Amelia (2009)

A look at the life of legendary American pilot Amelia Earhart, who disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 in an attempt to make a flight around the world.

Director:

Mira Nair

Writers:

Ronald Bass (as Ron Bass), Anna Hamilton Phelan

Stars:

Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor

3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hilary Swank	...	Amelia Earhart
Richard Gere	...	George Putnam
Ewan McGregor	...	Gene Vidal
Christopher Eccleston	...	Fred Noonan
Joe Anderson	...	Bill Stultz
Cherry Jones	...	Eleanor Roosevelt
Mia Wasikowska	...	Elinor Smith
Aaron Abrams	...	Slim Gordon
Dylan Roberts	...	Leo Bellarts
Scott Yaphe	...	William Dalten
Tom Fairfoot	...	Balfour
Ryann Shane	...	Young Amelia
William Cuddy	...	Gore Vidal
Elizabeth Shepherd	...	Frances Putnam
Richard Donat	...	Gallagher

Storyline

Amelia Earhart, a Kansas girl, discovers the thrill of aviation at age 23, and within 12 years has progressed to winning the Distinguished Flying Cross for being the first woman to pilot a plane solo across the Atlantic Ocean. At age 39, she sets out on an attempt to circumnavigate the globe, an adventure that catapults her into aviation myth.

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Plot Keywords:

trousers | looking at oneself in a mirror | amelia earhart character | character name as title | plane | 

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Taglines:

Visionary. Lover. Dreamer. Fighter. Legend. Icon.

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Genres:

Adventure | Biography | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some sensuality, language, thematic elements and smoking

Details

Official Sites:

Fox Searchlight [United States]

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 October 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Амелия

Filming Locations:

Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,904,047, 25 October 2009

Gross USA:

$14,246,488

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$19,643,086

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Searchlight Pictures, Avalon Pictures, AE Electra Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gene Vidal (played by Ewan McGregor), who was widely assumed to have had a romantic relationship with Amelia Earhart as depicted in this movie, had only one child, Gore Vidal (played by William Cuddy). Gore eventually grew up to become quite a celebrity himself as a controversial but successful author, screenwriter and political activist.

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Goofs

I provided the uniform information to the wardrobe department for this movie. Prior to WW II the "dungaree" uniform of light blue chambray shirt and denim pants was only worn in engine rooms and gun turrets. All other crewmen would be in the proper seasonal white or blue uniforms. The officers khaki uniform for non-aviation officers was not authorized until 1941. So the Coast Guard uniforms in this movie are correct for 1937.

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Quotes

Gore Vidal: Why don't you marry my father? Then I won't be afraid of anything anymore.
Amelia Earhart: I'm already married, to Mr. Putnam.
Gore Vidal: Why can't you be married to Mr. Putnam and my father at the same time?

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince/(500) Days of Summer/Homecoming (2009)

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Soundtracks

High Treason
Written and Performed by Dolf van der Linden (as Dolf Van Der Linden)
Courtesy of Killer Tracks

User Reviews

A Pleasant Movie

I found this to be exactly as a few had described: "a fair movie, not great but not bad, either." I'm not surprised it didn't do well at the box office even though I cannot pan the film. I enjoyed it.

Even though I liked it, something was missing: maybe an edge and a few things to get us more involved with the characters. It was hard to warm up to either Earhart (Hilary Swank) or her husband George Putnam (Richard Gere.). Swank and Gere usually play interesting roles so to see them so bland here is a bit of a surprise.

Kudos to Stuart Dryburgh, director of photography, for a very pretty picture. He's done some nice work in the past, such as "The Painted Veil." The airplanes and the overall look of the 1930s is wonderful in here, often capturing my attention more than the dialog.

Overall, it's a pleasant film, a romance more than an adventure. Don't let naysayers discourage you from seeing it, yet on the other hand, don't spend big bucks on it, either.