Hollywood's 'Amelia' biopic takes flight

CASEY PHILLIPS: Considering she's the source of one of the world's great unsolved mysteries, Hollywood's avoidance of Amelia Earhart as a film-worthy subject for the last 70 years is as almost baffling as her real-life disappearance.

Fortunately, the wait was worth it. Director Mira Nair's biopic is beautifully shot, and Hilary Swank nails the endless confidence that made Earhart such a social darling in the 1930s.

Earhart is best remembered for the ellipses at the end of her life, but the film shows the years leading up to that point, from Kansas farm girl to aeronautical novelty to celebrity with political clout. A lot of emphasis is placed on her relationship with her husband, publicist George Putnam (Richard Gere), and a tryst with commercial aviation pioneer Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor). Of the two, Gere deservedly gets more screen time, and his chemistry with Swank is both unassuming and believable.

H0LLY LEBER: Earhart is portrayed here as a good-natured feminist, and as an imperfect woman without a malicious bone in her body. Swank's well-defined features flatter the more androgynous style that Earhart apparently preferred, and her voice, while smacking of a Katharine Hepburn imitation, lends itself to the sense of time in which the film takes place.

"Amelia" is appropriately framed by Earhart's final flight, and all potential disaster sequences are handled tastefully. Swank narrates the film using (at least some of) Earhart's actual words, from letters and interviews. The voiceover gets a bit tedious and borders on maudlin at times, but it gives an insight into Earhart's character -- a calm, gentle and fiercely independent woman bound and determined to achieve her goal and help others achieve theirs.

CASEY: I also appreciated the way the film addresses Earhart's reluctant participation in gaudy product endorsements to fund her flying at a time when many people were lined up at soup kitchens. It's a telling juxtaposition and an interesting insight, considering Earhart was so beloved, not only by women as a feminist but also by the huddled masses as a beacon of hope.

H0LLY: A biopic should never be taken as gospel, but I think a sign of a good one is whether it makes the viewer want to learn more about the subject being portrayed. "Amelia" definitely piqued my interest in learning more about Ms. Earhart. I'm also going to be interested to see if there's a surge of interest, from both women and men, in aviation following this film.

CASEY: Just like "Gladiator" reignited the public's passion for blood sport?

H0LLY: Precisely.