A Sweeping Story with a Sweeping Score: An "Apollo 13" Review

“Apollo 13,” the 1995 historical drama directed by Ron Howard, tells the story of the Apollo 13 lunar mission and the ways it went awry. It centers on astronauts Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) as they struggle to get back to Earth alive after calling off the scheduled moon landing due to an oxygen tank exploding. Of course, I had heard of the Apollo 13 space mission, but I never knew the specifics, and boy did this movie deliver! Let me tell you, I have never been more stressed watching a movie in my life. The first 30 minutes were calm and exciting. It promised hope for the mission, and it got me feeling hopeful. This part of the movie was fine, but to be honest, it was a little boring. As soon as things started to go to shit, the movie went from average to amazing. Everything just got better! Tom Hanks pulled out a powerful performance in the role of Jim Lovell. He was commanding and likeable. He really felt like a leader you could root for. There were small moments where is tone was strong when he was talking to “Houston,” but his eyes showed the fear towards his colleagues and his situation. It was just so believable. Kevin Bacon also pulled out a great performance. You could really see the character arch in how he played Swigert. He was cocky about his skills and just plan excited to go to the moon at the beginning. Bacon even squealed with joy when Swigert got the call that he would be replacing Ken Mattingly (Gary Sinise) on the mission. As the movie went on and the stakes got higher, you could physically see Swigert mature. He had a harder look in his eyes and spoke with more urgency. It was like the audience could see the exact moment when Swigert realized that he and his comrades could possibly die on this mission. Bacon brought this realization to life flawlessly. Now, the acting was incredible in this movie but the real stand out star of “Apollo 13” was the score. Composed by James Homer and Michael Shrieve, the music in “Apollo 13” was a character in of itself. It was sweeping when they launched and when they landed. It was fast-paced and angsty when the tension was high. It was an omnipresent force that seemed to take up so much space in the film and continually set the film’s tone. Due to it being so impactful, it was really noticeable when the score faded out. This mostly happened in pivotal moments like when they were waiting to hear back from the crew after the 3-minute blackout. It was almost like the film was holding its breath along with the audience. It was masterfully done. The whole film was a triumph, so if you would like to watch history and art collide through film, I can’t recommend “Apollo 13” enough.