The Aviator (2004) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error A biopic depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes ' career from the late 1920s to the mid-1940s. Director: From $7.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 25 titles created 17 Mar 2011 a list of 47 titles created 20 Feb 2012 a list of 28 titles created 16 May 2012 a list of 38 titles created 09 Sep 2013 a list of 41 titles created 15 Jun 2014 Search for " The Aviator " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Won 5 Oscars.

Another 74 wins & 119 nominations. See more awards » Videos In 1863, Amsterdam Vallon returns to the Five Points area of New York City seeking revenge against Bill the Butcher, his father's killer. Director: Martin Scorsese A fisherman, a smuggler, and a syndicate of businessmen match wits over the possession of a priceless diamond. Director: Edward Zwick A writer and wall street trader, Nick, finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his millionaire neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Director: Baz Luhrmann Twenty-something Richard travels to Thailand and finds himself in possession of a strange map. Rumours state that it leads to a solitary beach paradise, a tropical bliss - excited and intrigued, he sets out to find it. Director: Danny Boyle A CIA agent on the ground in Jordan hunts down a powerful terrorist leader while being caught between the unclear intentions of his American supervisors and Jordan Intelligence. Director: Ridley Scott The cruel King Louis XIV of France has a secret twin brother who he keeps imprisoned. Can the twin be substituted for the real king?

Director: Randall Wallace A young couple living in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s struggle to come to terms with their personal problems while trying to raise their two children. Director: Sam Mendes Shakespeare's famous play is updated to the hip modern suburb of Verona still retaining its original dialogue. Director: Baz Luhrmann J. Edgar Hoover, powerful head of the F.B.I. for nearly 50 years, looks back on his professional and personal life. Director: Clint Eastwood 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.7/10 X The story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles , from his humble beginnings in the South, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s. Director: Taylor Hackford The true story of Frank Abagnale Jr. who, before his 19th birthday, successfully conned millions of dollars' worth of checks as a Pan Am pilot, doctor, and legal prosecutor.

Director: Steven Spielberg Two documentary filmmakers chronicle their time in Sonagchi, Calcutta and the relationships they developed with children of prostitutes who work the city's notorious red light district. Directors: Zana Briski, Ross Kauffman Stars: Kochi, Avijit Halder, Shanti Das Edit Storyline Biopic of billionaire Howard Hughes , starting with his early filmmaking years as owner of RKO studios but mostly focusing on his role in designing and promoting new aircraft. Hughes was a risk-taker spending several fortunes on designing experimental aircraft and eventually founding TWA as a rival to Pan AM airlines owned by his great rival Juan Trippe. When Trippe's politico Senator Ralph Owen Brewster accuses Hughes of being a war profiteer, it's Hughes who gains the upper hand. Hughes also had many women in his life including a long relationship with actress Katharine Hepburn . From an early age however, Hughes was also germophobic and would have severe bouts of mental illness. Written by garykmcd Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner the passion he couldn't resist.

See more » Genres: Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, sexual content, nudity, language and a crash sequence | See all certifications » Parents Guide: 25 December 2004 (USA) See more » Also Known As: $858,021 (USA) (17 December 2004) Gross: Company Credits Production Co: Did You Know? Trivia In his speech at the Golden Globes, Leonardo DiCaprio revealed that Michael Mann had a hand in writing the film's screenplay. See more » Goofs During lunch with the Hepburns, as Dr. Hepburn asks Hughes if he reads, Hughes handles a fork and a napkin. When Uncle Willy reacts to Hughes's use of the word "snuff", Hughes is leaned over to his right as he looks at Uncle Willy, then, two shots later, Hughes is upright again, and holds the napkin only. See more » Quotes See more » Crazy Credits The Miramax Films logo is also shown in 2-color Technicolor at the beginning of the movie, but before the Warner Bros. Pictures logo.

See more » Connections (Los Angeles) – See all my reviews Scorsese has such an encyclopedic knowledge and understanding of cinema that every shot, however inventive and daring, is effortlessly composed. The direction, editing and cinematography are all the first-rate work by individuals who are clearly masters of their profession and the production design, costumes and makeup are the best you'll see all year. Their efforts combine to create a world of rich and lavish color, of excitement and glamour. Who wouldn't want to visit THIS Cotton Club in 1935? It's hard to imagine who could trump the technical team for Oscars this year. With such a perfectly realized world in which to perform, the actors universally do an outstanding job. Despite the criticism of the hardcore DiCaprio-haters, the unprejudiced will observe an excellent performance that takes genuine risks and convincingly conveys the passing of more than twenty years. Importantly, DiCaprio more than holds his own when paired with Cate Blanchett and especially Alan Alda, who both give equally note worthy performances. Blanchett's interpretation of Katherine Hepburn seems spot on, and anyone familiar with the late actresses mannerisms will appreciate the hard work that clearly went into the recreation.

