Based on Susan Butler's 1997 "East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart,", Mary S. Lovell's 1989 "The Sound of Wings", and Elgin Long's "Amelia Earhart: The Mystery Solved," this film offers the story of Amelia Earhart with those parts of her life that have touched the psyche of so many since that day she and Fred Noonan disappeared, 72 years ago, over the tiny atoll of Howland Island. Not only does this film beautifully create striking visuals of the Great Depression Era, but Hillary Swank is an amazing choice for the Amelia Earhart role... the black and white newsreel footage of the real Amelia Earhart is very telling.
This delightful epic period film focuses on Amelia Earhart, from her first taste of fame in 1928 to her 1937 disappearance. We watch the charismatic dilettante whose true fidelity is basically her love of flying, leaving her romantic life as secondary the men in her life seen as her stepping stones to realizing her big dreams. Even her sinusitis does seem to deter her from soaring high in the pursuit of her challenging goals. Hilary Swank's Amelia is a woman who chafes against gender barriers to inspire young women to follow her footsteps. This is the woman, who as a young girl, has let her sight of an airplane to grip her interest. An inexperienced pilot of her earlier years with her many unexpected and false landings, the fearless and determined Amelia, in 1932, insists on taking her first solo flight in the fire-engine-red Lockheed Vega (currently housed at Washington DC's Smithsonian Air and Space Museum) to succeed and become the first woman to fly across the Atlantic. Hilary Swank's Amelia mesmerizes. And this film brings an era in which flying is not without perils. And yet, nothing deters the determined the gutsy and spunky Amelia as she overcomes one obstacle after another. And yet, behind her feisty determination, the gentler feminine side of Amelia does not escape the viewers. Director Mira Nair's film celebrates Amelia Earhart as a heroic aviatrix as well as a woman with human sensibilities and sensitivities. The scenes of her interactions with young Gore Vidal are pretty telling. And love for Amelia and according to this film, is being defined in various interesting aspects.
Scenes, involving the Ninety-Nine organization that includes its original female pilots, her marketing of her Modemaire Earhart luggage, and her involvement in promoting commercial air travel, speak of Amelia's creative, organizational, and enterprising spirit and talents. And as we watch Amelia moving among the elite, her fashion sense is obviously different from the norm. It is not surprising that the real Amelia Earhart was known to influence a line of extraordinarily unique sportswear to the era.
Indeed Director Mira Nair's film focuses on the human foibles of the legendary Amelia Earhart, instead of merely letting the viewers see the same icon as created by George Putnam and his publishing machine! Interestingly, each supporting character renders a unique purpose in this film to offer the audience a better sense of the personality of Swank's Amelia as she pursues her dream and fame. It's truly cool to watch Richard Gere's charismatic George Putman, Ewan McGregor's charming and thoughtful Gene Vidal and Christopher Eccleston's macho Fred Noonan get to learn and accept Amelia's free spirited personality. Indeed, Gabriel Yared's orchestral score splendidly captures the varied moods of the spunky and fearless Amelia throughout the film.
A gorgeously crafted film that is both captivating, as well offering a study of Amelia Earhart, both as a celebrated and fearless aviatrix, a gutsy feminist in her era, yet never failing to reveal the humanely sensitive nature of Amelia as a woman! Indeed, Director Nair has revealed Amelia, not only a courageous and determined restless woman with phenomenal spirit, but underneath her close-cropped, blond hair hidden under her aviator helmet, her goggles, her leather flight jacket and sported flight pants, Amelia was also a human being with feminine sensibilities.
The final few scenes, in this film, are both touching and unnerving. It's finale succeeds in bungling my mind with lots of unanswerable questions in the same way the mysterious disappearance of the real Amelia Earhart have continued, for the past seven decades, to trigger in so many minds!
This delightful epic period film focuses on Amelia Earhart, from her first taste of fame in 1928 to her 1937 disappearance. We watch the charismatic dilettante whose true fidelity is basically her love of flying, leaving her romantic life as secondary the men in her life seen as her stepping stones to realizing her big dreams. Even her sinusitis does seem to deter her from soaring high in the pursuit of her challenging goals. Hilary Swank's Amelia is a woman who chafes against gender barriers to inspire young women to follow her footsteps. This is the woman, who as a young girl, has let her sight of an airplane to grip her interest. An inexperienced pilot of her earlier years with her many unexpected and false landings, the fearless and determined Amelia, in 1932, insists on taking her first solo flight in the fire-engine-red Lockheed Vega (currently housed at Washington DC's Smithsonian Air and Space Museum) to succeed and become the first woman to fly across the Atlantic. Hilary Swank's Amelia mesmerizes. And this film brings an era in which flying is not without perils. And yet, nothing deters the determined the gutsy and spunky Amelia as she overcomes one obstacle after another. And yet, behind her feisty determination, the gentler feminine side of Amelia does not escape the viewers. Director Mira Nair's film celebrates Amelia Earhart as a heroic aviatrix as well as a woman with human sensibilities and sensitivities. The scenes of her interactions with young Gore Vidal are pretty telling. And love for Amelia and according to this film, is being defined in various interesting aspects.
Scenes, involving the Ninety-Nine organization that includes its original female pilots, her marketing of her Modemaire Earhart luggage, and her involvement in promoting commercial air travel, speak of Amelia's creative, organizational, and enterprising spirit and talents. And as we watch Amelia moving among the elite, her fashion sense is obviously different from the norm. It is not surprising that the real Amelia Earhart was known to influence a line of extraordinarily unique sportswear to the era.
Indeed Director Mira Nair's film focuses on the human foibles of the legendary Amelia Earhart, instead of merely letting the viewers see the same icon as created by George Putnam and his publishing machine! Interestingly, each supporting character renders a unique purpose in this film to offer the audience a better sense of the personality of Swank's Amelia as she pursues her dream and fame. It's truly cool to watch Richard Gere's charismatic George Putman, Ewan McGregor's charming and thoughtful Gene Vidal and Christopher Eccleston's macho Fred Noonan get to learn and accept Amelia's free spirited personality. Indeed, Gabriel Yared's orchestral score splendidly captures the varied moods of the spunky and fearless Amelia throughout the film.
A gorgeously crafted film that is both captivating, as well offering a study of Amelia Earhart, both as a celebrated and fearless aviatrix, a gutsy feminist in her era, yet never failing to reveal the humanely sensitive nature of Amelia as a woman! Indeed, Director Nair has revealed Amelia, not only a courageous and determined restless woman with phenomenal spirit, but underneath her close-cropped, blond hair hidden under her aviator helmet, her goggles, her leather flight jacket and sported flight pants, Amelia was also a human being with feminine sensibilities.
The final few scenes, in this film, are both touching and unnerving. It's finale succeeds in bungling my mind with lots of unanswerable questions in the same way the mysterious disappearance of the real Amelia Earhart have continued, for the past seven decades, to trigger in so many minds!