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Amelia (film)
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Wikipedia article
'Amelia' is a 2009 biographical film about the life of Amelia Earhart. Most of the story is told in flashbacks before ending with Earhart's mysterious disappearance. The film was directed by Mira Nair and stars Hilary Swank as the title character and Richard Gere as her husband, George Putnam. The cast list also includes Christopher EcclestonFleming, Michael. [https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117987374.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1 "Christopher Eccleston joins 'Amelia'."] 'Variety', June 12, 2008. Retrieved: October 8, 2008. and Ewan McGregor.Siegel, Tatiana. [https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117986462.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 "Ewan McGregor flies with 'Amelia'".] 'Variety', May 26, 2008. Retrieved: October 8, 2008. The film was written by Ronald Bass and Anna Hamilton Phelan, using research from sources including 'East to the Dawn' by Susan Butler and 'The Sound of Wings' by Mary S. Lovell.Fleming, Michael. [https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117980470.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 "Hilary Swank to play Amelia Earhart".] 'Variety', February 7, 2008. Retrieved: October 8, 2008. The film has received predominantly negative reviews.
Plot
On July 2, 1937, Amelia Earhart (Hilary Swank) and her navigator, Fred Noonan (Christopher Eccleston), are on the last leg of an around-the-world flight. Moving in vignettes from her early years when Earhart was captivated by the sight of an aircraft flying overhead on the Kansas prairie where she grew up, her life over the preceding decade gradually unfolds.
As a young woman, Earhart is recruited by publishing tycoon and eventual husband, George Putnam (Richard Gere) to become the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean, albeit as a passenger. Taking command of the flight results in success and she is thrust into the limelight as the most famous woman pilot of her time. Putnam helps Earhart write a book chronicling the flight, much like his earlier triumph with Charles Lindbergh's 'We'. She gradually falls in love with him and they eventually marry, although she enacts a "cruel" pledge as her wedding contract.
Embarrassed that her fame was not earned, Earhart commences to set myriad aviation records, and in 1932, recreates her earlier transatlantic flight, becoming the first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic. Throughout a decade of notoriety, Earhart falls into an awkward love affair with pilot and future Federal Aviation administrator Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor). In a display of romantic jealousy, Putnam quietly tells Amelia that he does not want Vidal in his house. Annoyed by the seemingly endless agenda of celebrity appearances and endorsements, Putnam reminds her it funds her flying.
Earhart returns to her husband on the eve of her last momentous flight, her biggest and most dangerous adventure to date, to fly around the world. Earhart's first attempt ends in a runway crash in Hawaii, due to a collapsed landing gear, and her aircraft requires extensive repairs before the flight can be attempted again. Eventually, she takes the repaired Lockheed Model 10 Electra, sponsored by Purdue University, in a reverse direction, leaving the lengthy trans-Pacific crossing for the end.
Setting out to refuel at tiny Howland Island, radio transmissions between USCGC ',' a Coast Guard picket ship, and Earhart's aircraft reveal a rising crisis; the Coast Guard radio operators realize they do not have sufficient length to provide a "fix". 'Itasca' has a directional finder with a dead battery, and weak radio communications prevent Earhart and USCGC 'Itasca' from making contact. Running low on fuel, Earhart and Noonan fly on. They disappear. A massive search effort is unsuccessful, but solidifies Earhart as an aviation icon.
Cast
* Hilary Swank as Amelia Earhart
* Richard Gere as George P. Putnam
* Ewan McGregor as Gene Vidal
* Christopher Eccleston as Fred Noonan
* Joe Anderson as Bill Stutz
* William Cuddy as Gore Vidal
* Mia Wasikowska as Elinor Smith
* Cherry Jones as Eleanor Roosevelt
* Divine Brown as the "Torch singer".[http://www.divinebrown.ca "Divine Brown."] 'divinebrown.ca.' Retrieved: October 27, 2010.
* Ron Smerczak as Interviewer
* Virginia Madsen was cast as Dorothy Binney, Putnam's first wife, but her scenes were cut.
