The Terminal

Plot

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

Release Year: 2004

Rating: 7.2/10 (124,529 voted)

Critic's Score: 55/100

Director:
Steven Spielberg

Stars: Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chi McBride

Storyline
Viktor Navorski, a man from an Eastern European country arrives in New York. However after he left his country war broke out. Suddenly Navorski is a man without a country – or one that the U.S. cannot recognize, thus he is denied entrance to the U.S. However, he also can't be deported so he is told by the Security Manager that he has to remain in the airport until his status can be fixed. And also Navorski doesn't speak English very well, so he cannot talk to or understand anyone. But he somehow adapts and sets up residence in the airport, which makes the man who placed him there unhappy, as it seems he is in line for a promotion but Navroski's presence might complicate that. So he tries to get Navorski to leave but Navorski remains where he is. Navorski makes friends with some of the people who work in the airport and is attracted to a flight attendant he runs into whenever she comes in.

Writers: Andrew Niccol, Sacha Gervasi

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
–

Dolores 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

Valeriy Nikolaev
–

Milodragovich

(as Valera Nikolaev)

Taglines:
Life is waiting.

Details

Official Website:
DreamWorks |
UIP [France] |

Release Date: 18 June 2004

Filming Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $60,000,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: $19,053,199
(USA)
(20 June 2004)
(2811 Screens)

Gross: $218,686,156
(Worldwide)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

When Amelia does her makeup at the table while sitting with Viktor, she pulls out an Elizabeth Arden compact. Catherine Zeta-Jones, who played Amelia, is a spokeswoman for Elizabeth Arden cosmetics.

Goofs:

Continuity:
When Viktor approaches Torres' desk, from her point of view, we can see his drivers license in front of his light green form in his hand. When the shot switches to Viktor's point of view, ie. the view from the other side, we still see the drivers license in front of the light green form.

Quotes:

[first lines]

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

User Review

Feel-good

Rating: 10/10


It's funny how Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, two of Hollywood's most
powerful men, who could literally do any movie they want, end up making
something like The Terminal. Instead of reaching for new heights of
film-making like including the latest in special effects, or new
original ways of storytelling and editing, Spielberg goes back to a
simpler form. That in itself is surprisingly refreshing. Filmmakers try
so hard to be inventive and change the typical form of the classics,
that when someone finally does go back to that Capra or Wilder fashion,
it ends up seeming original. That's what The Terminal goes for. A movie
about characters, not plot. About emotion, not CGI. It's a true
heart-felt piece of work. It's funny, it's cute, and it always keeps
you interested.

Tom Hanks leads an exceptional cast as Viktor Navorski, a man stranded
in JFK airport, not welcome in the U.S. and having no country to come
home to. Throughout the experience he makes friends, a love interest,
and a rival. He changes all of their lives, of course. That's to be
expected from a movie like this. Tom Hanks is totally believable,
accent and all. It's a performance well worthy of an Oscar nod.

I loved The Terminal for many reasons, but one big reason is it's
simplicity. And more importantly, because it is good at being simple.
It doesn't contribute anything new to movies, it doesn't try to. It is
what it is. A great, feel-good film. Something that is getting rarer
and rarer these days. Sometimes you'll want to see a gritty, wrenching
melodrama, but other times you'll want to see The Terminal.

My rating: 10/10