Alda, one of the most consistently underrated actors around, delivers another masterclass in restrained character building as he oozes ambition and political dishonesty from every pore. And yet, despite the obvious talent of all those involved and Scorsese's ability to effortlessly fill three hours, something about The Aviator fails to completely satisfy. Without wanting to sound like a film student, movies should, ultimately, be ABOUT something; love, honor, courage, redemption, the BIG ideas and themes that are the fuel of the plot. What was the drive of The Aviator? A rich guy recklessly spends lots of money to indulge his personal obsessions and gets away with it. We're never told how his experiences change him, and without change there's no journey. Considering the screenplay was written by John Logan, who usually displays a keen interest in showing the emotional evolution of his characters, the oversight is inexplicable. Ultimately then, much like Gangs of New York, The Aviator is simply the sum of it's parts, and however brilliantly those parts are realized, there doesn't seem to be a bigger theme to underpin and drive them. The Aviator is a perfectly realized recreation of the era and one well worth experiencing.

But the lack of a real emotional journey suggests 'all gloss and no substance', and ultimately prevents the movie from being truly great. 637 of 888 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes View All Photos (44) Movie Info Martin Scorsese directed this fast-moving, epic-scale biopic documenting the life and loves one of the most colorful Americans of the 20th century, Howard Hughes. The Aviator follows Hughes (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) as the twentysomething millionaire, having already made a fortune improving the design of oil-drilling bits, comes to Hollywood with an interest in getting into the picture business. It doesn't take long for Hughes, with his passion for airplanes, to jump from producer to director of his first major film project, a World War I air epic called Hell's Angels, which took three years to complete thanks to the shift from silent to sound filming and Hughes' relentless perfectionism. However, the film was a massive hit, and the eccentric inventor became a mogul in Hollywood, making Jean Harlow (Gwen Stefani) a star and enjoying a romance with Katharine Hepburn (Cate Blanchett).

But Hollywood's old-boy network never fully accepted Hughes, and in time his passion for flying began to reclaim his attentions as he began designing new planes, setting air speed records, flying around the world, and risking his life testing aircraft. Hughes also found time to romance Ava Gardner (Kate Beckinsale) and founded his own airline, Trans-World Airlines, though as his ideas became bolder, his approach became more eccentric, and he gained many powerful enemies, including the head of Pan-American Airlines, Juan Trippe (Alec Baldwin), and Senator Ralph Owen Brewster (Alan Alda), who attempted to prove that Hughes' radical design ideas were actually part of an effort to bilk taxpayers for millions of dollars through government contracts. The Aviator's star-studded cast also includes John C. Reilly, Jude Law, Willem Dafoe, Ian Holm, and Frances Conroy.

~ Mark Deming, Rovi Rating: PG-13 (for thematic elements, sexual content, nudity, language and crash sequence) Genre: 1000+ images about Leonardo DiCaprio: The Aviator 2004 on Pinterest | Cate blanchett, Leonardo dicaprio and Posts Pinterest • The world’s catalog of ideas Leonardo DiCaprio: The Aviator 2004 Nominated for Best Actor Oscar Won Best Actor Golden Globe One of the 20th century’s most compelling figures, Howard Hughes was a wily industrialist, glamorous movie producer and unstoppable American innovator – but he thought of himself first and foremost as an aviator. In this spectacular epic, director Martin Scorsese focuses on the most prolific period in the life of Hughes (played by Best Actor Golden Globe winner DiCaprio): the mid-1920s through the 1940s.

23 Pins403 Followers 'The Aviator,' 2004 - Photos - Leonardo DiCaprio's top movie roles - NY Daily News Leonardo DiCaprio's top movie roles Leonardo DiCaprio's top movie roles Six nominations later, Leonardo DiCaprio finally broke his longstanding Oscar curse, taking home the Academy Award for Best Actor in 'The Revenant,' more than 22 years after his first Oscar nod. In honor of his well-deserved win, take a look a back at the actor's top 15 movie roles through the years ... BY Amanda Douville Leonardo DiCaprio's top movie roles 7 | 15 'The Aviator,' 2004 Leo was back in the running again in 2005 for his role as Howard Hughes in the hit 2004 film "The Aviator." The hit film took home 73 awards out of 111 nominations, but Leo himself only managed to bring home a Golden Globe, Hollywood Film Award, MTV Movie Award that year.

