My 40 Favorite Films of the 90's - 16 - Apollo 13 (1995)

Apollo 13 (1995; Universal Pictures)

Director: Ron Howard

Writers: Bill Broyles, Jr. and Al Reinert (adapted screenplay); Jim Lovell and Jeff Kluger (novel)

Starring: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris

The Apollo missions were the culmination of centuries of science and mathematics evolving over generations, ending with a few chosen men walking on the dusty terrain of Earth’s Moon.  It is a story that has been told time and time again.  However, the flight of Apollo 11 was not the last of the NASA’s lunar excursions.  The Apollo 13 mission was intended to send a few astronauts to the Moon for further study but this objective was cut short due to a sudden and shocking tragedy.

The story of how Jim Lovell (Hanks), Fred Haise (Paxton) and Jack Swigert (Bacon) survive a crippling explosion aboard their ill-fated vessel is a gripping and captivating tale of strength and ingenuity.  A fuel leak leads to an explosion that rocks the ship and severely damages several essential systems, most dangerously were the climate control unit and the oxygen and air filtration system.  With certain death looming just around the corner, these three men fight to stay alive and escape the cold and deadly throws of space.  To make it back, the heroic explorers require the help of a dedicated team of technicians in Houston and one astronaut named Ken Mattingly (Sinise) who, after testing positive for measles, was forced to stay grounded.  The lengths that the headstrong NASA workers go to keep their men alive are the stuff of legend, and make for some fascinating dramatic tension.

Through the 90’s, Ron Howard had proven himself to be one of the most talented and consistent directors in Hollywood.  The former child actor and Happy Days star shocked everyone by becoming a super-talent behind the camera, taking on challenging projects that use tension and drama to keep their audiences frozen to their screens.  His work on Apollo 13 is astounding, and though the film did not sweep the Oscars (being up against the titan that was Braveheart), it deserved the awards it was nominated for.  In my honest opinion, Apollo 13 ranks alongside some of the most idiotic Oscar snubs in history, close to the likes of Citizen Kane losing Best Picture to How Green Was My Valley in 1942.

Apollo 13 is a blend of beautiful cinematography, superb performances from everyone involved, an engaging and true story and a very intelligent screenplay.  There is not a boring or pointless scene in this movie.  Everything counts, from the time the astronauts spend on Earth preparing for their missions, to the scenes that cut back to their families.  There is no filler.  The film paints a vivid picture of how everyone connected to this shocking event felt upon hearing the news.  Tom Hanks, Ed Harris and Gary Sinise (a personal favorite performer of mine) all give some of the best performances of their excellent careers in this enthralling and tense drama.

My 40 Favorite Films of the 90's - 37 - Ransom (1996)

Ransom (1996); Touchstone Pictures

Director: Ron Howard

Writers: Richard Price, Alexander Ingon

Starring: Mel Gibson, Gary Sinise, Rene Russo, Delroy Lindo

This one will be a little shorter as Ransom is a rather straightforward movie.  Ron Howard was on a roll for a few years there, directing some really solid films in the 80’s and by the mid-90’s, thanks largely to the success of Apollo 13, Howard had become one of the biggest directors of his day.  He continues to establish himself as a reliable, talented filmmaker capable of bringing great performances out of actors and taking a story from the biggest idea to the simplest one and making it captivating on screen.

Now, how do you follow up a modern historical epic like Apollo 13?  Howard’s very next film was a simpler project called Ransom.  It was no special effects extravaganza nor was it even really all that bombastic, it was a simple story told naturally through solid direction and good performances.  Sometimes, it is easy to get caught up in the idea of a “blockbuster” that we forget that, every once and a while, the simplest stories can be the most powerful.

Ransom is the story of a wealthy father and mother named Tom and Kate Mullen (Gibson and Russo) whose son, Sean, is kidnapped during a city science fair in New York.  What follows shows us two sides of a gripping story.  We focus mainly on the perspective of the parents who mostly remain at their apartment, surrounded by police and negotiators working to bring their child home safely.  On the other hand we get into the minds of the kidnappers as well.  Instead of doing the typical Hollywood shtick of the faceless bad guys, we get very human kidnappers who are all very bad people, but they are still people nonetheless.  The small gang of villains is led by Gary Sinise, who is intense as Hell portraying a violent, corrupt detective named Jimmy Shaker, who is looking to make a payday off of the parents’ fear of their young boy’s death, but is also motivated by a personal vendetta against the Mullens.

What makes this movie work is, as the story goes on, and the police (led by the excellent Delroy Lindo) begin to look more and more incompetent, Tom takes it upon himself to offer his own ransom for the safe return of his son, turning the tables on the negotiations entirely.  The intensity of Gibson and Sinise squaring off indirectly over the safety of Sean is powerful stuff.  These are two actors who can really be both intimidating and forceful on screen, and the conflict between one father’s rage versus the villains’ greed is a major factor in why I like this movie.

Ron Howard does a good job guiding each scene with a rhythm and a nice pace so that the film never feels to stagnant.  Even scenes of the parents waiting for a phone call are filled with tension and each performance reflects that building pressure while never becoming emotionally-manipulative.  We empathize with the parents’ fears because they are fears we can understand.  This is not like Commando where a child is at risk but we are ensured their safety with the promise of a heroic rescue.  Ransom is pretty realistic in how it approaches its story, and there is a constant threat of tragedy throughout the film.