Apollo 13

***Apollo 13*** is a 1995 American space docudrama film directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Ed Harris, and Gary Sinise. The screenplay by William Broyles Jr. and Al Reinert dramatises the aborted 1970 Apollo 13 mission and is an adaptation of the 1994 book *Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13* by astronaut Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger. The film depicts astronauts Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise aboard Apollo 13 for America's third Moon landing mission. En route, an on-board explosion deprives their spacecraft of most of its oxygen supply and electric power, forcing NASA's flight controllers to abort the Moon landing, and turning the mission into a struggle to get the three men home safely.

## Storyline

### Plot

NASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy.

### Genres

* Adventure
* Drama
* History

### Motion Picture Rating

* **13** (Argentina)
* **PG** (Australia)
* **KT/EA** (Belgium)
* **PG** (Canada)
* **15** (Denmark)
* **K-8** (Finland)
* **Tous publics** (France)
* **6** (Germany)
* **L** (Iceland)
* **T** (Italy)
* **G** (Japan)
* **AL** (Netherlands)
* **PG** (New Zealand)
* **11** (Norway)
* **14** (Peru)
* **M/12** (Portugal)
* **PG** (Singapore)
* **12** (South Korea)
* **T** (Spain)
* **7** (Sweden)
* **PG** (UK)
* **PG** (USA)

## Images

USA VHS cover (1995)UK VHS cover (1996)USA DVD cover (1998)USA DVD cover (1999)UK DVD cover (1999)USA VHS cover (2000)UK DVD cover (2002)UK VHS cover (2002)USA DVD cover (2005)UK DVD cover (2005)USA HD DVD coverUK HD DVD coverUSA DVD cover (2009)USA Blu-Ray cover (2010)UK Blu-Ray cover (2010)USA DVD cover (2012)USA Blu-Ray cover (2012)UK Blu-Ray cover (2012)UK Blu-Ray cover (2015)USA Blu-Ray cover (2015)USA DVD cover (2016)USA Blu-Ray cover (2016)UK 4K UHD Blu-Ray coverUSA 4K UHD Blu-Ray coverUK DVD cover (2020)
## Cast and Crew

### Writing Credits (WGA)

* Jim Lovell (book) and
* Jeffrey Kluger (book)
* William Broyles Jr. (screenplay) and
* Al Reinert (screenplay)

### Cast

* Tom Hanks - Jim Lovell
* Kevin Bacon - Jack Swigert
* Bill Paxton - Fred Haise
* Ed Harris - Gene Kranz
* Gary Sinise - Ken Mattingly
* Chris Ellis - Deke Slayton
* Joe Spano - NASA Director
* Marc McClure - Glynn Lunney
* Clint Howard - Sy Liebergot - EECOM White
* Ray McKinnon - Jerry Bostick - FIDO White
* Todd Louiso - FAO White
* Loren Dean - John Aaron - EECOM Arthur
* Jim Meskimen - TELMU White
* David Andrews - Pete Conrad
* Christian Clemenson - Dr. Chuck
* Ben Marley - John Young
* Brett Cullen - CAPCOM 1
* Ned Vaughn - CAPCOM 2
* Carl Gabriel Yorke - SIM Tech
* Arthur Senzy - SIM Tech
* Kathleen Quinlan - Marilyn Lovell
* Xander Berkeley - Henry Hurt
* Tracy Reiner - Mary Haise
* Mary Kate Schellhardt - Barbara Lovell
* Max Elliott Slade - Jay Lovell
* Emily Ann Lloyd - Susan Lovell
* Miko Hughes - Jeffrey Lovell
* Rance Howard - Reverend
* Jean Speegle Howard - Blanch Lovell
* Jeffrey Kluger - Science Reporter (as Jeffrey S. Kluger)
* Cheryl Howard - Onlooker at Launch Site (uncredited)
* Bryce Dallas Howard - Girl in Yellow Dress (uncredited)

### Producers

* Michael Bostick (associate producer)
* Brian Grazer (producer)
* Todd Hallowell (executive producer)
* Aldric La'auli Porter (associate producer)
* Louisa Velis (associate producer)

