“Amelia” is a biopic featuring Hilary Swank playing the famed aviator Amelia Earhart. Director Mira Nair (“Vanity Fair” 2004) took Jack Webb’s approach: Just stick to the facts. As a result, the film has an old-fashioned Hollywood “A” production feel to it. The excellent screenplay by Ronald Bass and Anna Hamilton Phelan was adapted from two books: “East to the Dawn” (1997) by Susan Butler and “The Sound of Wings” (1989) by Mary S. Lovell.
Hilary Swank was transformed into Earhart before our very eyes. Her superb performance dominated most scenes in the picture. This may be the best role of her career. Co-stars include Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccleston, Joe Anderson, William Cuddy, Mia Wasikowska, Divine Brown, Ron Smerczak, and Cherry Jones as Eleanor Roosevelt. Virginia Madsen had a part in the film but her scenes were deleted; they can be viewed on the DVD.
Honorable mention goes to the beautiful cinematography (Stuart Dryburgh), an appealing musical score (Gabriel Yared), and skillful editing (Allyson C. Johnson and Lee Percy). The watchable “Amelia” had fantastic production values, but unfortunately was a flop at the box office for executive producer Hilary Swank, Mirabai Films, 2S Films, and Fox Searchlight Pictures.
Amelia (2009)
cinema
My Review
“Amelia” is a biopic featuring Hilary Swank playing the famed aviator Amelia Earhart. Director Mira Nair (“Vanity Fair” 2004) took Jack Webb’s approach: Just stick to the facts. As a result, the film has an old-fashioned Hollywood “A” production feel to it. The excellent screenplay by Ronald Bass and Anna Hamilton Phelan was adapted from two books: “East to the Dawn” (1997) by Susan Butler and “The Sound of Wings” (1989) by Mary S. Lovell.
Hilary Swank was transformed into Earhart before our very eyes. Her superb performance dominated most scenes in the picture. This may be the best role of her career. Co-stars include Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccleston, Joe Anderson, William Cuddy, Mia Wasikowska, Divine Brown, Ron Smerczak, and Cherry Jones as Eleanor Roosevelt. Virginia Madsen had a part in the film but her scenes were deleted; they can be viewed on the DVD.
Honorable mention goes to the beautiful cinematography (Stuart Dryburgh), an appealing musical score (Gabriel Yared), and skillful editing (Allyson C. Johnson and Lee Percy). The watchable “Amelia” had fantastic production values, but unfortunately was a flop at the box office for executive producer Hilary Swank, Mirabai Films, 2S Films, and Fox Searchlight Pictures.