Apollo 13 (1995) - 9/10

In getting my Ron Howard fix this week, I wanted to check out another great commentary for Apollo 13. Everyone knows about or lived through the fateful story that the astronauts went through on this mission but what makes this movie so good is that it really brings you into the real situations and makes you feel for the family involved in the incident. Howard talks about meeting the actual players in the movie and wanting to show the little details they used up there like taping over the disconnect switch or the way Jim saw the landing spot they were supposed to go to on the moon. I liked the pace of the movie as we get these fictional accounts of the events they get called up to the launch and then the eventual suspense of trying to make it back alive. With Ed Harris, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise, and of course Tom Hanks, Apolo 13 is filled with great roles and iconic characters that show the quick decisions needed to bring them home safe. Howard talks about the how they would switch between being on a set to the zero gravity pod they used to simulate the weightlessness so that with the power of editing you can't even tell the difference. From the problem solving excitement of the team on the ground guiding the astronauts, it's the little moments of victory and fear that balance so well with the cutting to the families watching that make it have such an emotinoal impact. Recreating this scenario must have been a nightmare for Howard as he talks about not knowing any of the technical terms NASA was using but instead just wanted to make an entertaining flick of this historic event. I like Apollo 13 for the tension it builds and the payoff that makes you happy knowing it really happened. Howard is a genius in showing the personal side of real events and sticking the audience right in the middle.