‘Amelia’ biopic is just a lot of hot air

‘Amelia’
Director: Mira Nair
Cast: Hilary Swank, Richard Gere
Rating: PG
Grade: ➊➋➌➍➎

here are things in life that we all know we should care about, but no matter how hard we might try, we can’t muster the enthusiasm. In “Amelia,” Mira Nair doesn’t make too much of a case for the trailblazing aviator Amelia Earhart, and neither does her onscreen incarnation, Hilary Swank. They seem to take for granted that we care about the historical figure, and even if we did, they disappoint with a movie that plods along like a tired procedural. What we get from them is an overly sentimental film rife with stock, tear-jerking manipulations too overwrought for a savvy modern audience. Add to that Swank’s bizarre Midwestern accent that, however accurate it may be, distances her from the audience as a relatable person — especially given that not one of the other characters speaks with the same half-brain dead patois.