The Terminal (2004)

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writers (WGA):

Andrew Niccol (story) and
Sacha Gervasi (story) ...

Release Date:

18 June 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Comedy

Tagline:

Life is waiting.

Plot:

An eastern immigrant finds himself stranded in JFK airport, and must take up temporary residence there.

Plot Keywords:

Shaving | Painting | Product Placement | Airport | Flight Attendant

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Tom Hanks	...	Viktor Navorski
Catherine Zeta-Jones	...	Amelia Warren
Stanley Tucci	...	Frank Dixon
Chi McBride	...	Mulroy
Diego Luna	...	Enrique Cruz
Barry Shabaka Henley	...	Thurman
Kumar Pallana	...	Gupta Rajan
Zoe Saldana	...	Torres (as Zoë Saldana)
Eddie Jones	...	Salchak
Jude Ciccolella	...	Karl Iverson
Corey Reynolds	...	Waylin
Guillermo Díaz	...	Bobby Alima (as Guillermo Diaz)
Rini Bell	...	Nadia
Stephen Mendel	...	First Class Steward
Valeri Nikolayev	...	Milodragovich (as Valera Nikolaev)

Also Known As:

Terminal (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief language and drug references.

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Russian | Bulgarian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L (original rating) | South Korea:All | Canada:G (Quebec) | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Malaysia:U | Finland:K-3 | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Spain:T | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | France:U | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Brazil:12 | Chile:TE | Germany:o.Al. | Hong Kong:IIA | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:MG6 | Norway:A | Peru:PT | Philippines:G | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 (certificate #40891)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

When "the war is over" and where Tom Hanks and other people sing the national anthem they sing The Albanian National Anthem in "gibberish" words.

Goofs:

When Navorski first arrives in the International Lounge, the guard gives him a prepaid phone card and tells Navorski that there is $15 dollars on it. When Navorski enters the private lounge area you are able to see that the back of the card says $10. But when he is trying to get someone to help him use the card, it's back to being a $15 card.

Quotes:

[first lines]
PA announcer: United airlines announcing the arrival of Flight 9435 from Beijing. Customer service representative please report to gate C42.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Spielberg on Spielberg (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Del' Divani

Enjoyable and Uplifting Fantasy

I did not want to watch this movie first - I don't like the claustrophobic movies where the fun has been made of the characters who are awkward foreigners that can not speak English. Spielberg's "The Terminal" has got it all but I've came to like it. Technically, it is great - the work of Spielberg's set decorators' and cinematographer's is superb. After a few obligatory jokes based on the main character's total puzzlement and confusion regarding what is happening to him, film starts to look at that man closer and finds a lot in him to admire. The most important for me was the part when we finally find out why Victor Navarsky (Tom Hanks), the citizen of the fictitious Eastern European Country Krakozia came to New York City, NY, USA. The story behind his arrival is simple, sweet, and touching.

I did not like Catherine Zeta Jones in the movie - her strength and her weakness are the same - she cannot forget how beautiful and sexy she looks on the screen. Sometimes, it works perfectly ("The Mask of Zorro", "Chicago", and "Intolerable Cruelty"). Sometimes, like in this movie, it does not work at all. Another detail - I don't think that making the villain of huge proportions of Stanley Tucci's character was such a great idea. It is not exactly clear why he is determined to make Victor's life even more confusing and miserable with the tenacity deserving better purpose. It was not exactly necessary to make a hero and saint of Hanks' character, either.

With all the negatives, "The Terminal" for me is an enjoyable and uplifting fantasy - sentimental, of course and not perfect but fine and touching.