Amelia

Amelia is rated PG: for some sensuality, language, thematic elements and smoking.

Knowing the inevitable ending of Amelia makes this film a bit sober, even from the opening credits. But rather than focus on Amelia Earhart’s (Hilary Swank) disappearance over the Pacific Ocean with her navigator Fred Noonan (Christopher Eccleston), this story concentrates on the passionate dreams and turbulent marriage of the famous aviator.

Earhart tackled at least two battlefronts—first as a pilot in the early days of aviation when planes and their crews were testing the limits of this new form of transportation. She also faced the challenge of being a member of the small, but determined, group of women who wanted to prove their own capabilities in the air.

But her zeal for aeronautics and a vagabond spirit coupled with memories of an alcoholic father make the idea of matrimony feel like a cage, even if it is, as she puts it, an attractive one. Still, George Putnam (Richard Gere), an American publisher and publicist, can’t help but fall in love with the feisty and freckled girl from Kansas after marketing her trip as the first woman to fly across the Atlantic in the role of flight commander.

For the most part, relationships are a trouble-ridden part of the story. Even after accepting George’s proposal of marriage, Amelia’s uneasiness is evident as she takes her wedding vows. And despite George’s professions of affection, Amelia’s navigator Fred is among those who raise suspicions about her husband’s love for her verses his love of a promotional challenge—in this case, his wife’s identity. The script also depicts an extramarital affair she has with Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor), an aeronautics instructor at West Point and the Director of the Bureau of Air Commerce.

However, when Amelia is in the air, all the complications of life fall away. Her attempts to break or set records also make her a hero for Americans struggling through the bleak days of the Great Depression. And the picturesque scenes of Amelia touching down in remote locations around the world allows for plenty of impressive cinematography as well.

Although the movie is likely aimed more at adults, it contains relatively mild content concerns, even for teens. Depictions of sexual encounters and infidelity are mostly confined to kissing between clothed couples, implied sex and scenes of the morning after. Alcohol use (and the discussion of alcohol abuse), smoking and Amelia’s reluctant endorsement of cigarettes are also part of the script. As well, some frightening moments occur over the ocean and later during a plane crash.

While this story can only hurtle toward an unhappy ending, Hilary Swank’s earnest interpretation of this historic character offers a touching tribute to this adventurous aviator.

Studio: 2009 Fox Searchlight. Visit the official movie site.

Smoking and cigar use are portrayed in a historic setting, along with a scene in which Amelia reluctantly agrees to use her name to advertise a brand of cigarettes. Alcohol use is often shown in social settings and at home. Amelia talks briefly about her alcoholic father. Several men, one of whom suffers from alcohol abuse, are shown drinking and/or drunk. Thematic issues explored surround Amelia’s troubled marriage, premarital relationships and an affair with another man. Clothed couples kiss. Characters are shown in bed together after implied sexual encounters. Moments of peril are depicted when characters are involved in a plane crash, stormy weather threatens to down a plane and a pilot suffers from sleep deprivation. The script contains infrequent profanities and terms of Deity.

How did Amelia Earhart’s pursuit of her dream contribute to aviation advancements? What barriers was she able to break down? What support or lack of support did she face?

What does Amelia mean when she says she does not want to live a life imprisoned in safety?

Learn all about the history of this daring pilot at her official website. You can also discover more about The Ninety-Nines International Organization of Women Pilots, of which Amelia Earhart was a founding member and first president.

The history of the airplane is recounted in Kitty Hawk: The Wright Brothers’ Journey of Invention. Other high-flying adventures include Flyboys, Above and Beyond, The Aviator and Fly Away Home.