For those born in the modern era, the idea of space travel is part of daily life. Going to the moon is taught in every American school. All the preparation and dangers of the process are not significant to us. Ron Howard’s 1995 film Apollo 13, written by William Broyles Jr. and Al Reinert, serves as a reminder of space exploration’s danger. 

            The film chronicles the events of NASA’s Apollo 13, and crew in their attempts to return to Earth safely. While Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton), and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) struggle aboard the ship to survive. Ground Control works feverishly to devise a plan to bring them home and deal with the media’s renewed interest in the project.

            The film opens with Jim Lovell hosting a watch party at his home. He joined his crew and their family and friends to watch the moon landing of Neil Armstrong. After the party, Lovell is approached by his wife as he stares at the moon. He expresses his interest in going to the moon and tells her how important it is to him. This scene serves as the introduction to the emotions and human aspects of space exploration.

            After Apollo 13 enters space, they attempt to broadcast their daily lives to the American people. Unknowingly, all channels have just dropped the event from their viewing schedule. When asked about this, a member of ground control states,” After going to the moon, everything else looks like a trip to Pittsburgh.” The American people have begun to forget the importance of space travel. It has become an expectation for these trips to go safely.

            The public only gains interest again once an oxygen leak occurs on the ship. This causes Apollo 13 to lose power and oxygen. Suddenly, the danger of space reenters the minds of the world. The news outlets flock to the friends and family of the crew.

            The true magnitude of space exploration and its preparation is emphasized through the techniques Ron Howard employs. In all training and medical examination scenes, close-ups are used. This forces the audience to focus on the hundreds of tiny details involved in only one task. This same method allows for the audience to empathize with the emotions of the crew and the individuals involved.

            In scenes that involve large events or processes, Howard uses wide-angle shots to portray the massive scale of NASA and spacecraft launches. This method is also used to show the impact of small mistakes on large processes.

In the film’s most climactic moment, a small miscalculation in angle by the crew could lead to the deaths of everyone on board. The crew of Apollo 13 called down to ground control, and they all work feverishly to check the math. Multiple people around the base must check the equations in a matter of seconds.

The performances of Tom Hanks (Jim Lovell) and Kathleen Quinlan (Marilyn Lovell) anchor the emotion of the film. Through these two and their relationship, the audience can experience the stress and emotions involved in a space launch. Hanks brings confidence and passion to the role.  He can realistically portray the aura of a leader while remaining relatable.

Quinlan is also able to add intensity to the role. She plays Marilyn as a passionate woman with the strength and courage to survive her husband’s dangerous job. Through her, the audience is given insight into the pressure put upon the family of an astronaut.

Apollo 13 is a film of massive scale. The undertaking of a project that features space and its necessary equipment is difficult. Ron Howard successfully delivers a realistic-looking piece with a heart of gold. The characters feel real, and the drama is intense. Through Apollo 13, the public may understand the gravity of space exploration.