For tickets: Regal Westview Stadium 16 Click on any available time.

When we saw "Amelia" in the theater, several friends got together and we were pretty excited to see it. But in the end, some of us were a little letdown.

Amelia Earhart is credited as one of the U.S.'s leading female pilots. She was the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean, created the first women pilot association, was a spokesperson for a number of products, and a leading figure in her time. She is best remembered for her attempt to be the first woman to successfully fly around the world.


Adrienne's opinion:

I don't want to imply that the movie wasn't good — it was. The cinematography was beautiful and I liked the story, it had great flow.

One story line began by telling her path to becoming the pilot we all remember from history books. The other story line was for the views: You could see her flying over Africa — the vistas of the safari were incredible — and flying over lush jungle.

Weaving the two gave the audience questions they discovered and then wanted answered during the movie. Who was the man in the back of the plane; why was he back there; etcetera.

Hillary Swank did a nice job, but I wasn't blow away by her. I believed her as Earhart and liked how well she portrayed the pilot's need for independence. Before the movie came out, I read some of the buzz and noted that experts are wondering if this will be Swank's third Oscar. I'm no expert, but I don't think so. She may be nominated, but I'm sure someone gave an awe-inspiring performance in another film.

I liked Richard Gere (but really, when does a woman NOT like him??) as George Putman, but again wasn't blow away by his performance.

Ewan McGregor was good as Gene Vidal, but the same. I guess I was expecting something amazing from all three and didn't see it. But again, that doesn't mean their performances weren't bad, just not what I hoped for for such an inspirational historical figure.

It was worth seeing it on the big screen (because of the cinematography) at Regal Westview in Frederick, but I don't see us buying the DVD for our home.

And for the record, there are a couple of Amelia Earhart movies (and for TV):
Amelia Earhart (1976)
Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight (1994)
The Mysteries of Amelia Earhart (1998)

3.5 out of 5 stars


Jeannette's opinion (my mother-in-law; Patrick's mother):

Amelia Earhart is an icon in women's history.

Visually, Hillary Swank transformed herself again to bring her lead role to life. Amelia Earhart was a focused, driven individual who saw no obstacles in her path that she was not willing to confront to achieve her life goals.

However, the film also showcases a part of her life that I was unaware of and while it did not totally change my admiration for her abilities, it did lessen my respect for Amelia Earhart, the individual.

Hillary Swank is a talented, two-time Academy Award winner. She is an amazing actress but there seemed to be something missing in this performance. I learned later that she is afraid of heights and perhaps her hesitation at times in this film stems from that fear. At times she seemed to disconnect from the importance of the flights.

I thought the cinematography was breathtaking.

Richard Gere gave a good performance as the supportive husband with all the angles needed to keep the Amelia PR machine profitable.

3.5 out of 5 stars.