Leo ended up losing his Oscar for Best Actor to Jamie Foxx in "Ray." Miramax Films/AP Photo DVD REVIEW: "THE AVIATOR" "THE AVIATOR" (2004) (Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett) (PG-13) Length PLOT & PARENTAL REVIEW AUDIO/VIDEO ELEMENTS: For the most part, the picture looks terrific, with plenty of image detail, solid blacks and vibrant color reproduction, resulting in a rich-looking offering. The only problem we noted was some brief color over-saturation late in the film where an orangey-red light bulb created a deep color that showed some digital artifacts. Beyond that, everything looks great. The same can be said about the aural offerings. Composer Howard Shore's period score is perfect, dialogue is easy to understand and ambient sounds do their trick (complementing visuals and creating aural depth). Several airplane crash sequences and other "action" moments (the filming of "Hell's Angels," the lifting off of the "Spruce Goose," etc.) make full use of the available dynamic range and sound great (with some good bass kick). EXTRAS: Scene selection/Jump to any scene.

Running audio commentary by director Martin Scorsese, editor Thelma Schoonmaker and producer Michael Mann. Deleted Scene: Howard tells Ava about his car accident (1+ minute). A Life Without Limits: The Making of The Aviator - 11+ minute look at the film and its production. The Role of Howard Hughes in Aviation History - 14+ minute look at the aviation pioneer. Modern Marvels: Howard Hughes, A History Channel Documentary (43+ minutes). The Affliction of Howard Hughes: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (14+ minutes). OCD Panel Discussion with Leonard DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese and Howard Hughes' widow Terry Moore - 14+ minute segment on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. An Evening with Leonard DiCaprio and Alan Alda (28+ minute Q&A program). The Visual Effects of The Aviator (12+ minutes). Constructing The Aviator: The Work of Dante Ferretti (6+ minute look at the production design). Costuming The Aviator: The Work of Sandy Powell (3+ minutes). The Age of Glamour: The Hair and Makeup of The Aviator (8+ minutes).

Scoring The Aviator: The Work of Howard Shore (7+ minutes). The Wainwright Family - Loudon, Rufus and Martha (5+ minute segment about actors/singers who appear in the film). The Aviator Soundtrack spot. Amazon.com: The Aviator (2004): Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Willem Dafoe, Stanley DeSantis, Alan Alda, Kelli Garner, Edward Herrmann, Ian Holm, Danny Huston, Jude Law, Frances Conroy, Matt Ross, Adam Scott, Brent Spiner, Gwen Stefani, Kenneth Welsh, Martin Scorsese: Movies & TV Movies & TV Free Shipping for Prime Members | Fast, FREE Shipping with Amazon Prime Only 14 left in stock. Sold by SOUTHWEST MEDIA and Fulfilled by Amazon . Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and .

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To learn more about Amazon Sponsored Products, click here . Ad feedback Special Offers and Product Promotions Product Description Amazon.com From Hollywood's legendary Cocoanut Grove to the pioneering conquest of the wild blue yonder, Martin Scorsese's The Aviator celebrates old-school filmmaking at its finest. We say "old school" only because Scorsese's love of golden-age Hollywood is evident in his approach to his subject--Howard Hughes in his prime (played by Leonardo DiCaprio in his)--and especially in his technical mastery of the medium reflecting his love for classical filmmaking of the studio era. Even when he's using state-of-the-art digital trickery for the film's exciting flight scenes (including one of the most spectacular crashes ever filmed), Scorsese's meticulous attention to art direction and costume design suggests an impassioned pursuit of craftsmanship from a bygone era; every frame seems to glow with gilded detail. And while DiCaprio bears little physical resemblance to Hughes during the film's 20-year span (late 1920s to late '40s), he efficiently captures the eccentric millionaire's golden-boy essence, and his tragic descent into obsessive-compulsive seclusion.

Bolstered by Cate Blanchett's uncannily accurate portrayal of Katharine Hepburn as Hughes' most beloved lover, The Aviator is easily Scorsese's most accessible film, inviting mainstream popularity without compromising Scorsese's artistic reputation. As compelling crowd-pleasers go, it's a class act from start to finish. --Jeff Shannon DVD Features In his commentary track, director Martin Scorsese offers his own impressions of Howard Hughes and rattles off his memories of experiencing Hughes's films. He mentions how he made Cate Blanchett watch every Katharine Hepburn film from the '30s on the big screen, and observes that Kate Beckinsale had "a real sense of the stature of a Hollywood goddess." But in general he doesn't talk much about the craft of making the film. That area is covered better by editor Thelma Schoonmaker, who also appears on the commentary track, and producer Michael Mann makes a few appearances (all were recorded separately). The picture is brilliant, but the 5.1 sound is not as aggressive in the rear speakers and subwoofer as one might expect, other than some nice surround effects in the Hell's Angels flying sequence. The second disc collects almost three hours of features.

