Apollo 13

Ron Howard directed this 1995 adaptation of Lost Moon, astronaut Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger’s book about the harrowing flight of Apollo 13. This meticulous but ultimately rather pedestrian drama gradually won me over as a minor if watchable example of the victory through defeat brand of military heroism that John Ford specialized in. But it’s a long way from Howard’s best movie, not to mention Ford’s worst, and at 139 minutes it repeatedly risks overstaying its welcome. With Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, and Kathleen Quinlan. (JR) Read more