Other than Apollo 11, where the first humans landed on the moon, Apollo 13 might be the most recognized and important mission of NASA’s lunar landing program. Though the crew failed to achieve their original goal, they were able to strive under pressure and life-threatening circumstances to bring the astronauts home once their oxygen tank exploded and damaged the spacecraft.

This film was able to show the teamwork and innovation necessary to achieve the ‘impossible’. The leadership that the astronauts, scientists, and engineers showed by remaining calm despite the danger and scrutiny from the public helped everyone to focus on how to crew instead of abandoning hope and leaving them out to die. The rapid innovation under pressure enabled the development of breakthrough products that led the astronauts to survive, despite not having enough oxygen in the shuttle to support their journey.

There skills were the basis to having a ‘successful failure’ and reflect some of the skills that are being taught at Cornell so that under adversity, we may also succeed.

This was the first time I saw Apollo 13 and it definitely did not disappoint. I can relate to this movie although I have never been on a spaceship before. The characters had to keep composed, even during very stressing matters. Kind of like me at Cornell, everyday! The astronauts had to face very difficult and nerve racking issues throughout the plot, but through their optimism through adversity, they were able to get passed their almost doomed fate.

Watching Apollo 13 when I was younger inspired me and made me want to become an astronaut at one point. However, I realized that while I enjoy the science aspect, the math was not for me. With that being said, I still am in awe every time I watch this movie. Even though the comparison of the technology and equipment that they had then paled severely in comparison with that of which we have today, the fact that they were able to make it back home in the movie despite all of the challenges, twists, and turns was amazing.

This was my last event. It was amazing to look back and see how much my views and opinions surrounding Rose Scholars had changed. It was interesting to arrive at the movie and rather than seeing sullen faces I saw happy smiles on many of my peers faces. I could tell that we as a community had gotten closer. It is not very often that students look forward to academic activity but Rose Scholars is some how managed to make this an eventuality.

Apollo 13 is a classic movie that I had not had the opportunity to see before this Rose Scholars event. I really like older Tom Hanks movies like Castaway and Forrest Gump, and this movie did not disappoint. The movie was full of action and suspense, and I was rooting for the main characters to make it home safely the whole time. It was even more interesting because the movie was based on a true story. I was very entertained by the movie, but it is also interesting to think about how space travel is still relevant in today’s times. Back when the Apollo missions were happening and when men were first being sent to the moon, there was great national pride behind the government-funded projects. It is interesting to think about how the commercialization of space exploration with companies like SpaceX will affect the future of space travel. Is it still the government’s place to spend astronomical amounts of money on space exploration? Or is it better to leave it to privately-funded companies? I think space is an exciting and important field of study, and exploration of it should continue. However, I am not sure who should pay for the study. I think it is interesting that independent companies are venturing into the field, and I think it could result in faster discoveries. It will be interesting to see how the future of space travel develops.

It was my first time watching Apollo 13, and it was actually a super engaging and rewarding film. I totally empathized with most of the characters, and the plot really had me rooting for them to safely get home. However, there was one line in the film Tom Hanks said that really struck me. It was something along the lines of, “Imagine if Christopher Columbus had come back from the New World and no one returned in his footsteps.” So I began to think of the possibilities that imaginary presented, ultimately finding myself wishing that were reality instead.

To compare space to the New World is to inadvertently speculate the colonization of space. Current space laws prevent any one country from claiming space in space, but there are a many private corporations that are looking to privatize the new economic sphere that is space.  This can be seen with people like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk.

Privatization would incentivize private donors, often those who are wealthy, to invest in space exploration and technology because they have a political agenda. This would excellerate any new innovation and bolster much-needed support as we see federal funding for NASA and JPL falling.

However, this would have a number of ramifications, specifically for marginalized groups. It would allow a lot of gate keeping, especially around matters of money. But the film Elysium is what immediately comes to mind. Once the Earth is trashed, the rich can move off to a new place because they’ve invested their money into forming that new land. But those who get left behind have to suffer the decisions of the rich.

Apollo 13 was a jaw dropping movie. It taught me how important it is to remain composed when you feel something is going terribly wrong. The astronauts for example faced so many issues in their aircraft as the were coming towards Earth but by being optimistic of their faith and composed they were able to survive through this terrifying time!

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this movie. I’ve always loved Tom Hanks and Forest Gump, but this was my first time watching Apollo 13. What’s crazy is that despite how “out of the ordinary” or absurd the series of events that led to the mission failure are, these are actually true things that happened. Throughout the entire film, I was on the edge of my seat, completely drawn into the plot of the story and the actors’ amazing acting chops. I also thought that the soundtrack of the entire movie was amazing. The music captured the entire mood and gravity of the situation that Jim and his crew were in. The movie does have a very strong element of foreshadowing. It seems like the entire movie revolves around the foreboding fate that the mission would have so many problems. I guess in a way, the movie does reflect the cliche movie narrative–that no matter how bad things are in the moment, there will always be a “happy ending.” Which, I think, isn’t exactly reflective of society in general. I know that this ending and the narrative told within Apollo 13 is an extraordinary one, but I do believe that it paints a one-sided portrait of what humanity and fate is like in general.

