In the Shadow of the Moon

I had a chance to see this extraordinary film and highly recommend it. You may have some difficulty finding it because it's in very limited release, but it's worth the effort. There was only one theater in Orange County showing it (Edwards Westpark in Irvine) and hopefully it will go into wider release soon.

It's the story of the Apollo program as told in recent interviews by some of the 24 men who flew to the moon, including several who walked there. Featured in the film are Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11), James Lovell (Apollo 8 & 13), Dave Scott (Apollo 15), Edgar Mitchell (Apollo 14), Gene Cernan (Apollo 10 & 17), Harrison Schmidt (Apollo 17), John Young (Apollo 10 & 16), Al Bean (Apollo 12) and Charlie Duke (Apollo 16). Unfortunately, Neil Armstrong (Apollo 11) did not participate in the movie. He's always been a bit reclusive, and that hasn't changed in his older years.

One of the things that was a little shocking to me at first was seeing these men at their present age. You get so used to seeing old footage of them when they were involved in the space program and most were in their 30's that it's an abrupt change to see them in their mid-70's. This was especially true for me for Michael Collins as I'm currently in the process of reading his excellent book, Carrying the Fire, which is not only his story by the story of the Gemini and Apollo programs in which he took part.

The movie features some wonderful footage, both in flight and on the moon, taken during the actual flights. There are no computer animation or simulations. The astronauts tell in their own words what the experience was like, including many interesting stories of life as a "national hero", even before they had done anything in the space program. There are some funny moments too, such as Buzz Aldrin's "first" on the moon. I won't give it away - you'll have to see the film.

At the end of the film several of the men talked about how their perception of the world and their spiritual lives had changed as a result of the experience. Edgar Mitchell became involved in a lot of metaphysical stuff, Gene Cernan said there's no doubt in his mind that there's someone out there who created everything, and Charlie Duke related the story of his decision to follow Christ. He actually gave a pretty good testimony in the film.

I was a kid during much of the Apollo program. I was only 13 when the moon landing took place, and my drivers license was only 8 months old when the last of the Apollo missions flew in December of 1972. I can remember building a model of the Saturn V vehicle with the command module and lunar module, and always had a keen interest in the program. If, like me, you were also enthralled by those early missions, you'll absolutely love this film. Even if you're not a space buff, it's a must see. It'll give you a new appreciation for what Americans can do when they put their minds and their dollars to it.

One thing I think everyone will feel as they leave the theater is that we're lucky to have had guys like this, and it's a shame we haven't done more with the space program since 1972.