A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.
While I am well aware there are two sides to every story, I must admit I’ve never considered the downside of being the first man to land on the moon. This film and the history behind the incredible feat performed by Neil Armstrong and the aeronautical team that sacrificed much for the world’s stage is both awe-inspiring and humbling. One might wonder why it took so long to get the information to the big screen, however, there’s a possibility that it took this long to get it right, and if so, all is forgiven. From a rugged landing in the Mohave Desert in 1961 to a full-fledged successful walk on the moon, launching from Cape Kennedy in July of 1969, this film uncovers the grit and grime associated with a man (Armstrong) on a mission for himself, his family and his country.
Aside from being very humble before he became a family man, Neil Armstrong’s personal life seems to be what kept him woefully grounded. His wife Janet (Claire Foy) appeared to be his greatest supporter as she demanded that he remain dedicated to his family and held accountable for his behavior publicly and privately, in both good times and bad. The death of his daughter Karen at the age of two, from a malignant tumor, seems to have triggered an internal void that scripted every role he played in life. Throughout every success and failure, she was always the common denominator that forced him to reach further from within and find meaning and value.
In addition to his own family, Neil’s healthy sense of competition within the ranks of his peers gave him a sense of security and superiority that kept him unfazed by the stressful atmosphere that radiated amongst highly educated engineers who had something to prove. While his NASA career began in Ohio, from the Astronaut Selection Project Gemini in 1962, Armstrong seemed destined to move beyond his run-of-the-mill assignments into the stratosphere of a select few who were both willing and able to experiment their way into success. This alone is what set him apart and on the way to achieving flight status on two space missions which were Gemini 8 and Apollo 11. As Commander of the Mission, Armstrong, along with pilot Buzz Aldrin (Corey Stoll), blasted off into the history books on July 16th, 1969, and in four days, landed on the moon.
Director Damien Chazelle, known for the highly successful “La La Land,” which also starred Ryan Gosling, did an excellent job in exposing details of Neil Armstrong’s personal struggles that showed his vulnerability and another side of the Aeronautics world that the public possibly took for granted over the last few decades. Last but certainly not least, the surprise Q & A right after the screening, in which director Chazelle, Ryan Gosling, and Armstrong’s children were in attendance, was a great opportunity for the public to gain firsthand knowledge regarding the characters and the development of relationships that brought this film full circle. While the film has definite peaks and valleys, the mission to enlighten was definitely accomplished and viewing in a theater that has all the physical and audio effects of rocket blasting is extremely cool and sufficient enough to pique anyone’s curiosity in knowing both the upside and downside of moonwalking!
Available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand January 22nd