Production
Hilary Swank took on the role of Executive Producer, working closely with Nair.Zohn 2009, p. 118. Filming took place in New York City, Toronto, Parkwood Estate in Oshawa, Nova Scotia, Dunnville, Ontario and Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario as well as various locations in South Africa. Over the weekend of June 22, 2008, Swank was in Wolfville, Nova Scotia for filming at Acadia University. At the time, although Swank was a pilot-in-training, her appearance in the aerial sequences was limited, with three other women pilots contracted for the flying scenes.[http://ameliaearhart.com/news/2009/10/lucknow-native-involved-in-production-of-amelia-film/ "Lucknow Native involved in production of 'Amelia' film."] 'Lucknow Sentinel' via 'ameliaearhart.com', October 21, 2009. Retrieved: October 25, 2009. Nair was concerned about insurance and liability issues, and opted for professional pilots, Jimmy Leeward and Bryan Regan to do the bulk of the flying in the film.Rozemeyer, Karl. [http://www.cinemaspy.com/article.php?id=3423 "Interview: Hilary Swank Discusses Playing Amelia Earhart."] 'cinemaspy.com', October 22, 2009. Retrieved: October 25, 2009. Contemporary newsreel footage of Earhart was interspersed throughout the film while a combination of static, real aircraft and CGI effects was utilized for the flying sequences.Braser, Bryant. [http://www.studiodaily.com/filmandvideo/projects/11436.html "Amelia Flies With Subtle VFX: Nothing Flashy as Mr. X Recreates Period Planes and Settings for Earhart."] 'studiodaily.com', October 22, 2009. Retrieved: October 25, 2009. Numerous period aircraft, automobiles and equipment were obtained to provide authenticity, including the use of two replica aircraft, a Lockheed Vega and Fokker F.VIIb/3m Tri-motor 'Friendship' (with limited ability to run up engines and taxi).O'Leary 2009, pp. 1213.
The Lockheed 12A Electra Junior "Hazy Lily" (F-AZLL) used alongside another Electra Junior, filled in for the much rarer Lockheed Electra 10E that Earhart used.[http://www.aeroplanemonthly.co.uk/news/Star_of_the_silver_screen_visits_Duxford_news_285219.html "Star of the silver screen visits Duxford."] 'aeroplanemonthly.co.uk', June 29, 2009. Retrieved: October 24, 2009. Despite the efforts to faithfully replicate the period, numerous historical inaccuracies were evident, as chronicled in some reviews.Gillespie, Ric. [http://tighar.org/news/ " 'Amelia' a film by Mira Nair starring Hilary Swank as Amelia Earhart and Richard Gere as George Palmer Putnam."] 'tighar.org', October 23, 2009. Retrieved: October 24, 2009.
At the completion of filming, the two replica aircraft featured in the Earhart transatlantic flights were donated to museums. The Lockheed Vega is now in the collection of the San Diego Air & Space Museum[http://www.aerospacemuseum.org/collections/collection_item.php?id=30 "Lockheed Vega 5B ."] 'aerospacemuseum.org.' Retrieved: November 14, 2010. while the Fokker F. VIIB/3M tri-motor is now housed at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario where it was unveiled in 2009 with a local Amelia Earhart reenactor Kathie Brosemer recounting the story of Earhart's flight in 1928.Stares, Bob. [http://www.soonews.ca/viewarticle.php?id=22948 "Amelia flies again."] 'SooNews.ca,' October 29, 2009. Retrieved: November 14, 2010.
Writing
Oscar-winning screenwriter Ronald Bass wrote seven drafts of the script for aviation buff and Gateway founder Ted Waitt, who has funded expeditions to search for Earhart's aircraft, and was prepared to finance the film himself.Thompson, Anne. [http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/10/23/amelia_when_biopics_go_bad/ "'Amelia': When biopics go bad."] 'Thompson on Hollywood', October 23, 2009. Retrieved: December 13, 2011. Bass used research from books on Earhart, such as biographies by Susan Butler, 'East to the Dawn' and Mary S. Lovell's 'The Sound of the Wings' as well as Elgen and Mary Long's 'Amelia Earhart: The Mystery Solved'. Although the film was not intended to be a documentary, Bass incorporated many of Earhart's actual words into key scenes.O'Leary 2009, p. 12. Oscar-nominated screenwriter Anna Hamilton Phelan did a rewrite, taking a different approach from the original screenplay.Reception
Critical response
'Amelia' received largely negative reviews from film critics, holding a 20% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 164 reviews, along with an average score of 4.42/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "'Amelia' takes the compelling raw materials of its subject's life and does little with them, conventionally ticking off Earhart's accomplishments without exploring the soul of the woman."[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/amelia_2009/ " 'Amelia' Reviews, Pictures."] 'Rotten Tomatoes, IGN Entertainment'. Another review aggregator, Metacritic, which assigns rating of 100 reviews from mainstream critics, gave the film a score of 37 based on 34 reviews.[https://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/amelia " 'Amelia' (2009): Reviews."] 'Metacritic'. Retrieved: October 15, 2010.Echoing the majority view, Martin Morrow's review on the 'Canadian Broadcasting Corporation' website was very critical of the film, labeling it "a dud," declaring: "Hilary Swank may look the spitting image of Earhart in those vintage newsreels, but her performance is more insipid than inspiring. Mira Nair directs as if she were piloting an overloaded plane on an endless runway the film lumbers along interminably, never achieving takeoff ... As the film limps to a close, 'Amelia' has accomplished a feat we didn't think possible: it has made us indifferent to this real-life heroine's tragic fate."Morrow, Martin. [http://www.cbc.ca/arts/film/story/2009/10/22/f-amelia-review.html "Review: 'Amelia' Hilary Swank's evocation of legendary pilot Amelia Earhart just doesn't fly."] 'cbc.ca', October 22, 2009. Retrieved: October 24, 2009. Most critics decried the inconsistencies and lack of focus in the film; Manohla Dargis of 'The New York Times' wrote, "The actors don't make a persuasive fit, despite all their long stares and infernal smiling. ...the movie is a more effective testament to the triumphs of American dentistry than to Earhart or aviation."Dargis, Manohla. [https://movies.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/movies/23amelia.html "An Adventurer Takes Flight, Blinding Smile and All."] 'The New York Times', October 23, 2009. Retrieved: October 24, 2009. Ric Gillespie, author of 'Finding Amelia', wrote that "Swank, under Nair's direction, accomplishes the amazing feat of making one of the most complex, passionate, ferociously ambitious, and successful women of the 20th century seem shallow, weepy, and rather dull."
