Brushing quickly over her early life, the film begins as Earhart meets publisher-turned-publicist George P Putnam (Richard Gere), in preparation for the first female trans-Atlantic flight as a passenger in 1928.
Over the next decade, the film follows Earhart through a never-ending round of publicity tours and endorsements intended to fund her flights, her marriage to Putnam, her first solo flight across the Atlantic, her historic meeting and subsequent friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (Cherry Jones), and her affair with fellow pilot and close friend Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor).
Meanwhile, the film is inter-cut with scenes of Earhart and celestial navigator Fred Noonan (Christopher Eccleston) on their 1937 round-the-world flight that would end with their mysterious disappearance over the Pacific Ocean on July 2.
Swank delivers a likeable if oddly subdued performance as the self-described vagabond of the air, though she’s slightly overshadowed by Gere, who’s superb as Putnam, particularly in the scene where he effectively confronts Earhart about her affair with Vidal.
There’s also strong support from Eccleston, Jones and Mia Wasikowska, who’s sadly under-used as rival aviatrix Elinor Smith. The film also looks gorgeous throughout, courtesy of Stuart Dryburgh’s lush cinematography and some impressive 1930s production design work.
Unfortunately, the film drags in the middle and the script refuses to shed any light on Earhart’s character. Viewers learn nothing about what drives her, other than some wishy-washy voiceover narration about wanting to be on the move in three dimensions.
Similarly, the film ignores several promising subplots, notably her rivalry with Smith, while it only scratches the surface of her private life, which strips her relationships of any emotional impact they might have had.