There's one unnecessary deleted scene, and an 11-minute making-of featurette that's basically the cast and director heaping praise on each other. More interesting are the short featurettes on visual effects (including the XF-11 scene, of course), production design, costumes, hair and makeup, and score, and Loudon Wainwright discusses his and his children's musical performances. Historical perspective is provided by spotlights on Hughes's role in aviation and his obsessive-compulsive disorder, and a 43-minute Hughes documentary from the History Channel (part of the Modern Marvels series, it focuses on his mechanical innovations and spends less than a minute on his movies). More unusual are DiCaprio and Scorsese's appearance on an OCD panel, and a half-hour interview segment DiCaprio did with Alan Alda. --David Horiuchi The Personalities of The Aviator Click the links to explore more movies by these stars. Howard Hughes: "You're the tallest woman I have ever met." Katharine Hepburn: "And all sharp elbows and knees. Beware." Howard Hughes: "Does that look clean to you?" Ava Gardner: "Nothing's clean, Howard.

But we do our best, right?" "You get a sense of Howard Hughes being Icarus with the wax wings.

Those wings were great for a while, but he flies too close to the sun." --Martin Scorsese Other Movies by The Aviator's Oscar® Winners See all the Oscar® winners at Oscar Central The Aviator at Amazon.com The films of Martin Scorsese Special Features Audio Commentary: Commentary by Scorsese Deleted Scenes: Deleted scene: Howard Tells Ava About His Car Accident Documentaries: Modern Marvels: Howard Hughes-- a 45 minute Documentary By The History Channel Documentary: 2 Music Featurettes: Scoring The Aviator: The Work Of Howard Shore The Wainwright Family - Loudon, Rufus And Martha Featurette: A Life Without Limits: The Making of The Aviator The Role Of Howard Hughes In Aviation History An evening with Leonardo DiCaprio and Alan Alda The Affliction of Howard Hughes: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder OCD Panel Discussion With Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, And Howard Hughes' Widow Terry Moore Other: 2 Behind-the-scenes featurettes: The Age Of Glamour: The Hair And Makeup Of The The Visual Effects Of The AviatorAudio Commentary: Commentary by Scorsese Deleted Scenes: Deleted scene: Howard Tells Ava About His Car Accident Documentaries: Modern Marvels:

 Howard Hughes-- a 45 minute Documentary By The History Channel Documentary: 2 Music Featurettes: Scoring The Aviator: The Work Of Howard Shore The Wainwright Family - Loudon, Rufus And Martha Featurette: A Life Without Limits: The Making of The Aviator The Role Of Howard Hughes In Aviation History An evening with Leonardo DiCaprio and Alan Alda The Affliction of Howard Hughes: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder OCD Panel Discussion With Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, And Howard Hughes' Widow Terry Moore Other: 2 Behind-the-scenes featurettes: The Age Of Glamour: The Hair And Makeup Of The The Visual Effects Of The AviatorAudio Commentary: Commentary by Scorsese Deleted Scenes: Deleted scene: Howard Tells Ava About His Car Accident Documentaries: Modern Marvels: Howard Hughes-- a 45 minute Documentary By The History Channel Documentary: 2 Music Featurettes: Scoring The Aviator: The Work Of Howard Shore The Wainwright Family - Loudon, Rufus And Martha Featurette: A Life Without Limits: The Making of The Aviator The Role Of Howard Hughes In Aviation History An evening with Leonardo DiCaprio and Alan Alda The Affliction of

 Howard Hughes: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder OCD Panel Discussion With Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, And Howard Hughes' Widow Terry Moore Other: 2 Behind-the-scenes featurettes: The Age Of Glamour: The Hair And Makeup Of The The Visual Effects Of The AviatorAudio Commentary: Commentary by Scorsese Deleted Scenes: Deleted scene: Howard Tells Ava About His Car Accident Documentaries: Modern Marvels: Howard Hughes-- a 45 minute Documentary By The History Channel Documentary: 2 Music Featurettes: Scoring The Aviator: The Work Of Howard Shore The Wainwright Family - Loudon, Rufus And Martha Featurette: A Life Without Limits: The Making of The Aviator The Role Of Howard Hughes In Aviation History An evening with Leonardo DiCaprio and Alan Alda The Affliction of Howard Hughes: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder OCD Panel Discussion With Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, And Howard Hughes' Widow Terry Moore Other: 2 Behind-the-scenes featurettes: The Age Of Glamour: The Hair And Makeup Of The The Visual Effects Of The AviatorAudio Commentary: Commentary by Scorsese Deleted Scenes: Deleted scene: Howard Tells Ava About His Car Accident Documentaries:

 Modern Marvels: Howard Hughes-- a 45 minute Documentary By The History Channel Documentary: 2 Music Featurettes: Scoring The Aviator: The Work Of Howard Shore The Wainwright Family - Loudon, Rufus And Martha Featurette: A Life Without Limits: The Making of The Aviator The Role Of Howard Hughes In Aviation History An evening with Leonardo DiCaprio and Alan Alda The Affliction of Howard Hughes: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder OCD Panel Discussion With Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, And Howard Hughes' Widow Terry Moore Other: 2 Behind-the-scenes featurettes: The Age Of Glamour: The Hair And Makeup Of The The Visual Effects Of The AviatorAudio Commentary: Commentary by Scorsese Deleted Scenes: Deleted scene: Howard Tells Ava About His Car A Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround) Subtitles: English, Spanish, French Region: Region 1 (U.S.

