Biopics are very hard to do right. Well, that's not exactly true. They are easy to get right, they are hard to make entertaining. After a while they all begin to look the same. The formula has been virtually set in stone. When you go into one, you're probably pretty sure of what you're going to see. The subject's life gets boiled down to the greatest hits version. All of the subtlety and nuance is stripped away leaving behind just the recognizable beats. While they tend to be good, there is really nothing different about them. It is rare that we get something truly original like I'm Not There (about Bob Dylan) or even something that tries a different approach while still catering to the mainstream like Julie & Julia (about Julia Child).
Now we are faced with a new take on the life of Amelia Earhart. It is a story that has been told numerous times before, but this will be the first one I have seen. I wonder how it ends? You would think it would prove to be an interesting tale. I strongly suspect there is a good film out there about her life and adventures. This is not it. Clocking in at just north of one hour and 50 minutes, it feels a lot longer, and is rather dull. I can't say this movie inspired me at all to look deeper into her life.
Amelia focuses primarily on Earhart's ill-fated flight around the world with side excursions to a couple of other events, like her two record-making trips across the Atlantic, and the creation of the Ninety-Nines (the organization for women pilots). Should be enough, one would think. However, it comes across as entirely dull and lifeless. This is especially egregious as there are elements that would have added a lot more flavor had the time been taken to explore them.
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