Am I Missing Something?

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Biopic of Charles Lindbergh, directed by Billy Wilder and starring James Stewart as the famed aviator. The story focuses mainly on his transatlantic flight with flashbacks interspersed throughout. It's not a bad movie by any stretch, just overlong and a little dull at times. One of the more traditional and, I suppose for many, uninteresting of Wilder's films. Stewart is too old for the role but the bigger problem is that he's never convincing here as anything other than Jimmy Stewart. That being said, he is always enjoyable to watch and since a lot of this film is him alone he really gets a chance to shine, even if he doesn't hit the mark on capturing Lindbergh. It's not like the script does him much favor in that regard, anyway.I won't complain about historical inaccuracies, nor about sanitizing Lindbergh's story. I've said many times in reviews for other biopics from Hollywood's Golden Age that this is not something that bothers me. The goal of these movies was to entertain. Whatever educational value they have is far down on the priority list. As long as the filmmakers are not going out of their way to assassinate someone's character or something along those lines, I don't have any issues with granting them artistic license with these types of films. Anyway, this is a flawed but ultimately enjoyable movie. There's comedy and drama and a little suspense. I enjoyed the plane stuff and any special effects used in those scenes. It's definitely worth a look for Stewart and Wilder fans, or people who enjoy old-fashioned biographical pictures that they don't make anymore.

After reading some of the negative reviews, here comes one that will hopefully shed light or settle some issues.Yes, Stewart was a bit old for the part, but he was very interested in it, was a famous aviator, and was thus qualified to pull it off (he also was the right height and build, and made this film at the peak of his popularity).Yes, the story was told in a somewhat bland manner. Us aviation geeks enjoyed it the most, but there is much to enjoy and learn from watching this film. The cinematography is very well done, and it's not just "a single camera pointing straight ahead." Many viewers tend to miss the subtleties of what they see, or even forget many of them between watching the film and writing a review.No, Lindbergh was NOT married at the time he crossed the Atlantic, and thus there is no wife to include in the story. People need to check the facts.Yes, Lindbergh was a controversial figure in history over time, specifically, AFTER the flight. This movie had no intention of addressing that aspect of his life, it was not on the agenda, and the complaints about his questionable patriotism are not applicable to the making of this film, and sharing this story and history-making event.Lindbergh made history, and further still, contributed significantly to the advancement of aviation all over the world for many decades to come. That's important, and pertinent to this film.

A mail-run pilot gets help financing the construction of a plane to cross the Atlantic from New York to Paris in 1927--with he himself alone at the controls. Director Billy Wilder, who also co-adapted Charles Lindbergh's memoir with Wendell Mayes and Charles Lederer, isn't quite able to work his customary high-toned humor into these proceedings, but his adroit pacing is certainly in evidence. James Stewart carries off the leading role without a hitch, and the final moments are surprisingly emotional. Not a dashing, robust picture, but an earthy, squirrelly film about human endurance and, indeed, spirit. There's a beautiful, seemingly throwaway moment with Stewart flying over Ireland and scaring the sheep, the shadow of the plane on the ground below as seen from Lindbergh's window. Technical details such as this make a tangible connection with audiences; one leaves the picture feeling uniquely satisfied. Supporting cast is workman-like; Stewart and the plane are the drawing cards. *** from ****

This movie was made in the 50's and it is really fun to watch. My mom must have really liked Jimmy Stewart as she found it necessary to name me after him. James Stewart Bennett Sr. :) I have enjoyed all of his work that I have seen to date. I wish I had been able to meet him before he passed, but it wasn't in the cards.Jimmy Stewart was a class act right to the end.I was honored to be able to see the actual "Spirit of St. Louis" hanging in the Smithsonian in Washington DC many years ago. Very cool.