Amelia portrays the life of one Ms Earhart (Hilary Swank), first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many other records, was the first woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross, and established an organisation for female pilots, ‘The Ninety-Nines.’ She was a member of the National Woman’s Party during her lifetime, and a well-known supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment. The film follows her rise from plucky Kansas-city girl to soaring celebrity, living the high life, before speculating on the circumstances surrounding her disappearance during an attempt to circumnavigate the globe during 1937. Pretty exciting stuff, huh?
Well, congratulations, cast and crew of Amelia. You have created a truly boring film, which makes the life of one of the most iconic female figures in history seem similarly dull.
Oh, that’s not fair. It’s not the fault of every individual involved in the film. The cinematographers did a nice job, with sweeping aerial shots that never made me feel nauseas. The period costuming is elegant. Hilary Swank is convincing in her role, and the supporting actors, such as Christopher Eccleston, do a fine job.
It is the script that is mostly to blame for this effort, which never reaches the soaring heights it could. The dialogue is stiff and repetitive, and seems to labour the point a bit much. “Amelia freedom Earhart freedom really freedom liked freedom her freedom. Freedom.” I don’t know, could you repeat that? I think I missed the message you were trying to bludgeon me over the head with.
The real fault is that the film actually concentrates on Earhart’s relationships with two of the men in her life – and so remains earthbound, weighed down by airsickness-inducing melodrama. The men are George Putnam (Richard Gere), her publicist and husband; and Gene Vidal, her lover (Ewan McGregor). It seems somewhat strange to write a movie about an incredibly independent, resourceful and charismatic woman – and then concentrate on her relationships with men, above all of her other achievements. More disappointingly, we feel at the end of the film that Amelia has been tamed. She has seen the error of her ways (and past affairs), and promises her husband George that the circumnavigation attempt will be her last dangerous flying expedition. She’s going to give it all up, and settle down. Go girl power.
Amelia is characterised by a repetitive script and lack of suspense. In the end, this film doesn’t crash and burn: it just never really takes off at all.
Amelia is screening national in Australia now
Director: Mira Nair
Cast: Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccleston
Love your review Melissa, you are spot-on with your criticism of the film’s script. Although the commercialisation of Amelia Earhart-the brand was an interesting aspect- as a whole, the film was really underwhelming.
Usually love Nair’s work, but her focus on the love triangle was frustrating, considering the material she had to work with.
Love this review, it’s brilliant. I haven’t seen the film, but your point about focussing on her relationships over her huge progress as a woman of her time, is an interesting – and infuriating – one.
Great review Melissa. I liked the film more than you (and B), but can appreciate your points (and love your puns!).
As for the choice to focus on the love triangle, I’ll agree that it’s frustrating – I felt the same way with Coco Avant Chanel – but to some extent it locates Amelia as a product of her time. In the beginning she was literally governed by men – that first trans-Atlantic flight being a complete stunt – then she became a commodity to be capitalised further by men. The way McGregor’s character needs her to help him establish a domestic flight industry is telling, as is Gere’s initial and indeed ongoing commodification of Amelia.
These elements I felt add depth to what may otherwise have been a run of the mill love triangle. But still, the clunky script did nothing to elevate this amazing story to the heights it deserved.