Howard Hughes, from reckless to recluse

Rating: 8/10 (5 January 2005)

When I heard that Leonardo Di Caprio had been chosen to play Howard Hughes, I couldn't see him in the role. But now, having seen "The Aviator", I understand why the baby-faced, perennially young actor got the nod. "The Aviator" illustrates the time-worn maxim that the child is father to the man, and Leonardo's looks help to convey this. One particular shot shows just how vulnerable and in need of protection a grown man can be. Apart from his facial features, Di Caprio's acting communicates Hughes' childlike sense of wonder and excitement, and his equally childlike dependency on the maternal figures in his life.
Cate Blanchett plays one of these pivotal women, the late great Kate Hepburn. Once again, I was skeptical that Blanchett could capture Ms. Hepburn's speech, looks, and mannerisms. I am delighted to report that, by and large, she succeeds marvelously, and without being a caricature of the immortal actress. Most of the time, with few lapses, Blanchett echoes the lilt of Kate's speech and the tilt of her chin. The mouth and chin are Kate's all right, the nose somewhat less so, the eyes not at all. (Note to makeup department: Blanchett's hair is all wrong. When it is short, it does not mirror the butch haircut Hepburn sported in "Sylvia Scarlett". When it is worn longer, it seems rather too long.) Di Caprio and Blanchett are the luminaries among the cast, but the rest of the firmament is star-studded as well. Kate Beckinsale portrays Ava Gardner as a brisk and capable woman, able to bring Hughes back from the brink of his spiral downward into madness. (I must admit, however, that until I saw her name in the credits, I was positive the actress was Eva Longoria from "Desperate Housewives"). Alan Alda is equally commendable as a senator from Maine, although I have trouble believing Hughes could have cowed a Senate hearing as Di Caprio does.
But there is another bright star in this film: the script. There is no denying that the cast performs with energy and verve, but it is clear that the script of "The Aviator" gives them wings. The script makes it clear, for instance, that Hughes was a math whiz as well as a technical genius. The opening sequence speaks volumes about the relationship Hughes had with his mother, which colors and sets the tone for the rest of the story. And the scene where Hughes meets Hepburn's family -- a formidable collection of intellectual snobs and parlor pinks -- provides a telling counterpoint to Hughes' success as a self-taught, self-made man.
Howard Hughes may have ended his life as a wing nut with a screw loose, but "The Aviator" is as sleek and streamlined as his Constellation aircraft, soaring high into the stratosphere, with nary a crash and burn.