I thought Leo did a decent job, HOWEVER
My only problem with the film, is where it ended. Hughes was "just getting started", where this film stops, (ie: Hughes medical Institute, Kaiser Metals/Kaiser Permanente, Hughes Helicopters, Hughes Shipbuilding, Hughes Satellite Division.)
I read once, that there was only really one guaranteed way to get fired from one of his companies, and never be hired back - that was to utter the sentence "It can't be done.".
I mean, a few more years, and the man was on fire in the tech world!

I thought Leo was excellent.
My first choice would probably be George Clooney, if only because there are photos of Hughes in which he looks pretty much exactly like George.
One thing that Leo just couldn't quite convey - and George would have a hard time with it, too, although I think George would do better with it even though he and Leo are the same height - is that Hughes was a very imposing man physically. He was 6'4, which is still very tall now, but was even taller back in the day. Hughes in his prime cut a very dashing, almost Superman-like figure, tall and lean, complete with broad shoulders and lean torso. I'm not sure who you could get these days to really have that AND act the part appropriately.

Well i for 1 think DiCaprio sucked at this movie and cannot understand scorsesce using him at all let alone in 3 moviesDude can't act
I'd rather go hunting with Dick Cheney, than driving with Ted Kennedy

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Actually, someone who would have been perfect for the role is Hank Azaria. He looks almost identical to Hughes, and could easily change his voice/movements to mimic HH.
Azaria is not considered a "big star", so i can also easily see why he would not be in the running for an "Epic" movie.
That aside, i think Leo did an awesome job, and i think he was screwed out of an oscar.

Leo actually got his (Hughes) voice down very well, and he even had his look, this kid may be a real actor given these types of roles, early in his career i was not a fan, but the older he gets the better his work, this film, the gangs of new york, etc.

I think christian bale would have been perfect, he actually kind of looks like HH, and the fact that he is a brilliant actor, i really would have liked to have seen christian do this role.
another actor who could have pulled it off (especially when HH starts to go crazy) is edward norton, however he may not have been good looking enough for the role.

The problem with Hollywood is they put actors in bracketonly few people like Ms.Monroe (otherwise sex symbol) has to consciously get outta that image and show her acting talent in bus stop. No wonder she said in Hollywood they pay 50,000$ for a kiss and not even a penny for soul.
Jim Carey is an actor par excellence. But hollywood is yet to tap his serious acting talents. But did Mr.Carey will take the risk???
Now coming to Leo, I thought that he suited the role best especially the old Howard Hughes character. This is first time I could see the otherwise baby face of Leo in a good role. This guy has energy like Howard Hughes (not the strature and height at 6 4") but Leo has really done a good job. Q.u.r.a.n.t.i.t.i.n.e

heh! sometimes it's hard for him to take him seriously. jim carey is a comedian..he is not an actor. don't get me wrong. i love watching jim carey's films, but saying lines in front of a lens doesn't make you an actor.
when arguing with a ventriloquist, do you stare into the puppet's eyes?

Although he was great and understated in "Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind". Comedy is Carrey's forte, but he IS a very talented actor, and I imagine he could have done HH justice. That being said, I agree with those who said DiCaprio made the role his own. I can't imagine anyone else playing Hughes right now, since I saw LD play it very well just yesterday.

I don't think Jim Carey should played the part. He's done so many movies involving comedy that it would be hard for people to take him seriously.

Leo was awesome, as usual.
And as the character got older, DiCaprio looked more and more
like him..I can't see Jim Carrey in the role because Leo
took it and made it his.

A few days ago, I saw a dvd with Tommy Lee Jones as HH. Cant think of the name of it at the moment Has anyone seen this version of a HH movie?

Years ago Warren Beatty wanted to do a biography on Howard Hughes. At the time he 2000was the perfect age, tall, and a womanizer like HH. He practically begged the studios to cast him but they wouldn't give in. I had my doubts about LD but have seen the Aviator and he captures the 'spirit' of Howard Hughes. What impressed me was Ava Gardner pulling him together in time for the senate probe into his airplanes that didn't fly. I've seen old newsreels of the investigation and LD captured that HH 'spirit'. I rate his acting performance a 9. Honestly, I didn't think he could do it but was very happy with his performance.

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The movie is excellent. Leonardo DiCaprio was remarkable. The casting director made a good choice in casting Leo. As for Jim Carrey, I couldn't picture him in that role.

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Just watched 'The Aviator' last night and watched the extras today. I am not a huge DiCaprio fan but after watching the documentaries of Hughes in the extras, I think that he did capture Hughes' voice and mannerisms. As for the story itself, a screenwriter can only fit so much into a film and usually concentrates on a certain time period in a person's life. This story captured some of the highest and the lowest points in Hughes' life helping the movie to have a great storyline.

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I would have cast Jim Carey. He is a brilliant actor.

I think Leonardo DiCaprio did an excellent job. I am sure that they did not mention every single mental illness that Howard Hughes had because it would be a little too much for the film. And it would be probably pretty offensive to put in that he hated black people.. I think they just wanted to make him a likeable character and if they showed him as racist, then many people would not feel for him the way that they wanted us to feel for him.

It seems like everyone loved Leonardo in the role, but truthfully I did not by him as Howard Hughes. I went out and got a book on Hughes and my boyfriend had a book about him already that had all of his personal notes and memos.
The movie was a glossy version of his life and not exactly true to life when it came down to his nueroses. Howard Hughes had quite a few mental illnesses going on at once that the film doesn't even touch on for instance he had anorexia nervosa.
I think Jim Carey probably would have been better at playing Howard Hughes people like LD pretty face and I think it may give him an advantage. I thought the movie was good in the context that it was "epic", but after reading the two books and getting a better idea of who HH was and why I think the movie did not do enough to depict the true nature of the beast that was HH.
Just a couple of examples one is the focus on his relationship with Katherine Hepburn when in reality the loves of his life were Billy Dove and his last wife Jean who he married after "dating" her for 10 years. I don't understand the focus on him and Hepburn other than for box office reasons they were more friends than the die hard in love foreve1c84r types.
Also, his extreme hatred of Black people was not even mentioned, but was a prominent aspect of his persona.
I liked the movie for its entertainment value, but the books were better for the enlightenment and education on HH and his life.

Leonardo DiCaprio is absolutely perfect as Howard Hughes. I was stunned by his performance and the film is excellent.

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