and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats. ) Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 DVD Release Date: January 16, 2007 Run Time: 170 minutes Page 1 of 1 Start over Sponsored Products are advertisements for products sold by merchants on Amazon.com. When you click on a Sponsored Product ad, you will be taken to an Amazon detail page where you can learn more about the product and purchase it. To learn more about Amazon Sponsored Products, click here . 5.0 out of 5 stars I get ideas...... By Archmaker on December 20, 2004 Martin Scorsese's stylish take on Howard Hughes' early life, is a stunningly visual treat in art direction made even more compelling by Scorsese's sure handed directorial flourishes. Scorsese is, by now, a master of the medium, always finding the interesting shot, the fitting camera angle, the flowing tracking shot, the camera movement that breathes energy into his story. It is beautifully filmed and acted, most especially by Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes.

It is a long movie, and it will be interesting to see whether a modern audience, many doubtless unfamiliar with the Hughes legend, will find it as intriguing as we who remember the Hughes of Las Vegas etc. Take the clue from the title, this is a film about the young Hughes who was a genius and a creative dynamo, and an almost overlooked pioneer of aviation. This was a young man full of ambition, dreams, energy and contradictions. The film not only presages the pitiable creature Hughes will become, a slave to his obsessive compulsive illness, but it does so with sympathy and sensitivity. A first rate biopic done with flair and style. Another worthwhile look at an American life. By RMurray847 VINE VOICE on September 22, 2005 Format: DVD Reviews of THE AVIATOR seem to fall into three camps. Those who hate it because it rewrites history...I'll admit right here that I don't know enough about the "true" history of Hughes to comment on the accuracy of every detail. Others hate it because they find it boring or don't find Leonard DiCaprio credible as Howard Hughes. The third group likes the movie. That's the group I'm happily in.

It is by no means the greatest epic ever made, but for me it hearkens back to the glory days of the early Cinemascope, Technicolor Hollywood epic, but with better special effects. The sets and costumes are completely luscious. No expense has been spared. You feel glamorous just watching the darn thing. The acting, while very good all around, teeters close to going "over-the-top," which is just what this sort of film needs. It is not a subtle film. It is trying to tell the epic story of an epic American who achieved epic things and endured epic personal battles. A bit of bluster and scenery chewing is in order. For example, everyone loved Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn(heck she won the Oscar). I admired her performance too...but when you watch it, you see that it is pretty unsubtle. Was Hepburn, even in quiet moments, really so full of PERSONALITY? But the film needs this to work. Alan Alda was great...he plays slimy so well now. In my mind, he's going to totally shake off Hawkeye Pierce and emerge as a key player of political villany.

In real life, he seems like a terrific, open, intelligent and easily amused person. Scary how just a tiny tweaking of those dials makes him creepy. Good stuff!! Kate Beckinsale, out of her league, does okay as Ava Gardner, but the role is generic. You never feel Ava Gardner...just some nameless starlet. Gwen Stefani got a lot of mileage out of dressing up like Jean Harlow, but she's hardly in the film. She looks great, though. Jude Law has a tiny part as Errol Flynn...how perfect that casting is!! And finally, DiCaprio. Here's a huge role for him, one leaving him open to great failure. Yes, I know he still looks like young teenager. In GANGS OF NEW YORK, that worked against him...his anger in face of Daniel Day-Lewis was never threatening...heck, the guy could hardly grow a beard...how could he take on a master-thug? In CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, he uses that boyishness to perfection...a role he was made for naturally. In THE AVIATOR, they don't really try to make him seem older.

DiCaprio is forced to make us believe he is Howard Hughes by force of his acting...not his impersonation of the man. At first, Hughes hits Hollywood with his wealth and boyish enthusiasm and starts making huge films. He's full of nervous energy and driven to succeed. That actually suits DiCaprio's natural look pretty well...so early on, we can see the boyish DiCaprio as the boyish Hughes. As Hughes ages, DiCaprio can't (and other than a few subtle lines, the makeup artists don't try to age him), but by this time, we already buy him in the role. His personality becomes more complex as his mental disorders become harder and harder for him to combat...and DiCaprio and Scorcese beautifully stage these scenes. One great moment has Hughes in a public restroom, having just obsessively washed his hands. Another patron askes Hughes to hand him a towel...but Hughes' problems simply won't let him. He knows there's no reason not to help the guy. We see DiCaprio's face racked with shame. He wants to get the towel, but can't. He groans out a "I Can't" over and over, as he's frozen in place.

