Apollo 13 ***** (1995, Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Ed Harris, Kathleen Quinlan, Gary Sinise) – Classic Movie Review 286

‘Houston, we have a problem.’

Based on the true story of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission to the Moon, director Ron Howard’s triumphant, deservedly popular movie won two Oscars, but disappointingly only for Best Film Editing and Best Sound, though it was nominated for seven others.

Tom Hanks enjoys one of his most famous roles as astronaut Jim Lovell in this 1995 mega-hit. It is many people’s favourite Hanks role, with lots to choose from of course. He has got fine backup from Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon as his fellow astronauts Fred Haise and Jack Swigert.

The trio were scheduled to fly Apollo 14 but are moved up to Apollo 13 in 1970. By then Americans have already walked on the Moon, so there is little interest in this supposedly routine mission, until things go wrong when their spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage and prospects of a safe return look slim. With the eyes of the world suddenly on them, the astronauts must devise a strategy to try to return to Earth safely.

Ed Harris as Houston Mission Controller Gene Kranz and Kathleen Quinlan as Mrs Marilyn Lovell give outstanding, Oscar-nominated Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress performances. Gary Sinise plays Ken Mattingly.

Howard directs for maximum tension, suspense and impact, with the help of stupendous visual effects and art direction. William Broyles’s distinguished, literate screenplay (with Al Reinert) is based on the book Lost Moon by Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger. Broyles went on to write the Cast Away and The Polar Express screenplays for Hanks.

R.I.P. Bill Paxton, who Bill Paxton died after heart surgery on 25 February 2017, aged 61. He worked with James Cameron, as a punk leader in The Terminator, a venal car dealer in True Lies, an ill-fated technician in Aliens and a treasure hunter in Titanic. He also memorably appeared in Weird Science (1985), Predator 2 (1990) and Twister (1996).

© Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Movie Review 286

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