The Aviator 2004

The Aviator is a 2004 American biographical drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by John Logan, produced by Michael Mann, Sandy Climan, Graham King, and Charles Evans, Jr., and starring 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, Willem Dafoe, Alan Alda, and Edward Herrmann. The film depicts the true story of aviation pioneer Howard Hughes, who later became the world's wealthiest man, drawing upon numerous sources including a biography by Charles Higham. The picture centers on Hughes' life from the late 1920s 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 exacerbated by airplane crashes.The Aviator was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Scorsese, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor in a Leading Role for DiCaprio,Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Alan Alda and Best Sound Mixing, and winning five for Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction and Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Cate Blanchett. This feat would later be duplicated by Scorsese's film Hugo seven years later.
            In 1914, nine-year-old Howard Hughes is being bathed by his mother. She warns him of disease, afraid that he will succumb to a flu outbreak: "You are not safe." By 1927, Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio) has inherited his family's fortune and is living in California. He hires Noah Dietrich (John C. Reilly) to run the Hughes Tool Company.
Following an interest in film and aviation, at the age of 22, Hughes begins directing the silent film, Hell's Angels. He becomes obsessed with shooting the film realistically and when the The Jazz Singer, the first partially talking film, premieres, he converts Hell's Angels to a sound film. As a result, it takes several years and an enormous amount of money to finish. Finally, despite press skepticism, Hell's Angels is a hit. However, Hughes is unsatisfied with the end result and orders the film re-cut after its Hollywood premiere. He later produces Scarface (1932) and The Outlaw (1943).
Initial release: December 25, 2004 (USA)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Running time: 170 minutes
Screenplay: John Logan
Awards: Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture – Drama, BAFTA Award for Best Film, Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Academy Award for Best Film Editing, Academy Award for Best Production Design, Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, BFCA Critics' Choice Award for Best Composer, BAFTA Award for Best Makeup & Hair, BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, London Film Critics Circle Award for Director of the Year, MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Director, Satellite Award for Best Visual Effects, Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Costume Design, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Production Design, PGA Producer of the Year Award for Motion Picture Producer of the Year, Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Art Direction, Special Silver Ribbon, San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Production Design, BAFTA Award for Best Production Design