldwide
      • $213,719,942
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 50 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.