Apollo 13

1995
PG
2h 20m

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

323K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer0:57

Survival Adventure Drama History

NASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy.NASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy.NASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

323K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

923

320

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 2 Oscars
- 31 wins & 59 nominations total

Trivia
In a commentary track, Marilyn Lovell comments that Tom Hanks exactly portrays Jim Lovell's mannerisms and style of movement.

Goofs
Before re-entry, the crew were informed that their course was shallowing because they did not have the lunar samples that would have been gathered if they had landed on the Moon. This is incorrect. Just as Galileo (and the Apollo 15 astronauts) showed that objects of different mass fall at the same rate in a vacuum, Apollo 13's trajectory wasn't affected by its mass. The actual cause was the lunar module cooling system that evaporated water into space, creating an unintended and small but significant thrust. Ballast WAS transferred to the CM to shift its center of gravity for proper aerodynamic lift and steering during the actual re-entry.

Quotes
NASA Director: This could be the worst disaster NASA's ever experienced.
Gene Kranz: With all due respect, sir, I believe this is gonna be our finest hour.

Alternate versions
A digitally remastered IMAX-format version was released in September 2002. It is about 20 minutes shorter in running time than the original theatrical version. Some of the missing scenes are the dinner that the astronauts have aboard the ship that results in Fred Haise being sick into a plastic bag, and Marilyn Lovell telling the off the press.

Connections
Edited into Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)

Soundtracks
Waiting
Written by Carlos Santana, David Brown, Gregg Rolie, Michael Shrieve (as Mike Shrieve), Jose Chepito Areas (as Jose Areas), and Mike Carabello
Performed by Santana
Courtesy of Columbia Records
by arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User reviews477

Review

Featured review

9/10

Great Movie

My first job as an engineering graduate in 1960 was with NASA. I was fortunate enough to have been a Project Engineer on the Apollo Program, and I am familiar with the technical aspects of the program. But this movie was not as much about the technical aspects of the program as it was about a thrilling, real-life drama that just happened to take place during a glorious time and a once-in-a-lifetime project. Despite all of the little technical errors, Ron Howard and his crew have put together a superb film, one that deserved the 9 Academy Award nominations which it received. I wish that present-day film-makers would concentrate on happy situations, like this one, instead of the constant barrage of drivel to which we, the movie-going public, are made subject. Long live NASA and long live courage!!