The Movie Apollo 13 was a great story of the struggle of 3 men to make it back to Earth after their ship couldn’t fly to the Moon, stop, and fly back. I was intrigued and inspired by the teamwork of the men and their base to make it back to their home site. I really loved the way the movie portrayed everything too, the cinematography and the cuts to “imagination” and “dreams” were amazing and really showed the feeling that these men and women were feeling. I could really relate this teamwork to my own experience as a leader in the Cornell Glee Club, when we had to meet to discuss tough matters that required immediate action. Like the officials in the movie, I was a little nervous and pushed for time, but I made it through. It was nowhere near a life or death experience but sometimes it felt like it.

Overall, I loved the movie and love that the Rose Scholar Program keeps showing movies like this and others to expose us to different points of view.

Apollo 13 is an incredible movie about how astronauts managed to overcome a technical difficulty and the odds in their space flight. All of the astronauts managed to survive a seemingly hopeless scenario where they were running low on oxygen and power. While this story is incredible, I believe there are a number of lessons that could be learned from this movie. While the situation was terrifying, everyone seems to consistently keep a clear head and focus on the main goal of getting home. There are a couple of times where they argue, but they always manage to stay on target with what they needed to do. It was only through their ability to unite were that they were able to get back to Earth. I believe that this is a positive message for any team activity, project, or task. By keeping our focus on the tasks that matter most and by keeping a cool head, even things that might seem impossible may become possible.

For the last Friday Film event of the semester, we watched Apollo 13 (1995), directed by Ron Howard. The film’s plot centered around the 1970 NASA lunar mission of the same name, from both the point of view of the astronauts and Mission Control on Earth. The film left much to be desired in terms of aesthetics — most of the colors in the film were drab, neutral tones and the lighting could sometimes be too diffuse and unfocused, including scenes when the astronauts were inside the capsule away from Earth. Although the settings such as the space capsule and mission control would most likely have had desaturated colors, they could have been intensified slightly in order to give a more exciting feeling to the footage. I also believe that many of the scenes that followed the astronauts in the capsule, especially after the explosion of the tank, could have benefited from more directional lighting to create a subtle sense of drama as they worked to return to Earth.

I believe that what the film lacked in aesthetics, it made up for in content. Although the events of the movie transpired slowly, they never felt boring. There was a constant sense of tension as the astronauts had to adapt to the dangerous circumstances created by the oxygen tank explosion and steer the capsule back towards Earth, and this tension was paralleled by the scenes depicting the engineers back at Mission Control, as they worked to create a quick solution to the power loss and to the increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide on the ship, for example. I also appreciated the idea of the film as a whole — the idea of reacting to a catastrophe on the ship was perhaps more exciting in terms of plot than seeing astronauts walk on the moon and perform geological experiments. I also believe that the experience that the engineers and astronauts gained from the catastrophes of Apollo 13 will only make future missions easier, as they have contributed to future knowledge about troubleshooting emergencies in space. I feel that this will be especially valuable, given that NASA claims to be working to return to the moon by 2024.

This movie was truly inspirational and brought up important issues. It brought up the issue of giving credit where credit is due. There are a lot of important people in NASA and in life in general , who are often not credited or recognized for what they do. We saw astronauts who helped prevent major catastrophes and acted as silent heros. The space program was a really extraordinary thing, something to be proud of, and those who went into space were  brave and resourceful.

The movie has a strong sense of realism, the science behind “Apollo 13” is detailed and specific, and the film conveys it with superb simplicity. The zero-gravity scenes in the movie are very convincing, because they’re real. The movie was very well crafted and according to online sources, the Director Ron Howard persuaded NASA to let him film on its reduced-gravity aircraft. The attention to detail really impressed me and the storyline was one to remember. I am still very inspired by this film and intrigued by space travel and the physics behind it all!

So I personally could not take this movie seriously at all. I know this movie is old but the depiction of Apollo 13 being this all white mission when they could have never made it without Katherine Johnson is gross. I did not even know they did Apollo movies before Hidden Figures and I am so happy that there will be a generation that won’t have such white mediocracy shoved down their throat. Not to disrespect the astronauts and such but they wouldn’t have been able to do nothing if it wasn’t for Katherine Johnson. Black women really be pushed to the back like yuck. Because of the basically all white cast and the erasure of Katherine Johnson this just was not a movie I was able to stand behind or pay attention to. Would rate this movie a 4/10.

