The Amazing Howard Hughes

While "The Amazing Howard Hughes" lacks the great CGI and beautiful polish of the later Hughes biopic "The Aviator", it is a terrific film--and better in some ways. Unlike "The Aviator", "The Amazing Howard Hughes" gives a much more complete account of the billionaire's life. While it fails to did in as much psychological depth as the later film and doesn't build the same sense of sadness, it is a very full portrait. While both films skip most of his childhood (and this is a shame), this made for TV movie goes from his early career through his final years--living as an insane recluse. In the process, Tommy Lee Jones did a wonderful job--looking and sounding much like the man he was portraying. Overall, a great look at the life of Hughes and one of the best made for TV films of the 1970s. And, not surprisingly, it helped to launch Jones' career to much greater heights. Well worth seeing.

Tommy Lee Jones stars as Howard Hughes in a biopic spanning the life of the eccentric business magnate, from young hotshot mogul to notorious recluse. Hughes was such a fascinating character, possessed by a drive and idiosyncratic nature that brought him to the top but eventually took over in later years, and this contrast has provided the inspiration for many different retellings over the years.

This version was originally made as a 2 part miniseries, and unfortunately tries to get too much in over the course of the runtime, ultimately just skimming the surface of the eventful, stranger than fiction life story. I think I must have watched the theatrical edit, which explains the slightly disjointed way it's told, jumping through the key points as if it's just ticking them off.

Hughes goes from making a movie to becoming studio head to flying around the world, but the film never really elaborates on any of these remarkable achievements, anxious to move onto the next milestone and as a result getting quite monotonous after a while. I think even with the cut parts reinstated it still would have felt truncated, the format ultimately proving overambitious for a story of this size. The Aviator only covered the first half of Hughes' life, which made it feel much more developed and character driven.

This film is much more event driven, hitting all of the milestones but giving enough insight into any of the motivations, which remain at a distance throughout. I think a lot of this is down to the writing, which doesn't do enough to draw out the dramatic stakes. A good example is the portrayal of Hughes' near fatal plane crash and subsequent legal battle with the TWA; in The Aviator this provides the majority of the second half, building tension as to whether the rapidly deteriorating Hughes is willing to testify, but in this version he just goes immediately and without conflict, which can't help but feel like a missed opportunity.

Though Jones definitely looks the part, and it gave him a major career breakthrough, he never feels like he inhabits the character, which results in a flat performance that never gets to the heart of why Hughes behaved as he did. It might just be the limitations of the script, but Jones feels quite bland here, lacking the nervy, focused energy of Leonardo DiCaprio's take or the ragged, world weariness Jason Robards brought in Melvin and Howard.

He's better while showing Hughes' increasingly harmful quirks, though, and these are the strongest moments, getting across the compulsive nature of this behaviour, and if the film had leaned into this more it would have felt more developed and involved that it was. The film was based on a book written by right hand man Noah Dietrich, which might explain the detachment factor, as it always feels like it's being presented from a distance. Dietrich is played by a superb Ed Flanders, who's great as the down to earth voice of reason who increasingly becomes sidelined as the years go by as his employer's mental state begins to break down.

I though this dynamic was the best part of the whole film, given depth in a way none of the other relationships are, although it being Dietrich's account there's a definite undercurrent of bitterness to the way it's presented. Maybe the film was just made too soon after Hughes had died to really give a fully rounded portrayal of his story, lacking the hindsight later versions were able to have.

The Amazing Howard Hughes never quite takes off, going on a whistlestop journey that touches all the bases without enough substance behind it.

This film has been and will continue to be compared to "The Aviator" - a film that frankly bored me. "The Amazing Howard Hughes" looked and felt real because it focused upon Hughes as a real life flesh and blood man and used few if any cinematic tricks. Tommy Lee Jones made a very credible Howard Hughes from his physique down to his accent.

I am interested by the actual business dealings of Hughes and those around him rather than his marriages and affairs. Afterall, there have been many playboy millionaires in America's history but only one Howard Hughes. It wasn't the romances that made Hughes particularly interesting and this film didn't focus on them in the way "The Aviator" did. For me, this was a positive.

This film is outstanding on all levels covered all of Hughes' life which is surprising for a t.v. movie.

Don't ever look for any movie t.v. or not to tell the full story of anyones life.This film was done at a time when there was actually(URGH)truth and balance in media.

I saw this movie with the limited opinion that he was just some nut case and came away with the opinion that he was an extraordinary complicated man who let his ego get the better of him.

There is a message in this film for all of us and that is not to ignore your problems or difficulties.

I feel sorry for younger people who will never get the chance to see a biopic that would tell a persons story as accurately as they could.

At least not one that was made in this country and certainly not one that was done by Americans.

Found this movie again - buried in my Dvd collection.

Tommy Lee was just superb. As much as any bio drama can, this movie portrays the man, H. R. Hughes pretty well. I won't even compare the other bio-drama so many here mention because they're simply two completely different movies movies made in two completely different eras.

Why must people's opinions be so rooted in comparing same-subject movies?

This is a strong and unique movie.

The character is in fact developed enough psychologically that we fully understand his drive; a common enough story; never able to please his father, Howard drives himself to utter perfection in everything. Sets the highest goals, and achieves them. Unfortunately, the cost of that is one's sanity.

As Albert Einstein said, 'the only difference between genius and insanity is that genius has its limits.' I believe his OCD behaviours were with him all his life, easier to dismiss or call 'ecentric' and somewhat more controllable in his youth, but obviously, culminated into total loss of control because the mind (& body following along) can only control just so much. It is utterly overwhelming to realize one is losing control, or even if they are in denial of that, the fallout exists - either way they will suffer the collateral damage - and then the mind turns on itself - to control what it thinks is controllable. The same paradoxical idea, for example bulemics exhibit - controlling their weight in destructive ways - is about feeling in control, yet it's out of control behaviour.

For Howard, it was germs. It was trying to grasp at anything he thought he had left in the realm of control, like the care of his own body.

Yet, the controller is denying the obvious out of control results, obsessively repeating the steps to give himself the illusion of control.

Hughes exhibited quite paradoxical behaviour throughout his life. This, combined with his genius, and as portrayed here, rather inappropriate social behaviours, leads me to strongly believe he was on the spectrum for Aspergers.

Just a fascinating & brilliant man. Regardless of his tragic end.