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(out of 5)
Ron Howard’s best film as director is this gripping account of the failed Apollo 13 mission that thankfully never claimed the lives of its astronauts but threatened to on many occasions. Tom Hanks heads up the operation as Jim Lovell, an astronaut who loses out on Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 trip to the moon but finally gets his dream realized when he is assigned two missions later to travel into the outer reaches of space (Lovell’s book, Lost Moon, which he co-wrote with Jeffrey Kluger, was the basis of this film). During the mission, a malfunction occurs on their spacecraft and Lovell, along with colleagues Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon, are at the mercy of whatever the excellent support team on the ground below led by Ed Harris can figure out to keep them safe. Beautifully photographed, one is convinced when watching this film that the entire crew really did travel into outer space. The drama is rich, the characters moving and the sense of wonder is constantly kept at a high level.
Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment
USA, 1995
Directed by Ron Howard
Screenplay by William Broyles Jr., Al Reinert, based on the book Lost Moon by Jim Lovell, Jeffrey Kluger
Cinematography by Dean Cundey
Produced by Brian Grazer
Music by James Horner
Production Design by Michael Corenblith
Costume Design by Rita Ryack
Film Editing by Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill
Academy Awards
Best Film Editing (Mike Hill, Dan Hanley)
Best Sound (Rick Dior, Steve Pederson, Scott Millan, David MacMillan)
Nominations
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Ed Harris as “Gene Kranz”)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Kathleen Quinlan as “Marilyn Lovell”)
Best Art Direction (art direction: Michael Corenblith; set decoration: Merideth Boswell)
Best Music (Original Dramatic Score) (James Horner)
Best Picture (Brian Grazer, producer)
Best Visual Effects (Robert Legato, Michael Kanfer, Leslie Ekker, Matt Sweeney)
Best Writing (Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published) (William Broyles, Jr.,, Al Reinert)
Golden Globe Award Nominations
Best Motion Picture-Drama
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Kathleen Quinlan)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Ed Harris)
Best Director (Ron Howard
