Amelia (2009)

This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

This movie depicts the facts of Amelia Earhart's fantastic life, her flights were nothing short of miraculous, for the times and the equipment available at the time. Not much is known about her private life, even though she had written books, those were about her flying experiences, where she had been and how it felt to fly. I disagree with one review that says that her private life was too matter of fact in the telling throughout the film, rather than making them events in and of themselves. It appears to me that Amelia wasn't forthcoming about her private life at the time, as a result, not much was known about her love life, relationships etc. certainly not enough to put into the film, if they had made it up it would have changed the designation to 'based on facts' not the bio pic it is. Putnam, the writer would or perhaps did write about his love for her, but his relationship with Amelia started out in a businesslike way and ended the same way, despite the reliance they had on each other. What stood out in this film was Amelia's first and only love -flying a plane to somewhere she had never been. The fact that Amelia was the first women to accomplish those personal goals was interesting and novel for that time period. The movie was successful in setting out Amelia's sense of adventure, courage, human spirit to excel and Amelia breaking boundaries by a woman, and in flight.

I was a little surprised at all of the negative commentary here. I found the movie's acting appropriate. It told a story without being judgmental. Really, who needs to know the reasons behind why Ms. Earheart had two guys on the edge all of the time. The reasons seemed quite clear to me. She was a free spirit and on the move all of the time. She did what men did in an era when women weren't supposed to do what men did, flying or otherwise.She challenged the limitations for women in the 1930's. Who needs excuses for that. And, she took a risk that would have won her big if she and her navigator had found that impossible island, and other factors had not played against her landing on it, instead of her disappearing into the ocean.Yes, I was surprised to learn that she had a navigator on board because I had always thought she 'died alone'.The story is told well. The filming, in my humble opinion, was cinematic and appropriately framed. I was disappointed to see that the film did not, apparently, win any awards.It is also a love story of great interest in the end.I applaud this movie BECAUSE it did endeavour to be FACTUAL instead of being on the edge of someone's perverted sense of fantasy or sexual voyeurism. I will be buying the DVD for 'my collection' on the merit of the story and documentation that comes along with movie...An interesting story presented in a manner that maintained my interest throughout... the stars in this movie all performed the characters well, mimicking what is seen in the real life clips that accompany the DVD. To me, that bears more merit than seeking to entice the audience through titillating explanation of Amelia's sexuality. There is enough of that stuff available in other movies. For once, a movie that concentrated on THE STORY and not the story the sexually starved of our nation would have liked to have seen???

I recently bought a DVD of "Amelia," having read "The Sound of Wings," one of the two books about her life upon which the screenplay was based -- the other being "East to the Dawn." To summarize, it is the story of Amelia Earhardt, one of America's first women pilots and of her personal life and close relationship with G.P. Putnam, her husband, as she attempts to be the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, and the first woman to fly around the world. I must say, I was not disappointed with the film, in spite of the fact that I had heard a lot of comments about its being slow and boring. I found it to be a surprisingly accurate, though necessarily condensed, account of her career in aviation, including most of her record setting accomplishments, and thanks to Hilary Swank's and Richard Gere's true-to-life portrayals of Miss Earhardt and G.P. Putnam, a vibrant and very exciting movie. And this, in spite of the fact that it contained no explosions, no explicit sexual encounters, and only one bad word!Oh, I suppose that some might find it dull if they were not interested in Amelia Earhardt or aviation, or dreams. But personally, I found it to be inspiring.

Amelia is a biographical film of the life of Amelia Earhart,who made history in 1932 by becoming the first woman ever to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Hilary Swank stars as Earhart, together with Richard Gere, Christopher Eccleston and Ewan McGregor. It was written by Ronald Bass and Anna Hamilton Phelan, using research from sources such as East to the Dawn by Susan Butler and The Sound of Wings by Mary S. Lovell, and directed by by Mira Nair.On July 2, 1937, Amelia Earhart and her navigator,Fred Noonan, 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, she is recruited by publishing tycoon and eventual husband George Putnam to become the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean, albeit as a passenger. Taking command of the flight results in a 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, gradually falling in love with his charge, 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. The trip made the aviatrix a national celebrity.Her marriage was tested, however, as Earhart developed feelings for contemporary Gene Vidal, and the couple's marriage faced the ultimate tragedy years later, as Earhart's fierce independent spirit spurred her to attempt to fly around the world -- a venture that infamously shrouded her in mystery, as the pilot simply vanished after crashing into the Pacific Ocean. 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.It also made the movie less interesting as it becomes predictable which made it less interesting.Too bad that the movie did not capitalize on exploring Earhart as a person especially when it had the talented Hillary Swank portraying the role. The narrative was also slow and it lacks energy and vitality which made it boring to the viewer and the characters less interesting and uninvolved. Too bad that this film was a missed opportunity for two reasons: becoming a great film and exploring the adversities that women had to face especially when taking on adventures and actions that were deemed exclusive for men during Earhart's lifetime.Added to that,there was completely lack of focus in the story-telling and direction of the film.