Where to watch Apollo 13
4 Stars
Based on the true story of the ill-fated 13th Apollo mission bound for the moon. Astronauts Lovell, Haise and Swigert were scheduled to fly Apollo 14, but are moved up to 13. It’s 1970, and The US has already achieved their lunar landing goal, so there’s little interest in this “routine” flight.. until that is, things go very wrong, and prospects of a safe return fade.
Watching Apollo 13 in a crowded theater during the summer of 1995 is still one of the greatest moviegoing experiences I’ve ever had. You have to remember that Apollo 13 was Tom Hank’s follow-up film to his back-to-back Oscar-winning roles in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump, respectively. Expectations were sky-high as the industry waited for the era’s ‘golden boy’ to make a misstep. Apollo 13 was both a critical darling and a box-office smash.
Apollo 13 expertly interweaves human drama with massive special effects; all of these elements are used to aid in the magnificent telling of an unbelievable true story. All departments are in top form on this project, but it’s the actors that are front and center and uniformly turn in excellent performances. Worthy of praise in particular is Ed Harris as head of NASA mission control and Forrest Gump alumnus Gary Sinise in a pivotal supporting role,but the true’star’ of the movie is the story. This film is a love letter to ingenuity, grace under fire, intelligence, and determination. For my money, Apollo 13 is the best movie ever made about man’s journey to outer space. It’s certainly one of the best, if not the best, films of 1995.
Directed by: Ron Howard
Written by: Jim Lovell, Jeffrey Kluger, William Broyles Jr.
Starring: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon