Apollo 13 (film)

• 1. The Explosion In The Dark

  ›

  On the third day of their journey to the Moon, an electrical short circuit caused a liquid oxygen tank to explode inside the Apollo 13 spacecraft. The blast emptied its contents into space and sent the craft tumbling violently through the void. Oxygen levels dropped rapidly while electrical power failed across the system. Astronaut Jim Lovell watched as his crew faced a terrifying reality: they were stranded three days from Earth with no way to land on the lunar surface. Mission Control in Houston ordered them to abandon the landing attempt immediately. They had to improvise solutions just to survive the return trip home.

• 2. Tom Hanks And The Real Crew

  ›

  Tom Hanks portrayed Commander Jim Lovell in the film released by Universal Pictures on the 30th of June 1995. Kevin Bacon played backup Command Module Pilot Jack Swigert who replaced Ken Mattingly due to exposure to German measles. Bill Paxton took the role of Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise. Gary Sinise appeared as prime Command Module Pilot Ken Mattingly who was grounded shortly before launch. Ed Harris played White Team Flight Director Gene Kranz who declared failure was not an option during the crisis. Kathleen Quinlan portrayed Marilyn Gerlach Lovell, Jim's wife. Ron Howard directed the entire production with assistance from NASA experts. The cast trained extensively at U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama before filming began in August 1994. Actors studied hundreds of pages of NASA transcripts and attended crash courses in physics to prepare for their roles.

• 3. Building Weightlessness On A Plane

  ›

  Director Ron Howard obtained permission from NASA to film scenes aboard a Boeing KC-135 reduced-gravity aircraft. This method created about twenty-three seconds of weightlessness per maneuver. Production teams completed six hundred twelve zero-g maneuvers to capture three hours and fifty-four minutes of footage. The spacecraft interiors were constructed by Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center's Space Works division. Two individual Lunar Modules and two Command Modules were built specifically for filming. These replicas allowed different sections to be removed so cameras could shoot inside them. Air-cooling units lowered temperatures inside soundstages to simulate condensation and visible breath. The actors wore pressure suits that were exact reproductions of those worn by actual Apollo astronauts. They breathed air pumped into the suits just like real spacewalkers did. Filming wrapped on the 25th of February 1995 after principal photography started in August 1994.

• 4. Transcripts Versus Dramatic License

  ›

  The screenplay adapted real transcripts but took artistic license regarding specific dialogue and character interactions. Mission Control did not order the shutdown of fuel cells; Fred Haise found they were already dead due to oxygen system damage. Astronaut Ken Mattingly later said Glynn Lunney was the true hero who brought calm during the crisis. The phrase failure is not an option never appeared in historical records despite becoming a popular tagline. Actual words spoken by Jack Swigert were okay Houston we have had a problem here rather than the simplified version used in the film. Flight Director Gene Kranz managed all essential parts of the flight in the movie while Black Team led by Glynn Lunney handled critical periods after the explosion. A scene showing Marilyn Lovell dropping her wedding ring down a shower drain occurred in reality but the drain trap caught it so she retrieved it easily. The NASA logo seen behind Kevin Bacon did not start being used until 1975.

• 5. Box Office And Critical Acclaim

  ›

  Apollo 13 earned twenty-five million three hundred fifty-three thousand dollars from two thousand three hundred forty-seven theaters during its opening weekend. It ranked number one at the box office beating Pocahontas upon release. Within five days the film generated thirty-eight point five million dollars making it the second-highest five-day opening of all time. Total worldwide gross reached three hundred fifty-five million two hundred thirty-seven thousand dollars. It became the third-highest-grossing film of 1995 behind Die Hard with a Vengeance and Toy Story. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported ninety-four percent positive reviews from one hundred fifty critics. CinemaScore gave audiences an average grade of A on their scale. Roger Ebert called it one of the year's best films told with great clarity and remarkable technical detail. Richard Corliss described it as giving one hell of a ride from lift-off to splashdown. Janet Maslin named it an absolutely thrilling film that unfolded with perfect immediacy.

• 6. Awards And Cultural Preservation

  ›

  The film won two Academy Awards for Best Film Editing and Best Sound out of nine nominations including Best Picture. Ed Harris received recognition for his supporting role while Kathleen Quinlan was honored for her performance as Marilyn Lovell. The Screen Actors Guild Award recognized Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Two British Academy Film Awards were also awarded to the production. In 2023 the Library of Congress selected Apollo 13 for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. This decision cited its cultural historical or aesthetic significance. The American Film Institute ranked Houston we have a problem at number fifty on its list of greatest movie quotes. Apollo 13 appeared on The New York Times Guide to the Best One Thousand Movies Ever Made published in 2004. James Horner composed the score which garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Dramatic Score.