Tom Hanks’ $355M Space Movie Praised for Its Realism by NASA Experts: “Makes Me Hold My Breath”

Ron Howard’s Apollo 13 was one of the most successful films of 1995. Bringing the incredible true story to the big screen, the movie earned $355.7 million at the worldwide box office and numerous accolades (including an Oscar nomination for Best Picture). Though most people watching knew the perilous tale had a happy ending, Apollo 13 still makes for a tense viewing experience, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats thanks to Howard’s steady hand behind the camera and outstanding performances across the board from the cast. One of the most impressive aspects of Apollo 13 is how authentic it feels, and it even dazzled those who work at NASA.

CNN recently ran a feature where retired astronauts raved about some of their favorite space-themed movies. One section is dedicated to Apollo 13. Michael Massimino noted that the film “paid well deserved tribute to the dedicated men and women of Mission Control.” Chris Hadfield added, “It intensely dramatizes the urgent, high-stakes, life-or-death reality of spaceflight.” Perhaps the highest praise came from Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, who says the film “still makes me hold my breath” whenever she watches it.

Apollo 13 Is As Great as the Astronauts Say (and It’s Streaming Now)

It isn’t surprising to see that several NASA employees have a fondness for Apollo 13. The film commemorates one of the agency’s greatest accomplishments, as what could have been a tragedy turned into an inspiring example of people coming together. It’s a story that’s tailor-made for the big screen, and Howard was the perfect director to tell it. Through his classical filmmaking approach, he crafted Apollo 13 into a crowd-pleasing drama that still holds up all these years later. In particular, Howard excelled at staging the set pieces in space, fully immersing viewers in its scope. It’s easy to see why Apollo 13 has been re-released in IMAX.

Apollo 13 also benefits from a strong ensemble cast. Tom Hanks continued an impressive hot streak by being the perfect leading man for the film, fitting the part of Jim Lovell like a glove. His performance blends his everyman charisma with his star power, making the character come across as both relatable and authoritative. He has great chemistry with Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon, who play Lovell’s crewmates Fred Haise and Jack Swigert. During the scenes when the three are in the spacecraft together, they feel like a real team, working together to overcome the problems thrown their way. Ed Harris also gives one of his finest performances as team flight director Gene Kranz, who commands the viewer’s attention whenever he’s on screen.

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Like any “based on a true story” film, Apollo 13 uses artistic license to dramatize the events to fit the film medium. There are some historical inaccuracies to be found, but that doesn’t take anything away from the incredible work done by Howard and his crew. It’s telling that Apollo 13 has so many fans with ties to NASA. Ex-astronauts would be among the first to come out with criticisms if the film did a poor job with its execution. It’s a testament to how great Apollo 13 is that they have nothing but praise for it.

If reading the high praise for Apollo 13 has you wanting to check the film out for yourself (or sit down for an overdue rewatch), it’s currently streaming on AMC+. It’s also available on digital on a variety of platforms like Apple and Amazon. As movie fans prepare for what should be a big year for sci-fi (including the buzzed-about space film Project Hail Mary), it’s a perfect time to add Apollo 13 to the watchlist.

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