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The Aviator is a 2004 drama movie, directed by Martin Scorsese. It is distributed by Miramax, and like many of Scorsese's films, was tipped for numerous Academy Awards before its release. Roger Ebert, a respected American film reviewer described the film and its subject Howard Hughes in these terms:
"What a sad man. What brief glory. What an enthralling film, 166 minutes, and it races past. There's a match here between Scorsese and his subject, perhaps because the director's own life journey allows him to see Howard Hughes with insight, sympathy -- and, up to a point, with admiration. This is one of the year's best films."
Plot
The movie is a biopic of the aviation pioneer Howard Hughes (played by Leonardo DiCaprio). It follows his life from the late 1920s through the 1940s, a time when Hughes was directing and producing Hollywood movies as well as test piloting his own groundbreaking new aircraft.
Hughes was the son of a Texan inventor, who left him most of his company "Hughes Tool Co." upon his death. At the time, Hughes was a college student at Rice University. From there, Hughes moved to Los Angeles to become a movie producer, helping fledging actors launch their careers, such as Jean Harlow (played by Gwen Stefani), whom he cast in the movie Hell's Angels. He also produced other classic movies such as Scarface. Later on in his career, he branched out into other industries, such as electronics, and most significantly aviation. His company Hughes Aircraft was responsible for legendary aircraft such as the Spruce Goose. However, Hughes's mental deterioration with his obsessive-compulsive behavior is a major plot thread through the film.
The movie also details Hughes's romances with Hollywood stars like Ava Gardner, (Kate Beckinsale), and Katharine Hepburn (Cate Blanchett), and his battles with allegedly corrupt Maine senator Owen Brewster (Alan Alda) and Pan Am head honcho Juan Trippe (Alec Baldwin).
Tagline: Some men dream the future. He built it.
Awards and nominations
The Aviator was nominated for six Golden Globes, winning three: Best Picture - Drama, Best Actor - Drama (Leonardo DiCaprio), and Best Original Score (Howard Shore). It was also nominated for eleven Academy Awards, more than any other film released in 2004. Its Oscar nominations came in the following categories:
Cast
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