Great Moments in Aviation (1994)
May 1, 1994Release Date
Great Moments in Aviation (1994)
May 1, 1994Release Date
Plot.
Where to Watch.
This Movie Is About.
Cast & Crew.
Vanessa Redgrave
Dr. Angela Bead
John Hurt
Rex Goodyear
Jonathan Pryce
Duncan Stewart
Dorothy Tutin
Gwendolyne Quim
Rakie Ayola
Gabriel Angel
Beeban Kidron
Director
Beeban Kidron
Director
David Harewood
Steward
Jeanette Winterson
Writer
Carmen Munroe
Vesuvia
Phillippa Giles
Producer
Oliver Samuels
Thomas
Rachel Portman
Composer
Stan Pretty
Waiter
Remi Adefarasin
Cinematographer
Margaret Robertson
American Woman
Details.
Release DateMay 1, 1994
StatusReleased
Running Time1h 33m
Filming LocationsPinewood Studios, United Kingdom
Genres
Wiki.
Great Moments in Aviation is a 1994 British romantic drama film set on a 1950s passenger liner. The film follows Gabriel Angel (Rakie Ayola), a young Caribbean aviator who falls in love with the forger Duncan Stewart (Jonathan Pryce) on her journey to England. Stewart is pursued by his nemesis Rex Goodyear (John Hurt), and the group are supported by Dr Angela Bead (Vanessa Redgrave) and Miss Gwendolyn Quim (Dorothy Tutin), retired missionaries who become lovers during the voyage.
The film was written by Jeanette Winterson, directed by Beeban Kidron and produced by Phillippa Gregory, the same creative team that collaborated on Winterson's Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit in 1990. Winterson intended the screenplay to be reminiscent of a fairy tale, and was unhappy at being asked to write a new ending for its American release.
The film was shown at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival and broadcast on British television in 1995. Although originally intended for theatrical release, it failed to find a theatrical distributor, and was released straight to video in the United States in 1997 under the title Shades of Fear. The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics, and while the lesbian sub-plot in particular was generally well received, Winterson's scripting was a focal point of criticism.