FILM REVIEW
FLY ME TO THE MOON
Rated PG-13
132 Minutes
Released July 12th
A multitude of conspiracy theories surround one of the most important events in US history – the landing of three US astronauts on the surface of the moon on July 20, 1969. Even those who weren’t alive at the time have no doubt seen the video of Neil Armstrong declaring, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” as he steps off the Apollo 11 spacecraft onto the surface of the Moon. Take Me to the Moon is based on the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, the marketing of the endeavor to the American public, and all the wild theories surrounding its veracity.
Screenwriter Rose Gilroy uses as background the book Marketing the Moon, about the real advertising, genre books and movies that were used to “sell” the Apollo 11 Moon Landing project to the American people. Her story centers on a marketing maven played by Scarlet Johansson, who is brought to NASA to help capture the hearts of the public. She must convince an uptight ex-pilot, now uber-focused project director, played by Channing Tatum, that this marketing of the endeavor is vital. To add difficulty to her assignment, it has been decided that the moon landing cannot fail in the public’s eyes, so she must oversee the filming of an alternative successful landing on a sound stage that must be perfectly timed to the real event, just in case. This part of the story is based on a mockumentary called Dark Side of the Moon, that sees NASA recruiting Stanley Kubrick to be advisor to a fallback film being made in case the actual launch failed.
I have my own opinion about the truth of the Moon Landing because I met Buzz Aldrin in the 1970’s. He used to sometimes attend my dad’s parties in Marina del Rey, which were known for free-flowing laughter, dancing, stories, and plenty of alcohol. Aldrin was one of the most animated of guests and loved to tell stories. Years later, around 2005-2010, I met Aldrin a couple of times at events. I asked him if he remembered Dad’s parties. He said that, thankfully, his wife, Lois, had helped him stop drinking many years ago and that he did not remember much from the time before that. My point is that if Aldrin had the propensity to expound about his adventures at alcohol-fueled parties in the 1970s, and if the landing had never happened, he would have admitted that. I have also been to lectures that he’s given on the details of the Apollo 11 mission. A brilliant, highly educated mathematician and engineer, he had to calculate angles in real-time as the module was landing in order not to crash into the moon. He’s totally believable. Aldrin has written several books and many articles promoting space travel. In December 2023, Aldrin, now 94, was at Culver City Costco signing his newest book, Magnificent Desolation. The title of the book is taken from his comment upon his first step onto the lunar surface.
Fly Me to the Moon is a fun rom-com featuring Johansson and Tatum. Johansson lights up the room. Tatum skillfully plays a frustrated ex-pilot who wishes he could be in the module but can’t be due to a heart defect. His character is based on Duke Slayton, a WWII pilot who joined the NASA astronaut program but was found to have atrial fibrillation. Slayton became Director of Flight Crew Operations for the Apollo program.
Re-living the moon landing and seeing some of the original footage is beautiful, as are some of the spectacular new launch sequences shot on 4K cameras. The immense uncertainty and danger, and the courage of the astronauts of the Apollo 11 Mission are front and center. The underlying theme is truth and lies and the fine line between them.
Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which has been the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica. kboole@gmail.com
