From The Earth To.... Remembering Neil Armstrong

If you have read some of our posts around here, you have probably figured out that some of us are NASA nuts. I, for one, am unabashedly proud of the American space program. For me, today is a very sad day. Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk upon the moon, has died. Mr. Armstrong was one of my heroes: brilliant, humble, and reserved. I appreciated him for both his accomplishments and his demeanor. Although every astronaut (and anyone else who had a part of the space program) deserves credit for the moon landing, Armstrong will always have a special place in history. Here are a few films to commemorate the man and the missions.

In The Shadow of the Moon

I covered this film in an earlier post. This is not only my favorite documentary about the Apollo missions, it is one of my favorite films of all time. The film allows the men of the program to speak for themselves. It uses interviews, inter cut with archive footage, to show the story of their travels from the men's own perspectives. The documentary is stylish, though straightforward. It allows those of us who missed the 1960's to experience the awe of the times. Highly recommended for anyone interested in our greatest journey.

For All Mankind

Mankind is another documentary of the Apollo missions. This one, however, is different in that it is composed entirely of footage shot during the time period. There is no narrator or on screen text. The story is told completely through audio interviews and radio recordings. Again, the human aspects of space flight are emphasized. All forms of narrative and presentation take a back seat to the actual film and sound. It's a unique film with a special vision.

When We Left Earth

One of the most complete documentaries released about NASA, When We Left Earth begins with supersonic flight and ends in the second decade of the 2000's. All of the early missions are covered, as well as the Apollo's. The film also presents the Skylab program (that took place after the moon landings), the birth of the space shuttle, and the tragedies of both shuttle destructions. The program is broken into 6 episodes. It mixes new interviews with archival footage, and is narrated by Gary Sinese. This is the quintessential starting place for anyone interested in NASA. The film presents enough depth to the history so that viewers get a clear understanding, without bogging them down with minutia. This is the documentary that sparked my interest in space travel. From here, I watched Shadow, and read almost every book I could get my hands on.


The Right Stuff

For those wishing for a more dramatic presentation of the space race, The Right Stuff should do the trick. Featuring an all star cast (Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, and Dennis Quaid to name a few), this film tells the story of the early days of NASA. The movie is a refreshingly humorous look at the competitive nature of the Mercury astronauts and the trials they went through to become heroes. These initial missions held their share of danger and turmoil, to be sure. They also held the opportunity for history making and provided the men of the program with some of their best memories. The Right Stuff does a tremendous job of presenting the laughter and the heartache of the era.

Apollo 13

Based on the memoir of astronaut Jim Lovell, this is probably the best known film about the Apollo missions. Director Ron Howard and star Tom Hanks flex their love for NASA in this harrowing drama of the space program's finest hour. The movie follows the ill fated Apollo 13 flight, during which an on board explosion felled the landing and endangered the crew's life. Lovell, Haise, and Swigart faced oxygen shortages, freezing temperatures, and illness in space while their counterparts on the ground raced to figure out a way to get them home. The film portrays both the heartache of losing a dream, and the feats that man can accomplish with intellect and perseverance.

From The Earth To The Moon

With the success of Apollo 13 in theaters, HBO decided to extend Hanks the opportunity to tell the story of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions. In From Earth to the Moon, Hanks presents the astronauts story in a scripted drama. Each episode focuses on a different aspect of the program. The strength of the film is in its broad range of topics. From the media's reaction to the events to the tribulations faced by the astronaut's wives, The cast is top notch, the special effects ingenious. From the Earth to the Moon is a wonderful tribute to the men and women whose lives were devoted to the goal of putting a man on the surface of the moon.



Man's journey to the moon is likely to stand as our greatest accomplishment for a long time to come. Though it took over 400,000 people to get him there, Niel Armstrong will forever be the embodiment of this achievement. I will spend the rest of my life both respecting and celebrating him. The stars are a little less bright tonight, and our hearts are a bit heavier. God speed, Mr. Armstrong, on your final step for a man.