He can't even make himself run away...his horror at himself is too complete. This is pretty good stuff. Later, when Hughes has gone totally off the deep end, and locked himself into his offices, letting his hair grow and his hygiene become questionable (at best), his demons have totally evolved. So when he finally summons the strength to fight them down long enough to face a Senate committee (and the outcome will determine the survival of his airline), we root for him quite enthusiastically. And finally, there are the scenes where Hughes flies his experimental aircraft. First, he flies over a field and is forced to make a rough landing. His exhilaration, even as he must know at some level that he could die, is palpable. He's a kid in a candy shop...multiplied 100 fold. Later, he crashes into some fancy suburban homes. This scene is brilliantly staged, with great sound and editing, and we really feel we're in that crash with him. It's horrifying. And finally, the flight of the Spruce Goose is an emotionally climactic moment. There's no doubt that Hughes was a "difficult" person...even without his madnesses. He wasn't much good at forging close personal relationships with women.

But what Scorcese and DiCaprio have captured with THE AVIATOR is the spirit of a time in our history when great things could be done by great individuals with great ambition and drive. It's exhilarating. To those who found the movie boring and cliché-ridden, I have no answer. People keep saying that THE AVIATOR "isn't TAXI DRIVER or RAGING BULL." So what? Spielberg's MINORITY REPORT ain't E.T. or JAWS, but each is a masterpiece on its own terms. Frankly, Jake LaMotta in RAGING BULL is so unlikeable, the film has always kept me at a bit of an emotional distance (great though it may be). At least in THE AVIATOR, I could root for Hughes and even sympathize with him. And DiCaprio, despite all his foolish, tabloid-baiting activities after TITANIC, is truly one of our most gifted actors. GILBERT GRAPE? CATCH ME IF YOU CAN? A BOY'S LIFE? And now, THE AVIATOR? He's the real deal. Personally, I recommend this film VERY highly.

It's the finest mix of old-Hollywood ambition with new-style technology. By ThrillSeeker1982 on February 14, 2007 Format: DVD|Verified Purchase On one level, this is an interesting and convincing period piece about the times in which Hughes lived and his remarkable accomplishments. I didn't fully catch onto the filmmakers' ultimate intent though until I watched it a second time: that is, the gravity of obsessive-compulsive disorder in Hughes' life. I greatly enjoyed the film the first time I saw it but it wasn't until that second viewing that I realized the power and grittiness of the story they were trying to tell and, for me, the "classic" status it should/will receive. The source music really helps set the period and the score by Howard Shore is truly exceptional. My respect for DiCaprio grew tremendously as well - both for his actual performance and after learning more about his passion for wanting to put this story onscreen and all the work he went to and interest he took in the project.

I don't like using the word "epic" and often avoid so-called stories that are, but 'The Aviator' is a grand one that has a tone all of its own due to the focus on Hughes' determination and achievements in face of mounting external struggles and even more overwhelming internal ones. Howard Hughes Movies: From Leonardo DiCaprio to (Almost) Jim Carrey Howard Hughes movies: Leonardo DiCaprio in 'The Aviator.' Howard Hughes movies Turner Classic Movies will be showing the Howard Hughes-produced, John Farrow-directed, Baja California-set gangster drama His Kind of Woman, starring Robert Mitchum, Hughes discovery Jane Russell, and Vincent Price, at 3 a.m. PT / 6 a.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 8, '14. Howard Hughes produced a couple of dozen movies. (More on that below.) But what about “Howard Hughes movies”? Or rather, movies – whether big-screen or made-for-television efforts – featuring the visionary, “eccentric” (i.e., mentally unbalanced and filthy rich), hypochondriac , compulsive-obsessive, all-American billionaire as a character?

From Leonardo DiCaprio to Jason Robards Besides Leonardo DiCaprio, who plays a dashing if somewhat off-kilter Hughes in Martin Scorsese's 2004 Best Picture Academy Award-nominated The Aviator, other actors who have played Howard Hughes on film include the following: Tommy Lee Jones in William A. Graham's television movie The Amazing Howard Hughes (1977), with Lee Purcell as silent film star Billie Dove , Tovah Feldshuh as Katharine Hepburn , and Marla Carlis as The Outlaw's breast-popping Jane Russell. Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominee Jason Robards – as the old and haggard Howard Hughes – in Jonathan Demme's remarkable comedy-drama Melvin and Howard (1980), based on the story of Nevada gas station owner Melvin Dummar, who claimed to have met Hughes in the nearby desert and that the billionaire had left him more than $150 million.