A small number of positive reviews included Ray Bennett of 'The Hollywood Reporter' who characterized the film as an "instant bio classic," stressing the production values in which "director Nair and star Swank make her quest not only understandable but truly impressive."Bennett, Ray. [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film-reviews/amelia-film-review-1004023274.story?imw=Y " 'Amelia': Film Review."] 'The Hollywood Reporter', October 18, 2009. Retrieved: October 24, 2009. Matthew Sorrento of 'Film Threat', gave the film 4 stars, and wrote: "Director Mira Nair trusts her old school filmmaking style enough to inspire a fresh take on a legend."Sorrento, Matthew. [https://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=reviews&Id=11955 " 'Amelia' Current Movie Reviews, Independent Movies."] 'Film Threat', October 23, 2009. Retrieved: October 25, 2009. Roger Ebert of the 'Chicago Sun-Times', gave the film a positive review and gave it 3 stars out of 4, and called it "a perfectly sound biopic, well directed and acted".Ebert, Roger. [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091021/REVIEWS/910219989 "'Amelia' (PG)."] 'Chicago Sun-Times', October 21, 2009. Retrieved: October 25, 2009. In pre-release publicity, Hilary Swank had been touted as a candidate for a third Oscar,Graham, Mark. [https://www.vulture.com/2009/06/amelia_trailer_mix.html# "Will Amelia make Hilary Swank the most decorated actress of her generation?"] 'Vulture TV', June 29, 2009. Retrieved: December 6, 2015.[http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2009/08/hilary-swank-amelia-movie-news-3691502847-oscars-story.html "The inside track on Oscars, Grammys and all the award shows."] 'Los Angeles Times', August 13, 2009. Retrieved: December 6, 2015. but later that prospect was viewed as distant.Coles 2009, p. 172. Carrie Rickey of 'The Philadelphia Inquirer', however, awarded the film 3 stars, praising Swank's performance in her review stating that "like Maggie in 'Million Dollar Baby', [Swank] is unwavering in her gaze, ambition, and drive," and "in Nair's evocatively art-directed (and sensationally costumed) film, Earhart comes alive."Rickey, Carrie. [http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/carrie_rickey/20091023_Swank_soars_as_flier_Amelia_Earhart.html "Swank soars as flier Amelia Earhart."] 'Philadelphia Inquirer', October 22, 2009. Retrieved: October 25, 2009.
Home media release
On February 2, 2010, Fox Home Entertainment released 'Amelia' in DVD and Blu-ray versions. Extras on the DVD include deleted scenes and "The Power of Amelia Earhart", "Making Amelia" and "Movietone News" featurettes. The Blu-ray release also has two additional featurettes: "The Plane Behind the Legend" and "Re-constructing the Planes of Amelia" along with a digital copy of the film.Woodward, Tom. [http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/amelia.html "Fox Home Entertainment announces DVD and Blu-ray releases of the movie."] 'dvdactive.com', December 15, 2009. Retrieved: March 2, 2010.
References
Citations
Bibliography
* Butler, Susan. 'East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart'. Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley, 1997. .
* Coles, Joanna. " Hilary Swank is Ready for Takeoff." 'Marie Claire', November 2009.
* Goldstein, Donald M. and Katherine V. Dillon. 'Amelia: The Centennial Biography of an Aviation Pioneer'. Washington, D.C.: Brassey's, 1997. .
* Long, Elgen M. and Marie K. 'Amelia Earhart: The Mystery Solved'. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999. .
* Lovell, Mary S. 'The Sound of Wings'. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989. .
* O'Leary, Michael, ed. "Amelia on the Silver Screen." 'Air Classics', Volume 45, No. 11, November 2009.
* Rich, Doris L. 'Amelia Earhart: A Biography'. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1989. .
* Zohn, Patricia. "Oh So Swank." 'Town and Country', October 2009.
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