Tom Hanks’ cinematic dominance of the 1990s could make Tom Brady jealous. The movie star reeled off hit after hit and solidified himself as one of, if not the single best actor in modern times. “Apollo 13” tells the true story of the thrilling 1970 lunar mission. Director Ron Howard would team with Hanks, and an absurd cast of powerhouse talents to tell us the story.
Following in the heels of the (alleged) moon landing of 1969, the entire world was on the NASA bandwagon. Hanks stars as Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell, and delivers a performance on par with his other memorable roles. Jim Lovell is not Han Solo. He’s a loving father and husband; devoted not only to his family but his work as an astronaut and a personal affinity for the moon. Lovell loves space, and we get that from Hanks’ performance. The real life commander’s excitement is presented in what can only be described as a thoroughly genuine way.
The three man crew of the moon-bound rocket is comprised of Lovell, Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) and backup Command Module Pilot Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon.) As if those names weren’t enough, add Gary Sinise as prime Command Module Pilot Ken Mattingly, Ed Harris as White Team Flight Director Gene Kranz, and the ultimate thespian Xander Berkeley as a NASA internal affairs agent. Miko Hughes, another highly recognizable face from the 90s entertainment (“Kindergarten Cop” – Boys have a p…) plays Lovell’s young son.
While the story on its surface is one of the conquest of mankind, we get a much more malleable plot than a simple space disaster. Pilot Ken Mattingly (Sinise) is a last minute scratch due to potential Measles infection. The longtime friend and partner of Lovell is replaced by the excitable Jack Swigert (Bacon) which brings trust issues to the claustrophobic cockpit. As the ship begins to malfunction, tensions run high. Survival is a mathematical calculation, and a minute one at that. Cooler heads must work together in order to make it back in one piece.
The 1995 film has some great special effects. Ron Howard brings us inside the cockpit of the ship in a way that feels real. There are also some beautiful shots of the characters witnessing the surface of the moon as the ship orbits around it. And one of the best and most emotional images shows the crew watching the Earth. Their home. Glowing in space. Looking so close yet so far as we know it’s an almost impossible journey for the crew.
Space travel and exploration is in the news today. Billionaires like Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk are making trips. To them its something to brag about. To the crew of the early NASA missions it was a way of life. The entire country was behind the mission itself and the subsequent emergency that ensued over several days. It’s interesting that 1995 is further away from 2021 than the 1970 mission was to 1995 when the film was made.
“Apollo13” is a great movie. It can offer a historical account of the events of 1970 and be an entertaining film that serves as an ambassador for the decade.
