Apollo 13 Review
Douglas Smith
Business of Film 002
Apollo 13
Review
August 30th, 2020
Ron Howard’s 1995 space
docudrama film Apollo 13 provides audiences with a big budget technical marvel
that through its drama and sentimentality seeks not only to entertain viewers
but also to emotionally invest them in its theatrically adapted historical plot.
Overall, it largely accomplishes this goal, though perhaps at the risk of
putting off some viewers who are not as into the “gushiness” they may interpret
in some scenes. Aided by points of moral seriousness and brief comedy, as in
Kevin Bacon’s character, the film levels out emotionally enough to form a
decent representation of the human condition, which while not specifically dwelled
on all that much still comes to light through small gestures in moments of
crisis. The film,
taking place largely either in Houston, Texas or in and around the Moon,
revolves around four astronauts and various members of their families in 1970. Tom
Hanks’ Jim Lovell, Bill Paxton’s Fred Haise, Kevin Bacon’s Jack Swigert, and
Gary Sinise’s Ken Mattingly all cooperate to return the 3 former men back to
Earth after something goes critically wrong on a NASA mission to the Moon.
Memorable and mentionable supporting characters include Mrs. Marilyn Lovell,
played by Kathleen Quinlan and Gene Kranz, played by Ed Harris. Due to the nature
of much of the film being set in space, the 3 men on board their capsule are
confined to it, and subsequently must work through environmental and technical
issues occurring on their craft with the help of a control room in Houston,
while being watched by near grieving family members on television screens.
Minor subplots revolve around this main issue including but not limited to small
conflicts between Hanks and Sinise’s characters, as well as Bacon and Paxton’s
characters due to circumstances beyond the separately accused’s control. One
of the more impressive elements of the film is its design, including the set, costumes,
historical detail, and graphical components. Aside from the attention to detail
that was implemented in recreating the world of 1970, Apollo 13 boasts
some fascinating shots filmed inside a high-altitude craft capable of achieving
zero gravity. As a result, shots of the astronauts interacting with their non
grounded environment are both accurate and realistic. In addition to this,
computer generated graphics used in the film provide adequate visuals for
understanding the event and marveling at its spectacle. Another interesting area
of the film is its many character-oriented details such as Barbara Lovell’s
time period relevant flair choices, Haise’s playing of Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit
in the sky”, and Kranz’s wearing of his wife’s tailor-made waistcoat. These too,
could potentially be pointed out as “cheesy” elements of the film which distract
from the tenseness of the main event, but they are nonetheless elements which
serve to breathe life into the human driven machine which is Apollo 13. While short
lived emotions and multi layered plot elements may construct a potentially hap
hazard film overall, that definition may not fit this film due to its historical
context and ability to invigorate the sometimes purely technical. It is true
that the sudo “Hanksian” nature of Apollo 13 tends to rely more on an American
spirit of idealism and “winnability” at times, though this doesn’t cancel out a
tense and frustrated undercurrent evident in the effects of the films central
crisis. As a result, audiences can expect a film which appeals to many of their
emotional senses yet also contains a fairly realistic depiction of an almost
unfathomable historical event. With a full cast of characters, details and
design Apollo 13 achieves something difficult yet respectable in its portrayal
of desperation in a family friendly manner.
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