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 | flying | 

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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] Official site [France]

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, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$14,241,034, 10 January 2010

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

One of the plane used by the producers for the movie was abducted by the authorities of an African country, where the plane landed to get some fuel. The producers had to pay a ransom through the embassy to finally get the plane, a Lockheed.

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Goofs

The Itasca crew calls the ship "the USS Itasca." USS only refers to Navy vessels. As a Coast Guard Cutter, it would be the CGC (Coast Guard Cutter) or USCGC Itasca.

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Quotes

Fred Noonan: Might be easier to shoot me.
Amelia Earhart: Just lightening the load.
Fred Noonan: You got room for 180 pounds of asshole?

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Connections

Featured in The Jay Leno Show: Episode #1.29 (2009)

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Soundtracks

Tulsa Oklahoma
Written by Ed Palermo & John Palermo
Performed by Eugene Ruffolo
Courtesy of Marc Ferrari/MasterSource

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.