Trade Hanks’s earlier Oscars for his Apollo 13 performance
In the discussion (6)
- Amanda calls this the essential and best Hanks performance
- She praises the silent communication of ambition, loss, fear and dignity
- The moon-landing reaction and navigation anecdote support her case
- Cast Away is offered as a harder solo performance
- A compromise gives Oscars to Apollo 13 and Cast Away
- The panel believes Hanks deserved at least a nomination here
Reentry and the CO2-filter solution divide favorite and most-rewatchable choices
In the discussion (15)
- Hanks watching Armstrong land is nominated
- Jim’s explanation of the Apollo 1 fire to his son pays off later
- Mattingly being removed from the mission is nominated
- Swigert’s failed simulator attempt and retry are nominated
- The launch and Harris’s introduction build excitement
- Docking gives the rookie a success
- The oxygen leak and sudden silence establish the crisis
- Clint Howard’s explanation sets the stakes
- The loss of the moon and the astronauts’ argument are discussed
- The improvised CO2 filter initially gets broad agreement
- The manual burn with Earth in the window is nominated
- Mattingly restoring power is nominated
- Reentry’s extended wait and the control-room celebration are praised
- Final choices distinguish a favorite CO2 sequence from the most-rewatchable reentry
- Lovell giving Swigert the pilot seat completes his confidence arc
The overwhelmingly white cast
In the discussion (3)
- Opening graphics and Hanks’s period look are alternatives
- The panel argues a modern production would notice the near-exclusively white speaking cast
- The lone Black orderly and his treatment are criticized
Houston, we have a problem; the score; and collective problem-solving
In the discussion (13)
- The famous line’s cleaned-up wording and lasting use in sports are discussed
- The film’s use of the number thirteen leads to a superstition debate
- Paxton’s rhinoceros line is enjoyed and its Busey/Point Break connection is reported
- James Horner’s score and Annie Lennox’s vocals are praised
- Supportive spouses are discussed
- Harris’s hairpiece and military haircuts are enjoyed
- The Hanks–Sinise reunion and Clint Howard’s role are praised
- Walter Cronkite’s archival reactions give history emotional weight
- Astronaut longevity is discussed with reported fitness and continuing medical monitoring, not verified health conclusions
- Slingshotting around the moon is admired as comprehensible science
- Lovell’s polo shirts are praised
- Switching equipment on in the right order remains relatable
- Gathering to watch a non-sports world event is missed
The wide shot of the control-room celebration
In the discussion (3)
- The panel agrees on the shot
- The angled camera position captures the whole room erupting
- The set is reported as purpose-built instead of using NASA’s offered room
The older children, with disagreement about the ending
In the discussion (8)
- Rob and another participant choose the teenagers
- The younger child’s door question is defended
- The older son’s close-ups lack the emotional force of Hanks’s
- Reducing the number of children is proposed
- The grandmother is criticized by one speaker and warmly defended by others
- Bill wants a homecoming reunion with Sinise and Harris
- Others defend ending early and the real Jim Lovell cameo
- The children remain the leading weak-link choice
The portrayal of Jack Swigert as underprepared
In the discussion (9)
- The repeated courting of thirteen is questioned
- Fade-to-black transitions feel dated
- Marilyn’s hair and the oldest daughter’s crying are criticized
- The panel says real Swigert was an experienced backup rather than the risky rookie depicted
- The dramatic distortion is discussed as unfair to his family
- Heat-shield concerns are raised in comparison with contemporary missions
- Some small launch effects show their age
- The teenage daughter’s blame of Paul for the Beatles breakup is criticized
- The panel compares difficult teenage-daughter roles with Moneyball, Homeland and The Americans
America needs a rival to recover its ambition
In the discussion (5)
- A speaker argues the end of the Soviet rivalry left American ambition unfocused
- Bill provocatively offers respect for Musk’s space ambitions; the others question the claim
- They debate the appeal and purpose of Mars exploration
- Amanda refers back to her earlier Hanks/Oscar take
- Political and current-event comments remain attributed episode opinions
Todd Louiso, with the mission-control ensemble recognized
In the discussion (6)
- Todd Louiso is remembered from Jerry Maguire
- Loren Dean is recognized from Gattaca
- Joe Spano is remembered from Hill Street Blues
- Clint Howard is treated as too well known
- Several other mission-control actors are recognized without names
- Todd Louiso is the stated answer
Hanks’s mid-1990s summit, Quinlan’s nomination and Houston’s championship era
In the discussion (11)
- Hanks’s Forrest Gump–Apollo 13–Toy Story period is a leading choice
- Later freedom to direct or take unusual roles is offered as another measure of Hanks’s power
- Howard’s A Beautiful Mind acclaim is preferred
- Sinise’s Forrest Gump–Apollo 13 period is accepted
- Bacon’s Footloose breakthrough is preferred
- Houston’s back-to-back Rockets titles alongside the film are favored over the Beyoncé-birth alternative
- Harris’s peak is placed somewhere between this and The Truman Show
- Quinlan’s Oscar nomination supports her apex
- Grazer is considered without a firm conclusion
- Space movies are rejected because of Star Wars and 2001
- American idealism and ingenuity are debated in relation to 1970 versus 1995
Wayne Jenkins as an astronaut is briefly imagined
In the discussion (2)
- Some participants are content to skip without Chris Ryan
- A Wayne Jenkins reaction to Jack landing is imagined
Best Picture, with Hanks and adapted screenplay also supported
In the discussion (4)
- Amanda initially favors Hanks, consistent with her hottest take
- Best Picture is a leading choice
- Adapted screenplay is praised for turning technical procedures into drama
- The conversation settles toward Best Picture over Braveheart
The white vest, gold flight jacket, flight suits and Hanks’s astronaut suit
In the discussion (4)
- The white vest returns as a favorite
- The gold jacket and rescued astronauts’ suits are alternatives
- Hanks’s screen-worn astronaut suit is considered the most valuable object
- Sinise’s sleeveless shirt and beer bottle are smaller-scale ideas
The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
