The Aeronauts: True Story & What The Movie Changed

The Aeronauts tells the thrilling true story of two radical scientists and their aerial journey into the unknown – but how much of it actually happened, and how much of it was fabricated for the big screen? Directed by Tom Harper from a screenplay by Jack Thorne, the film revolves around the scientific saga of James Glaisher and Amelia Wren, whose upwards explorations drastically changed the world’s understand of the meteorological capabilities of the atmosphere. British acting duo Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones join together once again for this production as Glaisher and Wren respectively, headlining a cast which also includes Himesh Patel, Tom Courtenay, Vincent Perez, and Phoebe Fox.

Time has since rendered modern technology that equates to most of Glaisher’s findings, such as the unmanned meteorological balloon, but at this period in history – the mid 1800s – the discoveries were magnetic and influential. However, in the film, they do not come easily. Preempted by a vulturous pack of naysayers in the science community, Glaisher’s passion for aerial exploration and data collection only makes an impression on showgirl aeronaut Amelia Wren, who breaks her hiatus from flying after her husband’s death to join Glaisher on a trip up towards the stars.

The film itself is a visual marvel, a harrowing and thrilling spectacle at the natural beauty of the upper atmosphere. Though not without its quirks, The Aeronauts is also a movie that touches the wonders of human exploration and capabilities, even if it does stretch the truth to do so. With that in mind, here’s how much of The Aeronauts is actually true.

The Aeronauts Characters True Story & Differences

In The Aeronauts, James Glaisher is depicted as perhaps the first meteorologist. Presenting his theories to a slate of fellow scientists, he pleads for funding, convinced that balloon expeditions could help discover how to predict the weather. He’s laughed at by everyone in the scholarly community (“we are scientists, not fortune tellers,” one man scoffs) until he is finally able to convince widow Amelia Wren to pilot his expedition.

In real life, Glaisher was an influential scientist. Not only was he a founding member of the Meteorological Society as well as the Aeronautical Society of Great Britain, but the British Association for the Advancement of Science actually wanted Glaisher to conduct his studies. His track record included 28 ascents between 1862 and 1866, and during that time, he made several observations that were key to our understanding of the weather. Among those were the fact that wind speeds changed at different altitudes, and the way in which raindrops form and gather moisture.

Wren and the perilous tale of her husband who sacrificed himself when their own balloon expedition went awry, however, is complete fable. That being said, her character was inspired by several women who did exist in the aeronautical world. Most obviously, the name Amelia is partly a tribute to legendary aviator Amelia Earhart, but in terms of backstory, including the traumatizing death of her husband, Hooper and Thorne looked at Margaret Graham, the first British woman to make a solo balloon flight, and aeronaut widow Sophie Blanchard.

The Aeronauts Ascent

While James Glaisher may not have embarked on this epic aerial adventure with Wren, the real 19th-century scientist did break the world record for altitude with fellow aeronaut Henry Tracey Coxwell. In explaining his reason for opting to change the character so drastically, Harper admitted that he wanted the story to appeal more to modern audiences. “I wanted it to not be two middle-aged men in a basket. I wanted it to be reflective for a contemporary audience,” Harper told The List.

In real life, Glaisher sought out Coxwell, a well-established professional, to help secure funding from the British Association for the Advancement of Science. And on September 5, 1862, armed with a compass, thermometers, and a platoon of pigeons (as seen in the film), the pair took to the skies and broke the world record for the highest height ever reached by a human being. Glaisher would later write about this expedition in his 1871 book, Travels in the Air.

Whilst up there, there was some claustrophobic drama, but for the most part, the thrilling aspects of the flight were exaggerated. Glaisher really did pass out as a result of the lack of oxygen (his final barometer reading before doing so was an altitude of 29,000 feet) and Coxwell, by the time their journey had reached its end, couldn’t feel his hands. It was later estimated that the pair reached somewhere between 35,000 and 37,000 feet in the sky.

The Aeronauts Descent

Because Amelia Wren is, aside from the occasional reference from reality, a completely fictional character, the scenes of potentially catastrophic danger were primarily and similarly fictionalized. Though Coxwell didn’t do anything as brazen as climbing up the side of the balloon to manually begin its descent, the British scientist did have to embark on some pretty badass recoveries to help bring the balloon back down to safety.

For instance, the atmospheric explorers did encounter some technical difficulties on the descent. Unable to use his hands, Coxwell managed to steer the balloon (and the passed-out Glaisher) down to the ground by pulling the valve-cord with his teeth.

Because Coxwell’s bravery has been so well-cited and documented over the years, some people are very upset about Harper’s decision to gloss over Coxwell’s entire identity. For example, Keith Moore, Head of Library at the Royal Society (the U.K.’s national academy of sciences) told The Telegraph how “it’s a great shame” that Coxwell and his legacy were ignored. Of course, The Aeronauts, while based on true events, is not designed to be a strictly historical reenactment. The film’s thrills come in witnessing the lengths to which humans will go to satisfy their wonder, and the harrowing dangers that come with some of their more ambitious endeavors.

The Aeronauts is now available to stream on Amazon Prime.

About The Author

Luke Parker
(77 Articles Published)

Luke Parker is an award-winning film critic and columnist based in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. As an entertainment journalist, he has interviewed several members of the film industry and participated in some of its most prestigious events as a member of the press. Currently, he is working to obtain his bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication at Towson University. Follow Luke on Twitter @montyparker31

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