Apollo 13

140 minutes

The Rewatchables episode

aired August 25, 2026

Costner and Travolta for Lovell; Pitt and Kilmer for Swigert

In the discussion (8)

Costner is reported as the original Lovell choice
Hanks is said to have declined Jumanji
Travolta requested Lovell and was declined; Premiere is cited for losing Gene to Harris as well
Cusack, Swayze, Pesci and Moranis are listed online for Fred Haise, with Pesci and Moranis explicitly doubted
Brad Pitt reportedly chose Seven over Swigert
Kilmer is also reported to have declined Swigert
Sinise reportedly chose Mattingly when offered his pick of roles
The Grammer and Christopher Lloyd stories for Gene are explicitly disbelieved

Roger Ebert’s review is discussed: 4 stars

In the discussion (3)

The panel reports Ebert’s four-star rating
They discuss his praise for technical clarity and extraordinary work under pressure
They discuss his sense that reducing space ambitions cost America part of its vision

Gene Hackman, Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore and a Flight crossover

In the discussion (6)

Hackman is considered for Gene but Harris’s performance is defended
Pitt is considered as a higher-star-power Swigert without displacing Hanks
Cruise as Swigert would be fun, though his crisis of confidence might be hard to believe
Moore is imagined delivering Marilyn’s defiant line
Bill proposes Denzel’s troubled pilot from Flight in the Swigert part
These are hypothetical recasts, distinct from reported casting history

Zero-gravity filming, practical sets and the origins of Failure Is Not an Option

In the discussion (10)

Spielberg is credited with suggesting parabolic-flight filming
The actors filmed in brief zero-gravity intervals during long flights
Full-size modules and a chilled set are reported
The splashdown was reportedly filmed in a Universal lot lake
The USS New Orleans substituted for the unavailable Iwo Jima
Bacon praises Hanks’s intensive astronaut training
Failure Is Not an Option is reported as wording created for the movie, later used by Kranz as a book title
Mission-control leadership is said to have been consolidated, leaving Glynn Lunney out; the transcript renders the name imperfectly
Marilyn’s lost ring is said to have been recovered in real life
Bacon’s repeated Jack/Jackie character names are listed across seven productions

Not enough smoking, children watching reentry and floor salad

In the discussion (5)

Would Mattingly’s presence change the accident, and would Cameron make a better film?

In the discussion (6)

Does this have an unusually high number of white speaking roles?
Would the malfunction still happen with Mattingly instead of Swigert?
Would Mattingly have noticed a warning before stirring the tanks?
Which astronaut is best at the job?
James Cameron directing would change the spacecraft emphasis, exposition and mission-control balance
The panel concludes Howard was well suited to the historical and ensemble requirements

First Man, Gravity, The Martian and Rocky IV

In the discussion (4)

First Man is proposed as a contrasting portrait of ambition, marriage and reaching the moon
Gravity is another double-feature choice
The Martian is chosen for another problem-solving survival story
Craig adds Rocky IV for the Cold War/American-competition theme

Craig finds Apollo 13 warmer and more effective than on previous watches

In the discussion (5)

Craig reports not having seen it in ten to fifteen years
He praises the practical Los Angeles production and the warmth of Hanks and Howard
The last hour had him standing and pacing despite knowing the ending
Family scenes and the child’s door question land more strongly now
He comes away with renewed appreciation for Hanks