easily the most anticipated , most delayed film release of 1997 , james cameron's $220 million " titanic " steams into theaters with a slew of questions to answer , most notably was it worth the wait , the hype , and all that money ? well . " titanic " is big , that's for sure . the size and scope of the production are evidenced by a massive , detailed replica of the white star liner , impressive visual effects , countless extras , and a love story transcending the atlantic ocean itself . that , plus the fact that the storyline is played out over three and a quarter hours , and we're talking epic proportions here . " titanic , " alas , doesn't quite live up to its promise or its much-ballyhooed pricetag . but it's an entertainment on a grand scale nonetheless . water-bound dramas are rarely without their production problems . cameron's own " the abyss " had its fair share , and those dogging " waterworld " ( prior to " titanic , " the most expensive movie in hollywood history ) are legendary . on " titanic , " it's clear that cameron the get-it-right-and-budget-be-damned director fairs far better than cameron the sounds-about-right screenwriter . while the ship sinks convincingly and spectacularly enough , leads leonardo dicaprio and kate winslet get saddled with lots of cornball situations and dialogue . cameron's trump card was to make " titanic " first and foremost a love story . however , his straightforward approach to that fateful night on april 15th , 1912 lends itself better to his visual overtures than his romantic undertones . dicaprio plays jack dawson , a freewheeling , penniless ( are there any other kind ? ) artist from steerage who's smitten by winslet's rose dewitt bukater , a stifled society damsel from the upper decks . cameron paints the haves and the have-nots a little too black and white--the rich are all stuffy , boring snots while the poor are the only ones who really know how to have fun--but on the darker side , billy zane is particularly good as rose's suave , callous fiancé cal hockley . of the innumerable versions of this ocean-going tragedy , this one might be the first to imply that the titanic hit the iceberg because its lookouts were distracted by a couple making out on deck . however , even at its epic length , " titanic " is never boring . time skips by quickly , and there are more than a few decent supporting performances to enjoy , including frances fisher ( as rose's disapproving mother ruth ) and bernard hill , in an underwritten role as the ship's ineffectual captain . perhaps the most interesting aspect of the film occurs during its present-day setup , when a rugged salvage expert ( played by bill " we're toast , man ! " paxton ) has one of his staff explain , via a fascinating computer animation , how the ship went down in the icy waters of the north atlantic , sending 1 , 500 of its 2 , 200 passengers and crew to their deaths . all this , of course , is represented in larger-than-life cameron-a-rama later in the film , when the tragedy of 1912 is stunningly recreated . at this point in " titanic , " dicaprio and winslet take a back seat to the spectacle and , like the rest of us , hang on for dear life . 
