Saving Amelia
Saving Amelia
5/1/2020 | 26m 42sVideo has Closed Captions
Two rival sisters race to help Amelia Earhart after finding a radio that talks through time.
Two feuding sisters, stuck at home, discover an old radio in their attic that can communicate through time. When they realize they’re speaking with Amelia Earhart moments before her disappearance, a playful discovery becomes a race against history. To change the past and save a legend, the girls must overcome their differences before time runs out.
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Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Saving Amelia is a local public television program presented by WQED
Saving Amelia
Saving Amelia
5/1/2020 | 26m 42sVideo has Closed Captions
Two feuding sisters, stuck at home, discover an old radio in their attic that can communicate through time. When they realize they’re speaking with Amelia Earhart moments before her disappearance, a playful discovery becomes a race against history. To change the past and save a legend, the girls must overcome their differences before time runs out.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch Saving Amelia
Saving Amelia is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipAfter recent announcements from Washington, there's no relief in sight for lockdown restrictions.
The schools, retail shops and many other businesses closed and unemployment reaching record highs.
The effect on the economy and basic human morale is incalculable.
Many are trying everything they can to keep a sense of calm and routine, despite the massive disruption to life and society.
This time has been especially tough on parents having to juggle working remotely, loss of income, having to homeschool children and troubleshoot technology.
Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!
No!
It's okay, Puppy.
W’ll get them next time.
What's funny?
Nothing.
What are you typing?
Nothing.
Seriously, what are you typing?
Let me see.
Who are you messaging?
What is it?
Morse code.
What's it say?
It's a secret.
Mimi!
Tell me what it is!
Girls, you are on thin ice with me!
Can you please just stop?
But we did’t- You are doing something!
Go outside.
Go upstairs.
Go explore, I don't care!
Just do something away from your screens!
Jeez... Stop!
What does it say?
It says... Anna still plays with baby toys.
Give it back!
Come and get it.
Oh my gosh!
Girls, girls!
Hi, Anna!
Give him back!
Do you want to have some fun?
Are we allowed?
Mom said to explore the house.
Okay, le’s go.
Okay, Puppy.
I'll be back for you later.
Anna, help me open this.
I do’t think we should.
Just help me get the door open!
Whoa... Wha’s this?
I do’t know, maybe a VCR or something.
What's a VCR?
I do’t know.
Roar!
Hey, Anna.
I wonder what this is.
Oh, I think it's great grandp’s.
Papp’s old stuff... I remember he had this in his den.
Take a picture of me!
Cheese!
I honestly don't know how.
Find something cool?
I do’t know, what is it?
Um, I think it's Papp’s old radio.
Let me try.
No!
Go away.
I found it!
So what?
Find something else!
Mimi!
You're so rude.
Sorry.
158 miles... We need help!
W40K Howland Port or W40J Howland Port!
The Electra is down!
Wo’t be able to transmit much longer!
Turn it up!
Please!
W40K Howland Port!
Come in, Howland!
This is Earhart!
Amelia Earhart!
Wh’s Amelia air... Earhart?
She's like the first woman to fly around the world in, like, the 1930s.
Sounds in trouble.
Well, yeah.
She almost made it around the world, but then she disappeared.
Disappeared?
Do I have to explain everything to you?
Hold on... Here.
Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
During an attempt to make a circumnavigational flight of the globe in 1937, in a Lockheed Model 10-E Electra.
Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean near Howland Island.
Their plane crashed into the ocean, sinking into the bottom of the Pacific.
If she died in 1937... how are we hearing her in this radio?
It's impossible.
Maybe da’s antennas probably have a signal.
Really?
A TV antenna?
Give me a break.
It's more like sun spots... or wormholes.
No.
It's probably just a recording.
Maybe we could ask.
How?
Besides, this radio show didn't even get it right.
It says they crashed on an island, but they crash landed in the ocean.
Maybe we could help!
Us?
Really?
Breaker, breaker.
Amelia.
This is Mimi.
We can save you from a plane crash that happened 80 years ago!
Roger.
Roger.
Over and out.
Besides, we don't even have a- microphone.
This will help us.
It's not her.
I want to talk to her.
Whoever she is.
Fine.
Hello?
Hello?
It would help if you turned it on.
Hello, Amelia?
Anyone there?
I told you it was just a recording.
I'm bored.
Hm, maybe... What is this?
Hello?
Hello?
Is anybody there?
Hello?
Who's there?
Do that again!
Hello?
Hello?
Who is this?
Howland?
I'm Anna.
I'm nine years old.
Hello, Anna!
My plane crashed on an island.
We have no fuel and our radio battery is nearly dead!
We have no water!
Please!
Please, can you help us?
W’ve got to do something!
Even if it was her, which is scientifically impossible.
What could we possibly do?
I don't know, but... but I think we ought to try.
We could save her life and friends too.
Please, Mimi?
It's stupid, but what else are we gonna do?
