Which film features Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater?
Quick answer
Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater are the main characters in Titanic (1997), directed by James Cameron. Jack was played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Rose by Kate Winslet. The film won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, tying the all-time record.
Key facts
- Released
- December 1997
- Director
- James Cameron
- Oscars won
- 11, including Best Picture and Best Director
- Famous song
- My Heart Will Go On, sung by Celine Dion
The story
In 1912, Rose, a young upper-class woman engaged to a wealthy man she doesn’t love, meets Jack, a poor artist who won his ticket in a card game. They fall in love aboard the RMS Titanic on its first voyage, before the ship hits an iceberg and sinks. The story is told in flashback by an elderly Rose (played by Gloria Stuart), decades later.
The cast
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Leonardo DiCaprio | Jack Dawson |
| Kate Winslet | Rose DeWitt Bukater |
| Billy Zane | Cal Hockley, Rose’s fiancé |
| Kathy Bates | Molly Brown |
| Gloria Stuart | Old Rose |
Records
- Titanic’s 11 Oscars match Ben-Hur (1959) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) for the most ever.
- It was the highest-grossing film of all time for 12 years, until Cameron’s own Avatar (2009) passed it; see the film with Pandora.
Fact vs fiction
- Jack and Rose are fictional, but many characters were real, including Molly Brown, Captain Edward Smith and shipbuilder Thomas Andrews.
- The real Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, with more than 1,500 people losing their lives.
- Cameron dived to the real wreck, about 3,800 m deep in the North Atlantic, to film footage for the movie.
The door debate
Fans have long argued whether Jack could have fit on the floating door with Rose. In 2023, Cameron ran experiments for a TV special and concluded Jack might have survived in some scenarios, though he stressed the story needed Jack to die.
For more film facts, see who directed Jurassic Park.
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