## Details

### Release Dates

* June 22, 1995 (USA) (Beverly Hills, California) (premiere)
* June 30, 1995 (Canada)
* June 30, 1995 (USA)
* July 22, 1995 (Japan)
* August 5, 1995 (South Korea)
* August 26, 1995 (Taiwan)
* August 31, 1995 (Australia)
* September 6, 1995 (Spain)
* September 14, 1995 (Argentina)
* September 22, 1995 (UK)
* September 22, 1995 (Ireland)
* September 22, 1995 (Uruguay)
* October 6, 1995 (Israel)
* October 6, 1995 (Turkey)
* October 12, 1995 (Netherlands)
* October 13, 1995 (Denmark)
* October 13, 1995 (Finland)
* October 13, 1995 (Italy)
* October 13, 1995 (Norway)
* October 19, 1995 (Germany)
* October 20, 1995 (Austria)
* October 20, 1995 (Switzerland) (German speaking region)
* October 20, 1995 (Portugal)
* November 2, 1995 (Hungary)
* November 3, 1995 (Poland)
* November 3, 1995 (Sweden)
* November 8, 1995 (Belgium)
* November 8, 1995 (France)
* November 10, 1995 (Switzerland) (French speaking region)
* November 10, 1995 (Romania)
* November 15, 1995 (Philippines)
* November 16, 1995 (Czech Republic)
* November 16, 1995 (Slovenia)
* November 17, 1995 (Bulgaria)
* November 24, 1995 (Greece)
* November 30, 1995 (Croatia)
* August 3, 2013 (USA) (Traverse City Film Festival)

### Home Media Release Dates

* November 21, 1995 (USA) (VHS)
* October 7, 1996 (UK) (VHS)
* February 24, 1998 (USA) (DVD)
* March 16, 1999 (USA) (DVD re-release)
* August 16, 1999 (UK) (DVD)
* January 11, 2000 (USA) (VHS re-release)
* February 3, 2002 (UK) (DVD re-release)
* April 8, 2002 (UK) (VHS re-release)
* March 29, 2005 (USA) (DVD re-release)
* April 11, 2005 (UK) (DVD re-release)
* April 25, 2006 (USA) (HD DVD)
* November 13, 2006 (UK) (HD DVD)
* April 16, 2007 (UK) (DVD re-release)
* February 27, 2009 (USA) (DVD re-release)
* April 13, 2010 (USA) (Blu-Ray)
* June 14, 2010 (UK) (Blu-Ray)
* January 10, 2012 (USA) (DVD re-release)
* January 10, 2012 (USA) (Blu-Ray re-release)
* April 23, 2012 (UK) (DVD re-release)
* April 23, 2012 (UK) (Blu-Ray re-release)
* September 10, 2013 (USA) (DVD re-release)
* May 4, 2015 (UK) (Blu-Ray re-release)
* June 2, 2015 (USA) (Blu-Ray re-release)
* July 12, 2016 (USA) (DVD re-release)
* July 12, 2016 (USA) (Blu-Ray re-release)
* October 2, 2017 (UK) (4K UHD Blu-Ray)
* October 17, 2017 (USA) (4K UHD Blu-Ray)
* May 18, 2020 (UK) (DVD re-release)

## Reception

### Box office

*Apollo 13* grossed $355,327,933 worldwide on a $52 million budget.

### Critical response

The film has a 7.6 rating on IMDb and a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

## Company Credits

### Production Companies

* Universal Pictures
* Imagine Entertainment

### Distributors

* Universal Pictures (1995) (USA) (theatrical)
* United International Pictures (1995) (Argentina) (theatrical)
* United International Pictures (1995) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
* United International Pictures (1995) (Germany) (theatrical)
* United International Pictures (1995) (Spain) (theatrical)
* United International Pictures (1995) (Finland) (theatrical)
* United International Pictures (1995) (France) (theatrical)
* United International Pictures (1995) (UK) (theatrical)
* United International Pictures (1995) (Greece) (theatrical)
* United International Pictures (1995) (Japan) (theatrical)
* United International Pictures (1995) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
* United International Pictures (1995) (Spain) (theatrical)
* MCA/Universal Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
* CIC Video (1996) (UK) (VHS)
* Universal Studios Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
* Universal Studios Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
* Columbia TriStar Home Video (1999) (UK) (DVD)
* Universal Studios Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
* Universal Studios Home Video (2002) (UK) (DVD)
* Universal Studios Home Video (2002) (UK) (VHS)
* Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
* Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2005) (UK) (DVD)
* Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (HD DVD)
* Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2006) (UK) (HD DVD)
* Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2007) (UK) (DVD)
* Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
* Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (Blu-Ray)
* Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2010) (UK) (Blu-Ray)
* Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD)
* Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (Blu-Ray)
* Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2012) (UK) (DVD)
* Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2012) (UK) (Blu-Ray)
* Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2013) (USA) (DVD)
* Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (2015) (UK) (Blu-Ray)
* Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (2015) (USA) (Blu-Ray)
* Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (2016) (USA) (DVD)
* Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (2016) (USA) (Blu-Ray)
* Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (2017) (UK) (4K UHD Blu-Ray)
* Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (2017) (USA) (4K UHD Blu-Ray)
* Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (2020) (UK) (DVD)

### Special Effects

* Digital Domain
* Wonderworks (visual effects vehicles)

## Technical Specs

### Aspect Ratio

* 2.35:1
* 4:3 (Full screen and open matte prints)

## Trivia

* Brad Pitt turned down an offer to star in this film and chose instead to star in *Seven* (1995).

## Connections

### Referenced in

* *RocketMan* (1997)
* *The Grinch* (2000)

### Spoofed in

* *Home Alone 3* (1997) - The parrot utters "Houston, we have a problem!"