Apollo 13 (1995)
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After an explosion leaves their spacecraft crippled, three astronauts must survive a perilous journey back to Earth.
The story
The film dramatizes the aborted 1970 Apollo 13 lunar mission. Astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise are aboard the spacecraft for the United States' fifth crewed mission to the Moon. During the journey, an on-board explosion occurs, stripping the craft of essential oxygen and electrical power. This crisis forces NASA's flight controllers in Houston to abandon the planned moon landing and work frantically to improvise mechanical and scientific solutions to ensure the three astronauts can return safely to Earth.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film follows the 1970 Apollo 13 mission, where astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise are en route to the Moon. An explosion causes a loss of oxygen and power, forcing NASA to pivot from a landing mission to a rescue operation. The crew is forced to use the Lunar Module as a 'lifeboat' while facing freezing conditions and a carbon dioxide buildup. Ground control must improvise a 'Rube_berg' device to fix the filtration system. After a tense period of radio silence during re-entry, the crew successfully splashes down and is rescued by the USS Iwo Jima.
- First release year
- 1995
- Runtime (minutes)
- 140
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ron Howard
- Writers
- William Broyles Jr. · screenplay; Al Reinert · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Tom Hanks · Jim Lovell; Bill Paxton · Fred Haise; Kevin Bacon · Jack Swigert; Gary Sinise · Ken Mattingly; Ed Harris · Gene Kranz; Kathleen Quinlan · Marilyn Gerlach Lovell
- Genres
- docudrama; drama; adventure
- Themes
- survival; teamwork; problem-solving
- Tone and mood
- tense; dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- space exploration; historical drama; survival
- Source material / true-story basis
- Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13, by astronaut Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 94% · scale: percentage · review count: 150
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Film Editing · win; Academy Award · Best Sound · win; Screen Actors Guild Award · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture · win
- Production trivia
- The film was the first to be digitally remastered using IMAX DMR technology.; The actor Tom Hanks was cast because of his knowledge of Apollo and space history.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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