Synopsis:
The true story of the near-disastrous Apollo 13 mission. On April 11, 1970, gung-ho astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and last-minute, less experienced replacement Jack Swigert blast-off towards the moon. But while in space, an oxygen tank explodes, putting the trio in peril: they quickly lose oxygen, run out of power, and get exposed to dangerously high amounts of carbon dioxide. Unbeknownst to them, there are more problems to come, including emotional friction when Jack is (wrongly) blamed for the explosion. Intensifying the situation is the fact that these mishaps catch the scientists and technicians at Mission Control by surprise, and they're not sure how to remedy the situation. Everyone must work together to come up with the right answer -- if the astronauts are to survive...

Notes:
The film won two 1995 Academy Awards for Best Editing and Best Sound. Although Ron Howard won the Directors Guild of America award for best direction, he failed to get an Academy Award nomination. This was only the fourth time in almost 50 years that the DGA winner wasn't picked from those directors nominated for an Oscar. Filmed in anamorphic widescreen, with color by Deluxe, and sound by DTS. "Apollo 13" opened in the USA on June 30, 1995. It grossed $25.3 million during its opening weekend. The film would ultimately take in $172 million at the box office, making it the 3rd highest grossing film of 1995. Additional Credits: Jim Hendriksen (Supervising Music Editor); Bob Olari (Sound Recordist). Visual Effects: Jenny Fulle (Producer); Cari Thomas (Line Producer); Erik Nash (Director of Photography); Allen Cappuccilli (Supervising Editor); Debra Wolff (Editor). Digital Effects: Karen E. Goulekas, Mark A. Lasoff and John McLaughlin (Supervisors); Amy Jupiter and Mark Lohff (Producers), Kevin Mack (Art Director). Music: "Waiting" by Carlos Santana, David Brown, Gregg Rollie, Mike Shrieve, Jose Areas, & Mike Carabello, performed by Santana. "Night Train" by Jimmy Forrest, Lewis C. Simpkins, & Oscar Washington, performed by James Brown. "Beyond the Sea" by Charles Trenet & Jack Lawrence, performed by Bobby Darin. "Groovin'" by Felix Cavaliere & Eddie Brigati, performed by The Rascals. "Somebody to Love" by Grace Slick, performed by Jefferson Airplane. "I Can See for Miles" by Peter Townshend, performed by The Who. "Magic Carpet Ride" by John Kay & Rushton Moreve, performed by Steppenwolf. "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix, performed by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. "Spirit in the Sky" by & performed by Norman Greenbaum. "Lemon Tree" by Will Holt, performed by Trini Lopez. "Honky Tonkin'" by & performed by Hank Williams "Blue Moon" by Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart, performed by The Mavericks. Rated BBFC PG by the British Board of Film Classification. Copyright 1994 Universal City Studios, Inc.

Reviews:
"...Suspense right up to the splashdown..." - Recommended - 12/01/1995 Premiere, p.119

"...It's easily Howard's best film....A triumph of stirring storytelling and heartstopping suspense..." - 07/13/1995 Rolling Stone, p.116

"...This book-faithful, 2 1/4-hour team effort shrewdly keeps its eye on the ball....The movie will happily repay multiple viewings..." -- 4 out of 4 stars - 06/30/1995 USA Today, p.1D

"...So authentic, so brilliant in its technical details, that it succeeds in putting us on that ship..." -- Rating: B - 06/30/1995 Entertainment Weekly, pp.78-9

"...Howard makes all the complicated action clear to the viewer, a feat in itself....Physically, APOLLO 13 pulls off some stunners..." - 06/26/1995 Variety

"...Ron Howard's film of this mission is directed with a single-mindedness and attention to detail that makes it riveting....This is a powerful story, one of the year's best films, told with great clarity and remarkable technical detail..." - 06/30/1995 Chicago Sun-Times, p.27

"APOLLO 13 is an astonishing space epic that celebrates the triumph of the human spirit." - 06/01/2006 Widescreen Review, p.60

4 stars out of 5 -- "[I]t earns its air-punching ending." - 07/01/2012 Total Film