I was thoroughly impressed and engrossed by the Apollo 13 (1995) movie that was screened on Friday evening.  I thought that director Ron Howard did an excellent job building tension, especially through his attention to detail, use of music (the score was beautiful!), and character arcs.  I especially liked how the scene of Marilyn, protagonist Jim Lovell’s wife, losing her wedding ring in the shower drain the night before the launch foreshadowed rising tensions and the actual mission setback.  I found myself quite emotionally invested in the movie’s plot despite the fact that I already had previous knowledge regarding the real-life outcome of the unfortunate Apollo 13 mission.  Overall, I thought the film was incredibly inspirational; it gave me a greater appreciation for all the lesser-seen and under-credited NASA employees who, although not physically in outer space with the three astronauts, were equally as important as the astronauts themselves in preventing any further catastrophes and tragedies.  Apollo 13 is definitely a film that I would watch again!

Being able to see Apollo 13 for a second time, in what seemed to be forever, brought back memories and allowed me to make new connections. I was always a bit confused on the reasoning behind why there were complications during the Apollo 13 mission. I’d remember I’d created so many wild scenarios the first time I’d seen the movie. But after a few moments in, I’d realized  that the mission complications were due to a failed oxygen tank.  Nonetheless the movie in itself has always been a personal favorite, and seeing the movie for a second time, allowed me to appreciate the risks many people  have to take in order to further scientific progress.

Tonight I watched Apollo 13 for the first time — a movie from 1995 that is based on the true Apollo 13 mission that took place a few decades earlier. The main character, an astronaut, is played by Tom Hanks. It was interesting to see an older space movie because I am so used to the fancy effects and high resolution of “The Martian” or “Gravity.” “Apollo 13” is noticeably less realistic, but the enrapturing plot kept my attention.  I appreciated how the movie went back and forth between what was going on with the space mission and what was going on at home (Earth). The stress experienced by the astronauts’ families was depicted very well.

In the movie, the Apollo 13 the space craft’s oxygen tank explodes, and the team is forced to abort the mission before ever being able to land on the moon. At the time, merely landing on the moon was a huge deal because very few had accomplished that. Unfortunately this means that the technology is also new, untested, and prone to fatal errors like the bursting of an oxygen tank.

It’s quite strange to imagine astronauts having such national prominence and attention. Today, astronauts are not put under the limelight because they travel to outer space to repair things floating around up there, rather than for the spectacle. If anything, astronauts are more obsolete, as robots inevitably increase in capabilities. Movies like “Apollo 13” will always be fun to watch for myself and for future generations to get a glance into the past when space travel was all the rage.

We watched Apollo 13 for Friday’s movie. I really enjoyed the experience. The formula of the movie’s plot is a formula that I’m very familiar with, but not something that I’ve seen in a movie in a long time. From the very beginning of the movie, the director sprinkles ominous hints that something bad is going to happen. When that bad event occurs, the director continuously builds all the reasons why we should expect to be saying goodbye to Tom Hanks and Bill Paxton.

However, one element that was critical for building this atmosphere was the music choice. A lot of the scenes when the astronauts are in space have music that is ominous sounding with sinister tones being part of the main components of the overture. The inclusion of violins and horns almost makes it seem like the songs that they play when a soldier is being laid to bury. This ominous feeling is further compounded by scenes in mission control where it seems that the odds against our main characters keep stacking up. This buildup is what makes the final scene all the more satisfying. Although we’ve only spent two hours with them, I felt myself rooting for them as the scenario grew grimmer.

I think this movie showcases how important each component of a movie is for conveying information in a successful way. Although its scenes aren’t particularly artsy or mind-blowing, the movie shines in its ability to convey the story without seeming overly dramatic or inauthentic. I highly recommend Apollo 13 for anyone who hasn’t seen it.

This was my first time attending a Friday Film rose scholar event and it was actually a quite enjoyable experience. Apollo 13 was a movie that was always on my watch list, but I never got around to actually watching it. However, as I was sitting there watching the movie with my MacBook open, I realized how different the technology was back then compared to now. This fact astonished me. This expedition was made using technology that now a days looks like tin cans. This expedition to the moon was made with technology that was available during the time, which now a days is unfathomable as to how people used to that kind of technology. In today’s society, it seems that every single day we get better and better technology that transcends everything that used to possible. The fact that we were able to go all the way to the moon using technology that would never be used today because it is either unreliable or just too slow really blew my mind. This made me wonder what kind of technology we were going to have in the future. What are humans going to be capable of? We already have the development of AI technology with robots that can perform medical surgeries or robots that can debate with humans. These things would never have been believable for the characters in Apollo 13. Those people believe that they have created the greatest technology, so that just makes me wonder how naive we are today of what is going to be possible with technology. This realization also made me quite terrified because could we make technology in the future that will prove to be far more superior than humans.