THE REWATCHABLES · August 24, 2026
A 1995 drama movie directed by Ron Howard—and decision no. 124 in the Hanks–Cruise tape.
ON THIS EPISODE
FROM THE CONVERSATION
WHY IT WORKS
WHAT DID NOT WORK
SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO
The hosts love the quiet reaction-shot emphasis on Hanks’ face as history unfolds.
About 32 minA small but effective scene that pays off emotionally later with the kid’s question about the door.
About 40 minThe astronauts and Mission Control improvise a way to fit one part into another, creating the film’s signature problem-solving beat.
About 48 minA tense, game-like sequence where the crew must execute a precise manual correction.
About 48 minThe countdown, silence, and eventual release are described as one of the great emotional payoffs in movies.
About 48 minThe eruption of applause in mission control is treated as an all-time goosebump moment.
About 48 minThe docking sequence and the ‘get a rookie’ energy are called exciting and stressful.
About 40 minGross but impressive visual spectacle that also came with real production mishaps.
About 48 minWHERE THEY DISAGREED
Bill SimmonsHanks is better for Apollo 13; Cruise would not fit the role.
Rob MahoneyAgrees Hanks fits better, though he likes Cruise in other contexts.
Amanda DobbinsCO2 filter fix is the best scene.
Rob MahoneyAtmosphere re-entry is the most rewatchable scene.
Bill SimmonsAgrees reentry is the best while also loving the CO2 sequence.
Bill SimmonsMostly likes the family scenes but thinks the teenagers are weak.
Rob MahoneyWould simplify the family thread if the movie were made now.
Bill SimmonsApollo 13 is Hanks’ best performance and he should have won the Oscar.
Rob MahoneyAgrees the performance is essential, though he personally prefers Cast Away.
Craig HorlbeckSleepless in Seattle is his favorite Hanks performance.
Bill SimmonsApollo 13 should have won over Braveheart.
Rob MahoneyWould give the win to Apollo 13 or Sense and Sensibility, but leans Apollo 13.
Calls it peak 90s Hollywood: huge, practical, based on a true story, and uplifting without being cheesy.
Opening minutesSays the film changed space-movie storytelling by making survival and problem-solving the central thrill.
Opening minutesArgues Hanks is perfectly cast because the role depends on calm, dignity, and wounded ambition.
About 8 minCalls Apollo 13 the essential Hanks performance and says he should have won the Oscar for it.
About 32 minSays the carbon dioxide fix is the movie’s best problem-solving sequence and a template for life.
About 48 minSays the atmosphere re-entry is the most rewatchable stretch because the tension and payoff are perfect.
About 48 minDeclares Harris unbeatable in control-room roles and suggests even a bad NFL coach with his face would be strong.
About 24 minEnjoys Bacon as a cad and an ensemble wild-card, though mostly in a jokingly casual way.
About 24 minSays Howard’s commitment to transcripts and real-world detail makes the movie feel more grounded than modern versions would.
About 16 minSays the film is suffused with the idea that people used to come together to accomplish huge things.
About 8 minThe hosts frame the moon mission as a symbol of a time when America still believed it could solve huge problems together.
Opening minutesThe film’s core pleasure is watching experts calmly work through cascading crises with limited tools.
About 8 minHoward’s commitment to transcripts, staging, and real details is treated as a major source of quality.
About 16 minThe movie is used to define Hanks as America’s dad, Jimmy Stewart-like, emotionally controlled, and heroic.
About 24 minThe film becomes a meditation on a bygone era when space exploration felt like a shared national goal.
About 8 minThe movie was based on the book Lost Moon by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger.
About 40 minHoward and the production tried to recreate the real control room and procedures closely, including transcript-driven dialogue.
About 16 minSpielberg suggested the zero-gravity filming method using a vomit comet.
About 16 minThe film earned nine Oscar nominations but won only two.
About 40 minBill Hanks was one of the biggest career heaters in recent Hollywood history, with multiple 1994-95 hits clustered together.
About 8 minThe Apollo 13 mission’s crisis involved a CO2 filter workaround and a manual burn to get home.
About 48 minThe movie was shot in part with a zero-G plane over repeated short periods of weightlessness.
About 16 minTom Hanks was cast after Kevin Costner had been considered first.
About 8 minKathleen Quinlan’s hair and the film’s 1970 styling drew repeated jokes as dated period choices.
About 32 minThe film’s quote ‘Houston, we have a problem’ became a long-running sports and pop-culture reference.
About 56 minAmanda is introduced as a rare Rewatchables appearance from her regular Big Picture role.
Opening minutesOpening ad read compares Jason Statham’s new film to the kind of action movie the hosts enjoy.
Opening minutesUsed as a benchmark for the sort of Statham action vehicle the ad is selling.
Opening minutesUsed as a modern descendant of Apollo 13’s problem-solving-in-space template.
Opening minutesCited as another film in the post-Apollo 13 survival-in-space tradition.
Opening minutesDiscussed as a newer example of the same problem-solving space tradition.
Opening minutesMentioned as another early Tom Hanks movie the hosts remember watching.
Opening minutesReferenced as part of Hanks’ later history-obsessed run.
About 8 minAnother project used to describe Hanks’ interest in history and WWII-era stories.
About 8 minCited as part of Hanks’ 1994-95 heater and as an Oscar heavyweight the year before.
About 8 minMentioned as another Hanks Oscar winner that may have cost him a nomination here.
About 32 minApollo 13 is contrasted with Braveheart in the 1995 Oscars race.
About 40 minNamed as a 1995 Best Picture nominee and a title the hosts admire.
Opening minutesSuggested as a double feature because it similarly explores the emotional costs of space travel.
About 1:12Offered as a double-feature partner for Apollo 13.
About 1:12The panel repeatedly debates whether they are more Hanks-leaning or Cruise-leaning in their movie tastes.
About 8 minRob and Amanda revisit childhood space-camp dreams and Texas-space culture.
Opening minutesThey joke about how the mission-control victory shot would be an ideal meme or GIF.
About 48 minAmanda coins a reusable insult for bureaucratic nonsense from the movie.
About 48 minThe hosts repeatedly note that Ron Howard’s relatives appear in the film and joke about it being a family project.
About 56 minThey riff on the line as an endlessly reused phrase in sports and culture.
About 56 min“Failure is not an option.”Opening minutes
“I would trade both Hanks Oscars”About 32 min
“This is flight surgeon horseshit”About 48 min
“With all due respect, sir”About 48 min
“We just lost the moon”About 32 min
MAKE IT A MOVIE NIGHT
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Three movies to watch before Apollo 13, and three to watch next.
ON THE MIC
Bill Simmons125 tracked appearances · 56 H / 64 C / 5 ties
Amanda Dobbins4 tracked appearances · 3 H / 1 C
Rob Mahoney3 tracked appearances · 3 H / 0 CCATEGORY CONTEXT
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