A Great Film Made At A Strange Time

Rating: Null/10 (1 March 2017)

"Apollo 13" is a great movie...there is no denying that. It is a great example of how a real-life story can be translated into a great big-screen adaptation and be done right (I'm looking at you, "Unbroken"). Unfortunately, I think that "Apollo 13" has gotten a bit of the short shrift over time due to the fact that it was made right on the cusp (1995) of what I consider to be the "new Hollywood" look.
For a basic plot summary, this movie tells the story of the Apollo 13 NASA mission to the Moon. Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton), and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) are the astronauts on the mission, with buddy Ken Mattingly (Gary Sinise) grounded due to a potential case of the measles. Before the mission shifts into its moon exploration phase, however, an on- board malfunction cripples much of their technology and makes even getting back to Earth a dicey proposition. This is where the on-ground flight coordinator Gene Kranz (Ed Harris) and his crew must work their magic in order to bring the three men home and in one piece.
Viewing "Apollo 13" just in terms of story, it is a classic film. There is enough drama in the real- life story to not have to "mess around" with too many things, and director Ron Howard is easily apt enough to know how to bounce back and forth between action and emotion. This is truly a textbook example of how to adapt real events to the big screen...one of the best I've ever seen in that area. Simply put, this film captures the gravitas of the event, what it did to the men involved in the mission and their families, and grounds the events firmly in 1960s culture in both look and feel.
It only helps to have such great acting. Hanks is his usually brilliant self, while Sinise, Bacon, and Paxton are all great auxiliary players. At times, Harris even steals the show as he essentially is forced to do the impossible to bring the men home. Kathleen Quinlan also adds some emotional depth with her turn as Jim Lovell's wife Marilyn.
Sadly, despite this being such an exercise in film-making, I think that the timing of the film makes it a bit hard to quantify. Had it been made a couple of years earlier, it would be considered a "classic" much like Hanks' Forrest Gump (1994). Had it been made a few years later, it would probably get more air time than it does. As it was, however, "Apollo 13" walks perfectly down that center line between feeling "old" vs. feeling "new". Now don't get me wrong...I'm not saying there is anything wrong with older movies. But this movie just has a strange feel to it because even thought it deals with space and technology, it has that look of being filmed on older film or something like that. I'm sure someone more immersed in film technology could tell me the exact reason why I feel this way.
Overall, though, "Apollo 13" is a great movie that was a joy to watch again having not seen it for a number of years. It is emotional, inspiring, and exciting all at the same time. For an interesting tie-in to the current film culture, I highly recommend it for anyone who really enjoyed 2014's "Interstellar". Both films share very similar themes despite being very different in actual content.