The Terminal is a 2004 Steven Spielberg film that starred Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The story of the film revolved around a man who was trapped in a terminal of JFK International Airport when he was denied entry to the United States of America and at the same time can't go back to his country due to a revolution. Despite of being a Spielberg film and casting two box office heavyweights Hanks and Zeta-Jones, The Terminal got mixed reviews from critics. Despite the reviews, the film was considered as a box office success as it grossed a total of more than $219 million. The film is said to be inspired by the 18-year stay of Mehran Karimi Nasseri at Charles de Gaulle Airport, Terminal I, Paris, France from 1988 until 2006.
The plot revolved around its main character Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks). Navorski went to the United States to fulfill his father's dream of collecting the autograph of 57 jazz musicians featured in one particular photograph. Navorski is a native of a fictional country named Krakozhia and upon entering the United States, it was found out on the news that the rebels have overthrown by the rebels thus invalidating his passport and leaving him stranded and stateless and can't go back home because of the revolution in his country. Navorski was forced to stay at the airport for nine months and in the process befriended many of the airport's staff particularly flight attendant Amelia Warren (Catherine Zeta-Jones) but became a prime target of Officer Frank Dixon who wants to get rid of the "Navorski problem".
Navorski explains to Warren about his main purpose in going to the United States and Warren in return promised and did her best to help Navorski. When the war in Krakozhia is over, Dixon still refused to give Navorski the permission and Warren sought the help of a friend whom she had an intermittent affair with to help Navorski obtain a permission to get into the United States. Navorski however discovered later on that Warren have renewed her relationship with her friend and left him disappointed. Dixon on the other hand wanted Navorski out and wants to deport him but because of the interference of Navorski's friends, he was allowed to leave the airport and look for Benny Golson, the jazz player whom he aims to get an autograph. It was also the last time that Warren and Navorski saw each other as Warren exits a cab and gives Navorski a wistful smile. After getting Golson's autograph, Navorski boarded a cab and tells the driver that he wants to go "home".
During the production of the tilm, Spielberg travelled around the world to look for an airport where he could film for the entire length of the production but found none. Instead of looking for an airport, The Terminal set was made in the massive hangar at LA/Palmdale Regional Airport. Everything functioned in real life as they did in the set. There were real food, ice cream, and coffee in appropriate outlets, the escalators were purchased from previously bankrupt department stores, and each outlet featured in the film were actually sponsored by the real company. The production of the film included production companies DreamWorks SKG, Amblin Entertainment, and Parkes MacDonald Productions. The film was set on LA/Palmdale Regional Airport at Palmdale, California and Mirabel International Airport at Mirabel, Montreal.
Critics gave The Terminal different rates. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 60% rating while Metacritic gave 55 out of possible 100 score (55%). Joe Morgenstem of Wall Street Journal said that "The Terminal is terminally fraudulent and all-but-interminable comedy." Salon.com wrote that "it was the worst film Speilberg has ever made." Michael Wilmington of Chicago Tribune however praised Speilberg for the film saying "that the film takes Speilberg into realms he's rarely travelled before" and Dana Stevens of New York Times said that Hanks' performance brought a lot to the movie.
The movie was said to be inspired by Mehran Karimi Nasseri, an Iranian also known as Sir, Alfred Mehran (including the comma), who was stranded in the Terminal One of Charles de Gaulle Airport from August 1988 to July 2006. During his stay at the airport, Nasseri never left without his baggage at his side and he was seen either reading a book, writing in his diary, or studying economics. He would regularly recieve food and newspaper from the employees at the airport. As of the moment, Nasseri lives in his Paris home.
The presence of Hanks, Jones, and Spielberg in the film contributed highly for its success. It grossed over $219 million from a $60 million budget and got worldwide applaud.