Pilot Amelia Rennes (Felicity Jones) has already lost her husband in the name of scientific adventure, but when scientist James Glaisher (Eddie Redmayne) needs her gas balloon expertise to confirm his theory that weather can be predicted, the two team up to define meteorology and change the world.
Aeronauts were the 1850’s definition of modern-day pilots. Granted, they steered gas balloons rather than planes, but they were the necessary partners for 19th-century scientists to better understand weather. Though most scientists doubted Glaisher’s assumption that weather could be predicted, he knew that he needed Rennes to deem his theory worthwhile.
With doubts from his fellow scientists and a skeptical father, Glaisher makes it his mission to convince Rennes to join him on his adventure to break the world’s highest ascension record (23,000 feet) and prove how life-altering weather prediction can be.
This aeronautical journey (based on a true story) takes Rennes and Glaisher through a thunderstorm, five-degree weather, and a mind-damaging lack of oxygen, but along the way, Rennes makes peace with her husband’s death and Glaisher redefines his confidence in self and science.
Aside from a rare cuss word and the occasional on-scene glass of whiskey, The Aeronauts is a solid film for teens and adults, paving the road for female recognition in the science community and highlighting the ultimate sacrifice of love. However, the flashback death of Amelia’s husband and the gory aftermath of frostbite and sun exposure aren’t appropriate for children, earning this film Dove-approval for Ages 12+.
The Dove Take:
This edge-of-your-seat adventure to discover weather prediction takes viewers over 30,000 feet in the air, but certain gory, death-related elements aren’t suited for young children or the squeamish.