(The will was eventually declared a forgery.) Paul Le Mat played a sympathetic Dummar in Melvin and Howard, which also features Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner Mary Steenburgen and, in a minor role, veteran Gloria Grahame (Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner for The Bad and the Beautiful, 1952). Former child actor Dean Stockwell (Anchors Aweigh, The Boy with Green Hair) in Francis Ford Coppola's Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988), starring Jeff Bridges in the title role, plus Joan Allen , Martin Landau, Frederic Forrest , and Mako. Terry O'Quinn in Disney's Joe Johnston-directed The Rocketeer (1991), featuring Billy Campbell in the title role, in addition to Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Timothy Dalton, and Paul Sorvino. Besides Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes, The Aviator features Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn, Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner , Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow , Kelli Garner as Faith Domergue, Jude Law as Errol Flynn , Alec Baldwin as Juan Trippe, Kevin O'Rourke as Spencer Tracy, Stanley DeSantis as Louis B.

Mayer, and Alan Alda as U.S. senator Owen Brewster. Additionally, George Peppard played a fictionalized Howard Hughes in Edward Dmytryk 's 1964 melodrama The Carpetbaggers, based on Harold Robbins' bestseller, and featuring Carroll Baker as the Jean Harlow-ish sex/romantic interest and veteran Alan Ladd in his last film role. And finally, Robert Ryan played another character inspired by Hughes in Max Ophüls ' Caught (1949), also starring James Mason and Barbara Bel Geddes. See also: “Warren Beatty to play Howard Hughes: Movie Project .” Howard Hughes movies that weren't Other Howard Hughes biopics that never came to fruition include: A pre-Batman Trilogy Christopher Nolan directing Jim Carrey, of all people, as Howard Hughes. Much like Warren Beatty's film project, the Jim Carrey movie would have covered Hughes' later years.

Two-time Best Director Academy Award winner Milos Forman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, 1975; Amadeus, 1984) directing two-time Oscar nominee Edward Norton (Primal Fear, 1996; American History X, 1998). Menace II Society and From Hell filmmakers Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes (a.k.a. The Hughes Brothers) – no relation to the billionaire – directing From Hell actor Johnny Depp. Veteran Brian De Palma directing Best Actor Oscar winner Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas, 1995) as Hughes. 'Hell's Angels' with Jean Harlow and Ben Lyon: Most expensive movie up to that time? 'Hell's Angels' budget Howard Hughes claimed that his troubled 1930 World War I aviation epic Hell's Angels, featuring Ben Lyon, James Hall, and newcomer Jean Harlow (replacing Norwegian-born Greta Nissen)* was, at a cost of nearly $4 million, the most expensive motion picture ever made. Hughes and/or his p.r. people went as far as having the production expenses listed on the film's souvenir program on opening night.

However, according to figures found in United Artists' production ledgers, Hell's Angels' actual price tag was a much more modest – though still hefty – $1.3 million. I should add that its reported $8 million gross, which is found in various online sources, also seems highly debatable. At a cost of $3.96 million, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's problem-plagued 1925 version of Ben-Hur , (mostly) directed by Fred Niblo and starring Ramon Novarro in the title role, remained the most expensive motion picture until the Selznick/MGM co-production of the (mostly) Victor Fleming-directed Gone with the Wind in 1939. Vivien Leigh , Clark Gable, Leslie Howard, and Olivia de Havilland starred in the multiple Oscar winner. * Greta Nissen, who – supposedly – had a heavy Norwegian accent, had been cast in the silent version of Hell's Angels. It should be noted that voice-dubbing was already an option back in those days – e.g., Louise Brooks was dubbed by Margaret Livingston in the 1929 thriller The Canary Murder Case. Katharine Hepburn: One of Howard Hughes' girlfriends.

Howard Hughes and Katharine Hepburn Unlike what is found in The Aviator, RKO contract player Katharine Hepburn was not yet considered box office poison when she met Howard Hughes in the mid-'30s. Among Hepburn's hits were Lowell Sherman 's Morning Glory (1933), which earned her a Best Actress Academy Award; George Cukor 's Little Women (1933); and George Stevens' Alice Adams (1935), which earned her a Best Actress Academy Award nod. (She lost to Bette Davis in the Warner Bros. release Dangerous.) Katharine Hepburn was, however, included in an infamous – and really, for the most part so absurd as to be suspicious – box office poison list released in May 1938.

Harry Brandt, president of the Independent Theater Owners of America, published an article in the Independent Film Journal complaining of the “nil” box office appeal of the following performers: Hepburn, Norma Shearer , Kay Francis , Mae West , Marlene Dietrich , Fred Astaire , Edward Arnold, Joan Crawford , Greta Garbo , Dolores del Rio, John Barrymore, and James Cagney (whose 1938 star vehicle Angels with Dirty Faces turned out to be one of his biggest hits). Also worth noting, not mentioned in The Aviator is the fact that Howard Hughes loaned money to Katharine Hepburn so she could buy the film rights to her 1939 Broadway production of Philip Barry's The Philadelphia Story. The play's phenomenal success led to Hepburn's triumphant return to films the following year. Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the movie version was directed by George Cukor, adapted by Donald Ogden Stewart, and featured Cary Grant and James Stewart as her leading men. Katharine Hepburn would be eventually nominated for the year's Best Actress Oscar, but somewhat ironically lost to another Howard Hughes girlfriend, Ginger Rogers , in the RKO release Kitty Foyle.

