The Aviator (2004)
Coming Out at 25 December 2004 in theaters.
Biography, Drama
The Aviator is epic biographical drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by John Logan. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes, Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn, and Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner. The supporting cast features Ian Holm, John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law as Errol Flynn, Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow, Kelli Garner as Faith Domergue, Matt Ross, Willem Dafoe, Alan Alda, and Edward Herrmann.
Based on the 1993 non-fiction book Howard Hughes: The Secret Life by Charles Higham, the film depicts the life of Howard Hughes, an aviation pioneer and director of Hell’s Angels. The film portrays his life from 1927–1947 during which time Hughes became a successful film producer and an aviation magnate while simultaneously growing more unstable due to severe obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD).
In 1912 Houston, as eight-year-old Howard Hughes’ mother gives him a bath and teaches him how to spell “quarantine”, she warns him about the recent cholera outbreak in Houston: “You are not safe.” Fourteen years later, in 1927, he begins to direct his film Hell’s Angels, and hires Noah Dietrich to manage the day-to-day operations of his business empire. After the release of The Jazz Singer, the first partially talking film, Hughes becomes obsessed with shooting his film realistically, and decides to convert the movie to a sound film. Despite the film being a hit, Hughes remains unsatisfied with the end result and orders the film to be recut after its Hollywood premiere. He becomes romantically involved with actress Katharine Hepburn, who helps to ease the symptoms of his worsening obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writer: John Logan
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Alan Alda, Ian Holm
Cast:
| 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 |
| Jacob Davich | … | Howard Hughes – 9 Years Old |
| Amy Sloan | … | Howard Hughes’s Mother |
| Sam Hennings | … | Frank |
| Joe Chrest | … | Hell’s Angels Director of Photography |
| Rufus Wainwright | … | Cocoanut Grove Vocalist #1 |
| Harry Standjofski | … | Crony of Louis B. Mayer |
| Vince Giordano | … | Cocoanut Grove Band Member |
| Josie Maran | … | Cigarette Girl |
| Justin Shilton | … | Hell’s Angels Pilot |
| Arthur Holden | … | Radio Announcer |
| Raymond Ducasse | … | Roscoe Turner |
| Joseph P. Reidy | … | Aide to Howard |
| Stéphane Demers | … | Maitre d’ |
| Yves Jacques | … | Waiter |
| Loudon Wainwright III | … | Cocoanut Grove Vocalist #2 |
| Jason Cavalier | … | Cocoanut Grove Patron |
| Chris Ufland | … | Engineer |
| Al Dubois | … | Pan Am Executive #1 |
| Alan Toy | … | Man on Crutches |
| Sebastian Tillinger | … | Timer |
| Francesca Scorsese | … | Little Girl |
| Charlotte Scott | … | Little Girl |
| James Bradford | … | Uncle Willy |
| Joe Cobden | … | Another Guest #1 |
| Linda E. Smith | … | Another Guest #2 |
| Alan Fawcett | … | Chairman MPA |
| Jordan St. James | … | Hughes’ Aide at Censor Hearing |
| David Purdham | … | Emcee |
| Kevin O’Rourke | … | Spencer Tracy |
| Lisa Bronwyn Moore | … | Noah’s Wife |
| Emma Campbell | … | Helen – Jack Frye’s wife |
| Martha Wainwright | … | Cocoanut Grove Vocalist #3 |
| Vincent Laresca | … | Jorge |
| Matt Holland | … | Hughes’ Staff Person |
| Dennis St John | … | Nick the Custodian |
| Keith Campbell | … | Marine |
| Al Vandecruys | … | Doctor |
| James Rae | … | FBI Agent |
| Kathleen McAuliffe | … | Brewster’s Maid |
| Nellie Sciutto | … | Secretary |
| Terry Haig | … | Another Senator |
| James McNamara | … | (voice) (archive footage) |
| John Koensgen | … | Pan Am Executive #2 |
| Vladimir Kuznetsov Smith | … | Caretaker |
| Mark Akeson | … | Caretaker |
| Jason Pollard | … | Caretaker |
| Pascal Anctil | … | Reporter (uncredited) |
| Matthew I. Baker | … | Photographer at ‘Hell’s Angels’ Wrap Party |
| Gavin Black | … | Hell’s Angels Crewman |
| David Block | … | Film Technican |
| John David Braddock | … | Photographer |
| John Brody | … | Policeman |
| Benjamin Centoducati | … | Film Worker |
| Isabelle Champeau | … | Editor |
| Anne V. Coates | … | Howard Hughes’ film editor |
| Al Coronel | … | Bi-Plane Mechanic #1 |
| Chris Dainty | … | Reporter (uncredited) |
| Matthew Corbett Davis | … | Howard Hughes Aide |
| Elizabeth DeCicco | … | Starlet |
| Elisa Dyann | … | Coat Check Girl |
| Antonella Elia | … | Secretary |
| Meghan Elizabeth | … | Starlet |
| Brian Fortuna | … | Dancer |
| Danielle Franke | … | Esquire Starlet |
| Marc Gourdeau | … | Engineer |
| Jess Graham | … | Plane Engineer |
| Daniel Gutin | … | Hell’s Angels Film Executive |
| Ian Halperin | … | Hospital Room Visitor |
| Trevor Hayes | … | Chef |
| Harrison Held | … | Louis B. Mayer Crony |
| David Hillberg | … | Stage Hand |
| Chase Hoyt | … | Usher |
| Larry Kagele | … | Pilot |
| Jason Klamm | … | Man in Tux at ‘Hell’s Angels’ Premiere |
| Gerardo Lo Dico | … | Military Officer |
| Steven Wallace Lowe | … | Reporter |
| Brian T. Lynch | … | Ground Crewman |
| Lon Moriarty | … | Hell’s Angels Airline Mechanic |
| Eddie Napolillo | … | Burly Man at ‘Hell’s Angels’ Wrap Party |
| Matthew Reidy | … | Photographer |
| Richard Rossi | … | Howard Hughes cousin |
| Scott Sahadi | … | Photographer |
| Heather Sconyers | … | Bathing beauty |
| Martin Scorsese | … | Hell’s Angels Projectionist / Man on Red Carpet (voice) |
| Nathaniël Siri | … | Dancer at the Grove |
| Frank Sivero | … | Photographer |
| R. Bruce Steinheimer | … | Plane Engineer / Field Tech |
| Michael-John Wolfe | … | Cary Grant |
| Deliene Wyatt | … | Make-up Girl to Katharine Hepburn |
| Jeremy Zafran | … | TWA Executive |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia