This film has been and will continue to be compared to "The Aviator" - a film that frankly bored me. "The Amazing Howard Hughes" looked and felt real because it focused upon Hughes as a real life flesh and blood man and used few if any cinematic tricks. Tommy Lee Jones made a very credible Howard Hughes from his physique down to his accent.I am interested by the actual business dealings of Hughes and those around him rather than his marriages and affairs. Afterall, there have been many playboy millionaires in America's history but only one Howard Hughes. It wasn't the romances that made Hughes particularly interesting and this film didn't focus on them in the way "The Aviator did. For me, this was a positive.

While "The Amazing Howard Hughes" lacks the great CGI and beautiful polish of the later Hughes biopic "The Aviator", it is a terrific film--and better in some ways. Unlike "The Aviator", "The Amazing Howard Hughes" gives a much more complete account of the billionaire's life. While it fails to did in as much psychological depth as the later film and doesn't build the same sense of sadness, it is a very full portrait. While both films skip most of his childhood (and this is a shame), this made for TV movie goes from his early career through his final years--living as an insane recluse. In the process, Tommy Lee Jones did a wonderful job--looking and sounding much like the man he was portraying. Overall, a great look at the life of Hughes and one of the best made for TV films of the 1970s. And, not surprisingly, it helped to launch Jones' career to much greater heights. Well worth seeing.

This film is outstanding on all levels covered all of Hughes' life which is surprising for a t.v. movie.Don't ever look for any movie t.v. or not to tell the full story of anyones life.This film was done at a time when there was actually(URGH)truth and balance in media.I saw this movie with the limited opinion that he was just some nut case and came away with the opinion that he was an extraordinary complicated man who let his ego get the better of him.There is a message in this film for all of us and that is not to ignore your problems or difficulties.I feel sorry for younger people who will never get the chance to see a biopic that would tell a persons story as accurately as they could.At least not one that was made in this country and certainly not one that was done by Americans.

There's just no comparison between this excellent made-for-TV movie and the awful soap opera Aviator. And talk about casting... HRH was a long, tall (over 6') Texan with a southern drawl. So who does Scorsese pick? A short, blond, blue-eyed kid - di Caprio. On the other hand, Tommy Lee Jones was right on. Looked like Hughes, sounded like Hughes, etc, etc. Oh, and Ed Flanders was MUCH more believable in the role of Noah Dietrich than John Reilly.Both NetFlix and Blockbuster.com have it. If you prefer a chic flick with lots of romance and stories that focus about the women in his life, then Aviator wins. But if you really want to know about HRH, the Las Vegas acquisitions, the Glomar Explorer, etc, then The Amazing Howard Hughes is a far better choice.