"Apollo 13" | Review

1995 - Drama/History

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The film, “Apollo 13”, showcases the true story of astronauts who, through their bravery, quick-thinking, and dedication, were able to survive a mission trip to the moon gone horribly wrong. Featuring a star-studded cast of Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton as the main characters, this seemingly according to plan lunar mission takes a drastic turn once an oxygen tank explodes, forcing them to call off their previously scheduled moon landing. Between the several technical, emotional, and health issues that arise, tensions are high as things continue to increasingly go wrong in their fight back to Earth. Knowing the true story, I had been aware towards the outcome of the three men aboard the space shuttle, Odyssey, yet that didn’t stop me from staying on the edge of my seat in anticipation for the trials it took them to make that safe landing home again.

On April 11, 1970, three men by the names of James A. Lovell Jr., John L. Swigert Jr., and Fred W. Haise Jr. had embarked on a mission planned for ten days. Their goal was to land on the moon, exploring the lunar surface to investigate the area and gather samples for research. From a personal perspective, Lovell, played by Tom Hanks, had also simply wanted to experience walking on the moon, feeling as though taking steps on the moon was the ultimate achievement within his astronaut career. The film began by showing the men being selected as a surprise crew for the Apollo 13 mission, before we briefly watch them prepare for their training. During the 1960s and 70s especially, space exploration was considered to be an act of bravery executed by esteemed “heroes”. Around the world, millions of individuals became invested in this mission seeing as the space program was still relatively new, making the tensions even higher within the film. The mission control center that oversaw the flight were on edge while trying to navigate the shuttle to safety, and those listening at home felt the fear as well.

These three men, Lovell, Swigert, and Haise, faced the possibility of being left in space. Their oxygen was quickly running out, carbon monoxide was accumulating, and the temperatures had dramatically dropped to freezing levels. Haise, played by Paxton, had to endure sickness caused from the freezing conditions. Swigert, played by Bacon, believes mission control was purposely withholding information that would lead them home, while Haise began feeling anger towards Swigert, blaming Swigert’s lack of experience as the reason they were in the dangerous position. Additionally, there was the issue of whether they’d enter Earth’s atmosphere at the right position, as too steep would leave them cremated, and too shallow would send them flying off into space again. Between all these factors of wondering whether they can beat all the obstacles placed against them, I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief once they had made it home and hearing mission control state that they had safely landed.

Upon further research, I also discovered that most of the retellings and imageries within this film were accurate to the true story. The writers and directors had done an amazing job at ensuring accuracy as much as possible, which added even more to the brilliance of this film. The acting, writing, imagery, emotional tensions – all of it had showcased the technical detail and care that was shown for this film. There was no need to add Hollywood dramatics, as the story and the true bravery of these men spoke for itself. There was a perfect balance between showing the perspective of the men, mission control, and outside audience reactions (ex. Lovell’s wife) to provide full clarity to this story. Great storytelling, great acting, brilliant film!