Hepburn, however, was chosen as the New York Film Critics Circle's Best Actress of the year. And finally, once again unlike what's found in The Aviator, by the time Katharine Hepburn met her Woman of the Year co-star Spencer Tracy in the early '40s, her affair with Howard Hughes had already come to an end. Howard Hughes: Movie producer and control freak. Howard Hughes: Wrecking RKO Howard Hughes began producing movies, oftentimes without any screen credit, in the late 1920s. Besides Hell's Angels, his film productions, chiefly distributed by United Artists and later on by RKO, include: Lewis Milestone 's Two Arabian Knights (1927), with William Boyd, Louis Wolheim, and Mary Astor , and the winner of the Best Comedy Director Academy Award of 1927-28. Kate Beckinsale Interview - The Aviator and Ava Gardner Box Office News Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner in "The Aviator".

© Miramax Films Kate Beckinsale ("Laurel Canyon," "Underworld") portrays legendary actress Ava Gardner in Martin Scorsese's epic film, "The Aviator." Starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes and Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn, "The Aviator" focuses on a very specific period in Hughes' incredible life and touches briefly on his lasting friendship with Gardner and other screen beauties. In this interview, Kate Beckinsale discusses her research, playing Ava Gardner in "The Aviator," and working with Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio: INTERVIEW WITH KATE BECKINSALE ('Ava Gardner'): What attracted you to the role? To Ava Gardner? It was the whole project altogether. I didnt hear about Ava Gardner without Marty and Leo already being attached to it. But she had a very unique spirit and I really found that appealing. It was a broad quality to her that I think these days we tend to no longer have. continue reading below our video Best Vacation Reads of 2015 She was a very feisty, fiery, warm, deeply feminine, tough person, from what I can gather.

I just thought that was a lot of interesting qualities all in one. What do you think attracted Ava Gardner to Howard Hughes? I did a lot of research and, in fact, it could become a little confusing because theres so much material available to read about it, and so many different reports. I mean, everybody seems to say that they were romantically involved, except for her. In her autobiography she categorically denies that, so as a show of actress solidarity, I had to kind of go with her story. I think, from what I can gather, he was extremely fun. He had a broadness of vision and a scope for business and for life and for despair, but also for things that were fun. I think that she really enjoyed the fact that these grand gestures would happen and it was kind of it was wild, and she had a wildness. She was attracted to matadors; she was attracted to bull fighting. She lived very much in the heart of that passionate place, and I think thats what she responded to. What are the traps and joys of playing a real person?

Its always unnerving because I think there will be, inevitably, and there are of course, a certain percentage of people who will be just offended by the fact that youve been cast at all, and you dont evoke her in their heart as maybe somebody else might. I think that would happen with anybody. One of the things about all this Internet battling about what a disaster all of us were cast, is that nobody ever seems to be able to settle on one person who unanimously is the choice. I think its just that thing of if its a really person, you do feel theres a right way to play it. And normally with an artistic endeavor, the way to play a part is a more organic thing that comes out as youre going along. Youre the authority on the characters emotional life. When its a real person, there is actually a blueprint that you're trying to hit without being able to actually speak to the person if theyve passed away. So that does make it different.

And I think once youve done all the research and you immerse yourself in all of that, at some point you do have to actually approach it in the same way as you approach anything else, in a sort of open-hearted creative actress playing a part. Did you watch a lot of Ava Gardner movies? What was the hook to finding her? Kind of everything. Im always very attracted to peoples vocal patterns and she had a deeper voice than I had . That was a challenge to pull that off without sounding like youre doing a funny voice, particularly [because] she has an American accent but it was an American accent that began South and then was put through various types of voice coaching to end up with a rather unique movie star accent that doesnt really come from anywhere. So, obviously, there was stuff like that. And Marty was very categorical about the fact that he didnt want us in prosthetic chins and fake eyeballs and God knows what. He didnt want a Saturday Night Live skit of Katharine Hepburn and Ava Gardner. The most important thing really to capture was the spirit, and thats what we were all aiming to do.

Is research a perk of your job and can you do too much research? I think you can, definitely. I think its something that what was quite nice about this was that I didnt have all that much notice, so there was really no danger of working on it for a year and getting to the point where I was completely constipated to be able to do anything. So it was actually a really good experience on this, but I do enjoy it. Ive got kind of an academic-y literary background, so when I can go and buy new pens and lots of notebooks and sit in a library for a while, Im usually quite happy.

Question: Who played the role of Howard Hughes in the 2004 film "The Aviator"?
Answer: Leonardo DiCaprio