The Aviator

A Reaction Paper
By Jessica Mae O. Nubla

This reaction paper discusses my takeaways from the movie “The Aviator”, a
biographical film about Howard Hughes, an aviaton pioneer and film director, and his
battle against severe OCD.

Don’t stop believing

“When I grow up, I’m going to fly the fastest planes ever built, make the biggest
movies ever, and be the richest man in the world.” These were the dreams of a young boy,
named Howard Hughes. The movie portrayed how he fought for his dreams and achieved
it eventually.

The first lesson that I learned was to believe in yourself. Howard made the movie
Hell’s Angels and it was a big hit in 1930, but the amount of work Howard put in making
the movie was no joke. He was constantly pressured by the media because it took him 2
years to finish the movie. However, Howard did not stop there. He saw that the people
enjoyed watching movies with sounds, so he also did that on Hell’s Angels. Every reel was
edited to include sound effects and then he finished the movie in 4 years which costs $4
million.

The second lesson I learned was to believe in your work. The most thrilling part of
the movie was the scene where Howard created the fastest plane and rode it. Thinking that
a man can travel 352 miles/hour, at that time, was really exhilarating. Also, when he
created the biggest plane that was ever built, people mocked him and called the plane
Spruce Goose. But Howard did not mind them and still believed that The Hercules (real
name of the biggest plane), will fly and he did it!

The last lesson I learned was to believe in your capability. Howard’s dream was to
become the richest man in the world. He was capable enough to own TWA, an American
airline. He was also capable of making hit movies. He also had ideas for innovation, such as
that scene when he told his men that the next project would be jet planes.

Howard Hughes’ life was surrounded by different kinds of pressure: pressure from
his work, his illness, and from people around him, but he did not give up on his dream. The
movie taught me that when you believe in yourself, no matter what pressure comes your
way, you can do it. However, just believing in yourself is not enough if you don’t take action
as well.