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.

There's just no comparison between this excellent made-for-TV movie and the awful soap opera Aviator. And talk about casting... HRH was a long, tall (over 6') Texan with a southern drawl. So who does Scorsese pick? A short, blond, blue-eyed kid - di Caprio. On the other hand, Tommy Lee Jones was right on. Looked like Hughes, sounded like Hughes, etc, etc. Oh, and Ed Flanders was MUCH more believable in the role of Noah Dietrich than John Reilly.

Both NetFlix and Blockbuster.com have it. If you prefer a chic flick with lots of romance and stories that focus about the women in his life, then Aviator wins. But if you really want to know about HRH, the Las Vegas acquisitions, the Glomar Explorer, etc, then The Amazing Howard Hughes is a far better choice.

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This version was originally made as a 2 part miniseries, and unfortunately tries to get too much in over the course of the runtime, ultimately just skimming the surface of the eventful,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.

Tommy Lee Jones is the quintessential Howard Hughes,with mannerisms, voice,and he looks just like Howard Hughes (Check out old news reels) His acting puts the frosting on the cake. In the same regard Ed Flanders portrayal of Noah Dietrich, is right on the money as well. I also like the "Aviator" (2004) Martin Scorsese's ,interpretation is also great;but Tommy Lee Jones (for me) became Howard Hughes,through 1924-1976. This film deserves to be remastered for sound/video, but for now I'm quite satisfied with my DVD version of this 1977 Mini Series Classic!