Take 35: Apollo 13

Tuesday: My "take" on a film.

Apollo 13 (1995)

"Houston, we have a problem."

This film earned a spot in Roger Ebert's 33 Movies to Restore Your Faith in Humanity. With that in mind, I rewatched the movie to see if Ebert is right. And he is.

Based on an actual event, Ron Howard directed the film with great attention to detail as it portrays the near-fatal voyage of Apollo 13 when an oxygen tank explosion cripples the spacecraft with astronauts Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton), and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) aboard.

So how does this film restore faith in humanity? Through several facets. The flight crew pulls together in crisis, treating each other with respect. And Houston Mission Control reveals masterful creativity and ingenuity as they put their heads together for solutions. Ebert describes them as, "...men trained to do a job, and doing a better one than anyone could have imagined." Examples of teamwork and courage abound.

But the biggest boost for my faith in humanity came while watching people around the world worry, watch, and pray for the safe return of three stranded astronauts. Millions praying for three. That's humanity--universal humanity.

Trailer: Apollo 13

Notes on content:

• The language is a bit strong for a PG film, with several vain references to Deity, and frequent mild to moderate swearing. A possible F-word, but not distinct.
• A few sexual innuendos and references.
• Some explosions in space and tense situations.

Enemy of art is the absence of limitations.

Monday: Dialogue, Lines, or Quotes

"The enemy of art is the absence of limitations." (Orson Welles)

Movies of yesteryear had more limitations, so filmmakers were creative with how they portrayed certain scenes. Hitchcock brought terror to his audience without showing graphic violence or gore. And in D.W. Griffith's silent film, Way Down East (1920), no crude language or vulgar images were necessary for the audience to grasp the meaning of a scoundrel's hand on an innocent girl's knee.

Too many of today's filmmakers buy into a no-holds-barred-push-the-envelope mentality and fall short in the creative department.

If filmmakers combined today's technology with yesteryear's stricter codes, we could have some incredibly creative films.

Pages for Reviews

I organized my film reviews for easier reference... see the above tabs:

• My "Take" (Reviews) -- An alphabetical listing with links to movie reviews published on this blog.
• My ClearPlay Movie Reviews -- An alphabetical listing with links to movie reviews I've written for ClearPlay, published on their website.
• Note: ClearPlay is a legal filtering company that has been around for nearly two decades. With ClearPlay, you can set what level of filtering you want for various content such as profanity, nudity, and violence. Filters are available through streaming, or with their patented Blu-Ray and DVD player. 

Stay tuned for more reviews to come!