Thank you, Mimi!
Um... now what?
You try and get her back on the radio.
When she comes back, we'll explain to her what's going on.
I'm gonna try and find why she says the’re on an island.
Thank you!
Hello, Amelia.
You there?
Amelia!
You there?
Amelia!
Anything?
Nothing, you?
Not sure.
What is it?
This one part says she crashed into the ocean.
But how could she be sending radio signals?
Then I saw this part under other theories.
What's it say?
Okay, so it says they were running out of fuel.
Some believe Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan having not found Howland Island would not waste time searching.
She said Howland on the radio.
Instead, they returned to the south and looked for other islands.
If they missed Baker Island, then sometime later they would fly over Nikumaroro or Gardner Island, about 350 nautical miles south southeast of Howland Island.
So everybody is looking for her, but they never find her because they- they're looking in the wrong place.
Wait, so if she did’t crash in the ocean, she was on an island calling for help?
And no one came.
We got to do something.
It says here her last transmission was Wednesday, July 7th at 6:15 p.m.. Today is Wednesday.
And it's 5:15 p.m.
now.
If this is a wormhole, or whatever, her day, a Wednesday like ours, might run parallel to ours.
In which case, in one hour it'll close and we won't be able to transmit much longer.
Look.
There.
60 minutes.
I'll search for more answers, and you see if you can get Amelia back on the radio.
I'll try.
Howland, this is Earhart!
Do you read?
Howland?
Howland, do you read?
It's her!
Well answer it!
Amelia, are you there?
Amelia?
Howland?
Hello?
It's Anna, again.
Oh, Anna.
Hello?
Did you call for help?
This is gonna sound strange, but you died 80 years ago.
Amelia?
Still there?
I'm sorry, Anna, but this is a real emergency, and I need to keep this frequency clear to call for help.
I was just trying to help.
Maybe we can.
Look, I think I found a way to help Amelia.
Amelia, this is Miriam, Ann’s sister.
Miriam, thank you for your help, but I really must keep this line clear.
We can help you.
I appreciate it, but I can manage.
But- Keep this line clear!
Please!
Tell her.
Amelia, if you don't listen to us, you're going to die!
What- What are you talking about?
They don't find you!
But, I radioed.
They'll have my position.
They'll come!
I know it.
No one finds you!
At least not alive.
But how do you know?
They're looking in the wrong place.
I don't understand.
How could you know that?
How can we prove it?
She'll never believe us.
I know.
Did you notice a shipwreck on the south... west of the island?
No.
No wreckage.
I don't get it.
They would have had to seen it.
Maybe it's not right island.
It is.
I know it is.
Wait... What's that, Fred?
You what?
Miriam, yes!
Fred saw the shipwreck!
You found her!
Pound it!
What does that mean?
It means you landed on Gardner Island.
Gardner?
That's impossible.
That's- That's over 300 miles off course.
How can you be sure?
Well, a few years after you disappear, researchers find... well, a woman's black leather shoe and a sextant box with the serial numbers 3,500 and 1,542 I am wearing black leather shoes, and Fred's box has those numbers.
They found one other thing... What?
What did they find?
A skeleton- female, under a tree, on the southeast corner of the island.
I...I...I don't know how, but there is no way you could know such specific details.
So what do we do?
Fred's maps were destroyed.
If we had coordinates, we could tell the Navy exactly where to look.
So we need a map?
If you find a map, you can find the coordinates!
Hurry!
We don't have much radio battery left!
Okay, we'll look!
Okay, we need to find a map.
Maybe Pappy had some maps... I'll look over there.
Okay.
25 minutes left!
Hurry!
Wait!
We got something better!
What?
We just learned Google Earth a couple weeks ago in school.
Perfect.
That's it!
Nikumaroro...or Gardner Island!
Now what?
Okay, we found it.
Now you need to locate the coordinates somewhere on the map.
Well... it's not quite a map.
It's Google Earth.
Google what?
Never mind.
Okay, now you need to find numbers with a north, south, east or west and a degree symbol.
Do you see that anywhere?
Okay.
Four point sixty-eight degrees symbol S. Okay, 174.52 degrees symbol W. I don't get it.
Girls!
You might have just saved our lives!
Really?
Keep this line clear and hope it works.
And thank you!
We did it!
Piece of cake.
Ow!
How do we know if it worked?
I don't know.
Maybe it's like in Back to the Future.
The article will change.
Looks... looks the same to me.
Maybe we have to wait till 6:15.
Wait.
It won't work.
Even if she radios are at coordinates.
Even if she radios the right coordinates... the Navy won't hear it.
Amelia, wait.
What is it?
It won't work.
I was reading about you, and it said that the one reason that you were never saved was because your radio frequency was different than the one that the Navy was monitoring near Gardner Island.
They wanted me to put that- that darn new antenna on my plane.
It just took up too much space.
What can we do?
Well, if you can communicate with me, maybe you could communicate with the Navy.
