The Aviator
A biopic depicting the life of filmmaker and aviation pioneer Howard Hughes from 1927 to 1947, during which time he became a successful film producer and an aviation magnate, while simultaneously growing more unstable due to severe obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Critics Sentiment
Hughes obsessively converts Hell's Angels to a sound film
Hughes retreats into isolated germ-free zone for three months
The film drops from its triumphant Hollywood opening (9.1) to Hughes' isolated psychological breakdown (6.2), a swing of nearly 3 points.
The Aviator begins as a triumphant celebration of Hughes' Hollywood and aviation achievements, earning widespread critical praise for its first quarter. The film gradually shifts into a more complex psychological portrait as Hughes' OCD worsens, with critics finding some middle sections muddled but praising DiCaprio's performance. Despite some pacing issues and indulgent moments, the film recovers with strong sequences including the Senate hearing and concludes on a powerfully tragic note.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 76
Leonardo DiCaprio
Howard Hughes
Cate Blanchett
Katharine Hepburn
Kate Beckinsale
Ava Gardner
John C. Reilly
Noah Dietrich
Alec Baldwin
Juan Trippe
Alan Alda
Senator Ralph Owen Brewster
Ian Holm
Professor Fitz
Danny Huston
Jack Frye
Gwen Stefani
Jean Harlow
Jude Law
Errol Flynn
Adam Scott
Johnny Meyer
Matt Ross
Glenn Odekirk
Kelli Garner
Faith Domergue
Frances Conroy
Mrs. Hepburn
Brent Spiner
Robert Gross
Stanley DeSantis
Louis B. Mayer
Edward Herrmann
Joseph Breen
Willem Dafoe
Roland Sweet
Kenneth Welsh
Dr. Hepburn
J.C. MacKenzie
Ludlow
Crew
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