Ron Howard’s Apollo 13 Is Back in Theaters. Go See It and Feel Something.

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Early in Ron Howard’s *Apollo 13*, there’s a small scene I always love that really sets the stage for the whole film. It happens shortly after the 1969 moon landing. Astronaut Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) and his wife, Marilyn (Kathleen Quinlan), are playfully drunk, looking up at the stars. Lovell lists famous explorers: “Christopher Columbus, Charles Lindbergh, and Neil Armstrong,” he says, then repeats “Neil Armstrong!” with a chuckle, almost in disbelief. Tom Hanks delivers the line perfectly, capturing the moment. To the Lovells, Neil Armstrong isn’t a legendary figure, but simply someone they know – a colleague in the space program and a family they’ve socialized with. Marilyn adds, “I bet Jenny Armstrong doesn’t get a wink of sleep tonight,” highlighting their personal connection to this historic event.

Today marks the 30th anniversary of *Apollo 13*, and it’s being re-released in IMAX – it’s sure to look stunning! I remember waiting over an hour to see it in 70mm back in 1995. But beyond the impressive visuals, what truly makes the film work is the realistic, everyday atmosphere director Ron Howard creates. It’s a story about a close-knit group of people whose lives are turned upside down, and even amidst the suspense and disaster of the Apollo 13 mission, Howard maintains that sense of relatable normalcy.

Ron Howard often gets overlooked as a truly skilled director. While critics tend to focus on more flamboyant filmmakers, Howard’s movies have a unique feel to them. He’s particularly good at directing actors, likely because he was one himself for years, and this skill shapes his films, giving them a strong sense of community. Whether it’s a retirement home in *Cocoon* (1985), a factory in *Gung Ho* (1986), a large family in *Parenthood* (1989), firefighters in *Backdraft* (1991), or a newsroom in *The Paper* (1994), Howard excels at portraying the dynamics of close-knit groups – how they function, develop their own personalities, and how conflicts naturally arise from being so close to one another. He clearly enjoys exploring these relationships.

He’s skilled at creating a strong sense of place – likely because he started his acting career on soundstages and grew to value filming on location. This ability often leads to movies that don’t just put you in a character’s shoes, but into the shared thoughts and feelings of an entire group. Even his films about individuals capture this quality; for example, while A Beautiful Mind focuses on mathematician John Nash, it also vividly portrays the close-knit world of Princeton University. Apollo 13 famously featured the line “Houston, we have a problem,” which perfectly illustrates the film’s appeal: Houston isn’t simply a location, but an entire way of life and thinking.

The realistic, down-to-earth approach was essential for making the movie *Apollo 13* work, because at its heart, it’s a story about things going wrong – not achieving the goal of landing on the moon. After just three days, an explosion caused by a faulty wire left the astronauts stranded in space. Since the film doesn’t have a traditional success story to build towards, it focuses on the struggle to bring the crew home safely. To make that compelling, we need to connect with the astronauts and the people working to save them; otherwise, the dedicated NASA engineers and technicians would just seem like worried, nameless workers. Casting Tom Hanks, fresh off his Oscar wins for *Philadelphia* (1993) and *Forrest Gump* (1994) – and before he became known as “America’s Dad” (some might say this film started that trend) – was a brilliant decision. And casting Ed Harris, Bill Paxton, and Gary Sinise alongside him was even better. Each actor brought a unique energy, yet they all felt like relatable, everyday people.

Despite its stunning visuals, *Apollo 13* is a film focused on the small things – the precise actions and subtle moments that drive the story. Much of the suspense comes from things like Kevin Bacon methodically flipping switches. The film even features a lengthy scene of Gary Sinise’s character, Ken Mattingly, practicing procedures in a simulator – figuring out the exact order to push buttons and restore power. It doesn’t sound like typical blockbuster material, but here we are, still watching and appreciating this classic, now beautifully restored for IMAX. If you get the chance, see *Apollo 13* on a large screen – it might just remind you of the power of collective effort and shared experience.

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2025-09-19 20:54