Ideally, we would send Morse code.
They'd hear that for sure, but- but I don't know that and neither does Fred.
We don't know it either.
Mimi!
Your message app!
Of course!
Amelia, hang on!
We just need to download an app, and then we can send your message through.
Please hurry!
Fred is not doing so good... 15 minutes.
15 minutes!
Okay, I'll do the Morse code and... Wait!
It was my idea, I'm doing it!
No way!
It's my app!
Get off!
Look what you did!
Look what you did!
All you care about is yourself!
Well I'm sick and tired of doing everything for you.
You did’t even believe this!
It's all just a joke to you!
You're right- I'm done playing your stupid game!
Well, I hope you're happy because you killed Amelia Earhart!
It's all your fault!
I didn't kill... July 11th, 1937 Dear Meredith, Despite the official reports, we had contact with Amelia and Fred until just after 6 p.m.
on July 8th.
I haven't left my radio post for days.
I'm tired, but I won't give up on them.
I feel like finding them is my destiny.
I miss you dearly, my love.
Yours forever, Lieutenant Francis Bell We can't give up no matter what.
It's our destiny now.
What?
I'm sorry.
Whatever.
You were right.
I didn't believe you.
But I was just playing with you because I love playing with you.
And... I didn't want to be alone.
I believe you now.
It's from Pappy to Great Grandma.
Great Grandma.
Pappy used that very same radio to try and save Amelia.
Does it tie into that wormhole?
I do’t know.
But I think it's up to us to finish what Pappy started.
You really think so?
I really do.
I don't want us to lose her.
And I don't want to lose you either.
You're my best friend Yo’re my best friend too.
Let's do this.
Let's do this- Wait!
What?
What about the laptop?
How are we going to send the message?
I have an idea.
Mimi!
I want my iPad!
Go!
Go!
Go!
Go!
Amelia, are you there?
Amelia?
Hurry up... What if she doesn't answer?
Just keep trying.
I almost have this.
Amelia, Amelia.... She's not there.
Hello?
Anna?
Hello?
We found a way to send the message!
Fred!
Fred, did you hear that?
They're going to do it!
Yes!
Downloaded.
Okay, then here's what you need to do... Okay.
Ready.
Okay.
Ready.
Now turn that radio to 1310 and send that message!
If they hear it, they will come and get us, and- and w’ll be saved.
Okay.
We're ready.
Here.
No, you do it.
Then I need you to work the microphone.
Together?
Together.
Okay, Amelia... we're going to turn to the other station.
We may not hear from you again.
Whatever happens, you have both given us hope.
Thank you!
And don't ever let go of each other.
No matter what.
What do you want?
Goodbye, Anna!
Goodbye, Miriam!
And... thank you.
Goodbye, Amelia.
So when I hit play, it should play the beeps and send the message.
And the Navy will be able to hear it.
Okay.
Thirty seconds!
What if they do’t answer?
Let's just hope they do.
Okay.
Here you go... Now what?
I guess we wait.
What if- Shh!
Wait, listen... They answered!
Yes!
They answered!
Yes!
We did it!
We did it!
Yay!
Wait... now what?
I can decode.
They got the message!
Wait.
Lieutenant Bell.
Pappy?
Do you think we just helped our great grandfather save Amelia Earhart?
Check and see if Amelia is still there!
It's not working.
It's dead.
I hope they got her.
Pappy will never fail.
Girls!
What was that noise?
Nothing!
Get down here and get your schoolwork done!
Okay, mom!
Schoolwork.
Come on, we got this.
Come on.
Moments ago, the President signed an executive order lifting all restrictions and encouraging governors to do the same.
This after an unexpected breakthrough treatment just approved for immediate use.
This new treatment has a profound effect on the virus effectively lowering the mortality rate to one in ten million.
Yes, come on!
And it's all thanks to the research and work of famed scientist Evelyn Earhart.
Congratulations, Puppy.
Evelyn is the great granddaughter of the famous aviator Amelia Earhart, who, after going missing for a week in 1937, completed the last leg of her trek to become the first woman to fly around the world.
Amelia went on to help start NASA and become the first woman to land on the moon.
Anna... look, it changed!
Dear Meredith, We found them!
We found Amelia.
A few days ago, we received a miraculous message with exact coordinates.
She is saved!
I know your love and prayers push me to never give up.
I think of you always.
Your eternal love, Lieutenant Francis Bell We did it!
That's so crazy!
Yeah... too bad no one will ever know.
We know and it will stay in our hearts forever.
You're right.
Now what do we do?
I saw an old satellite dish in the basement.
Let's go!
’ll bring Puppy along!
Video has Closed Captions
Preview: 5/1/2020 | 1m 45s | This is the trailer for Saving Amelia, which is about two rival sisters helping Amelia Earhart. (1m 45s)
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Saving Amelia is a local public television program presented by WQED
















