Amelia

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1:53

Amelia

PG

2009

1h 51m

Biography

History

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

19%

Tomatometer

159 Reviews

31%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

From the time she first sits in the pilot's seat, aviatrix Amelia Earhart (Hilary Swank) feels destined to achieve great things. Beginning in 1928, she sets a number of aviation milestones, including numerous speed and altitude records, and was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. In 1937, Amelia undertakes her greatest challenge of all: to become the first woman to circumnavigate the globe by airplane.

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Critics Consensus

Amelia takes the compelling raw materials of its subject's life and does little with them, conventionally ticking off Earhart's accomplishments without exploring the soul of the woman.

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Rex Reed

Observer

Dec 10, 2009

It has beautiful cinematography, a star performance that is shocking in its authenticity, a careful eye for nuance and detail and an irresistible blend of action and romance that should spell automatic success.

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Angie Errigo

Empire Magazine

Nov 13, 2009

3/5

Swank's moving performance, the period dressing and beautiful planes all appeal, but dramatically it doesn't really soar.

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Toby Young

The Times (UK)

Nov 13, 2009

1/5

Hilary Swank is forced to deliver dialogue that sounds as if it was written in Chinese and then translated into English by a computer.

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Tim Stevens

The Spool

Feb 4, 2021

Earhart, a rebellious obsessive with an active distaste for societal convention, ends up feeling flat in practice.

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Sep 1, 2020

2.0/4.0

Sorry, Hilary. There won't be any awards coming your way for this year.

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Debbie Baldwin

Ladue News

Dec 6, 2018

5/10

Seasoned director Mira Nair goes way off the rails in almost every way-from the lack of chemistry in Earhart and Putnam's seeming relationship of convenience to the final heart-wrenching mystery of Amelia's disappearance.

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Frans B

@FransB Sep 15, 2026

Brilliant. Very well written and brought to screen. Whole cast absolutely convincing in character. Hilary Swank is the literal carbon copy of Amelia Earhart, in every way possible, amazing dedication from her. Great cinematography adds to the charm, reality and ambiance. The focus on personal achievements is more accurate than those who wished for more "character exploring" and melodramatization. Accurate account of events through Amelia Earhart's life and lots of attention to every little detail of the production makes this an unforgettable experience. Captivating

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Emma B

@RT29633644 Nov 3, 2025

It was very mediocre

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Lanfranco C

@Lanfrancobz Mar 10, 2025

The story is amazing, but the movie is boring

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EPC1948 R

@RT02869875 Oct 11, 2023

Absolute garbage and a total disservice to Amelia Earhart. Even run at double speed it was boring and patronising.

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May 29, 2019

I have to say Hillary Swank was the best actress for this movie. She looked just like her. I think the movie would have been better with other male leads. I enjoyed how they would bring the black and whites to life . Something was king of off. I blame Richard Gere

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Jan 12, 2017

Either Amelia was the most boring woman on earth or Hilary Swank should have been tarred and feather for her performance. Uhh... but then again I'd probably be off my game if I had to make out with Richard Gere. It' an insult that he's even on the film cover with her.

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Mira Nair

Director

Hilary Swank

Amelia Earhart

Richard Gere

George Putnam

Ewan McGregor

Gene Vidal

Christopher Eccleston

Fred Noonan

Joe Anderson

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Amelia: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

From the time she first sits in the pilot's seat, aviatrix Amelia Earhart (Hilary Swank) feels destined to achieve great things. Beginning in 1928, she sets a number of aviation milestones, including numerous speed and altitude records, and was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. In 1937, Amelia undertakes her greatest challenge of all: to become the first woman to circumnavigate the globe by airplane.

Director: Mira Nair
Producer: Ted Waitt, Kevin Hyman, Lydia Dean Pilcher
Screenwriter: Anna Hamilton Phelan
Distributor: Fox
Production Co: Fox Searchlight, Avalon Pictures
Rating: PG (Smoking|Language|Some Sensuality|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Biography, History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 23, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $14.2M
Runtime: 1h 51m

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