Today is the twenty-fifth anniversary of the premiere of Apollo 13. Based on the heroic true story, the film follows the crew of the Apollo 13 attempting to land on the moon when an accident disables their spacecraft and they must use all the limited sources at their disposal to make their way home safely.
The film is loosely based on the biographical novel Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13 by 13's commander Jim Lovell and Time magazine writer Jeffrey Kluger. The production staff went to great lengths to accurately and realistically portray the events of the story. Filming of the movie involved a reduced gravity aircraft in order to accurately portray the weightlessness of space travel, making numerous trips at around twenty-three seconds each. The cast went over hours of actual Mission Control and in-flight audio recordings in order to accurately portray their counterparts, even taking courses in physics. The producers utilized developing computer technology in recreating the events.
It was a hit with fans and critics. It was the third highest grossing film of the year while receiving nearly universal praise. It was nominated for numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture, while winning several including the Academy Awards for Best Film Editing and Best Sound. Many of those portrayed in the film praised their on-screen counterparts. Astronaut and technological consultant Dave Scott praised the effort of the cast and crew to be as accurate as possible, though many involved noted several moments changed for artistic license.
The film features the talents of Xander Berkeley as NASA Office of Public Affairs member Henry Hurt, Thom Barry as an orderly, and Todd Louiso as FAO White.