In the Shadow of the Moon parents guide

In the Shadow of the Moon Parent Guide

Overall A

This documentary encapsulates the ambitions of the American space program and its nine missions to the moon. Along with archival footage there are interviews with the astronauts who had the singular privilege of being the only humans to leave footprints on another world.

Release date October 18, 2007

Violence A-
Sexual Content A
Profanity B
Substance Use B-

Why is In the Shadow of the Moon rated PG? The MPAA rated In the Shadow of the Moon PG for mild language, brief violent images and incidental smoking.

Run Time: 109 minutes

Parent Movie Review

Like virtually everyone over the age of forty, I remember living in front of the television during the sunset years of the 1960s, savoring the coverage of the NASA moon missions. Now my oldest son, who was born two decades too late to experience the thrill of humans visiting another realm, vicariously lives and breathes space exploration by frequent visits to NASA’s website.

My reason for relating this personal experience is because I was certain, between my son and myself, there wasn’t a minute of film from the Apollo missions that we hadn’t seen. But this documentary proved me wrong. Presenting comments, incidents and actual mission footage I wasn’t aware existed, In the Shadow of the Moon offers a wealth of reasons why hardened space nuts—and even those just mildly curious—should take the time to view this documentary.

The concept is deceptively simple. Gather as many of the select few men who voyaged to the moon and have them reminisce about their experience. The results are surprisingly revealing.

The bulk of the interviews feature seasoned veterans like Buzz Aldrin, Jim Lovell, and Michael Collins speaking in a very approachable and relaxed manner. Alan Bean, who became the fourth man to walk on the moon during the Apollo 12 mission, relates his experiences like a grandfather telling stories around a campfire. These men, who are the rarest of explorers, sound as though they are talking about a past life, which in essence they are. (The fact that it has been well over thirty years since anyone has set foot on another world is perhaps the greatest irony of our high-tech, know-it-all 21st century lives.)

Sometimes the dialogue becomes a little technical for casual viewers, but overall the messages evoke a sense of camaraderie and work-the-problem attitudes, which seem all but absent from our current politically-correct, risk-avoiding society. The production also holds a powerful message about the fragility of our planet as these men describe the emotional impact of viewing a relatively tiny Earth hanging in the immensity of space.

With the backing of space-enthusiast Ron Howard (who directed the movie Apollo 13), this film is a fascinating look back at one the most significant exploration events in this world’s history. It is also the closest most of us will ever get to having these amazing guys drop by for dinner and a chat.

Starring Jim Lovell, Buzz Aldrin Director Ron Howard. Running time: 109 minutes. Theatrical release October 18, 2007. Updated

In the Shadow of the Moon
Rating & Content Info

Why is In the Shadow of the Moon rated PG? In the Shadow of the Moon is rated PG by the MPAA for mild language, brief violent images and incidental smoking.

This interesting documentary holds profound messages and glimpses of history for young viewers, with few content concerns. Mild expletives and terms of deity are infrequently uttered during interviews, some secondary people are seen smoking in archival footage, and scenes show spacecraft exploding and crashing. Descriptions of astronauts in peril are heard, along with a discussion of the Apollo 1 disaster, which took the life of three astronauts.

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In the Shadow of the Moon Parents' Guide

Roughly two years after an entire Apollo crew died in a fire on the launch pad, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. How have our attitudes toward exploration and risk changed since the era of the Apollo moon missions? Do you think it is a good thing that we are more conservative with our acceptance of risk? Is it possible to be too careful?

Today, we are still enjoying some of the benefits of the Apollo program, which range from enriched baby food to solar energy and modern computers. A page that details many of these positive spin-offs can be found here: www.thespaceplace.com/nasa/spinoffs.html

Home Video

The most recent home video release of In the Shadow of the Moon movie is February 12, 2008. Here are some details…

Attention all space buffs! Get ready to blast off with the DVD release of In the Shadow of the Moon. Go behind the scenes with a look at the making of this documentary and tune in to an audio commentary with director David Singleton, editor David Fairhead and archive producer Chris Riley. A collection of deleted and extended scenes offers an additional hour of stories from the astronauts and never-before-seen images from the Apollo Missions. Featurettes provide even more NASA footage, an in-depth listen to the score of with composer Philip Sheppard and an introduction by Ron Howard. Other extras include theatrical trailers and a trailer gallery. Audio tracks are available in Dolby Digital 5.1 (English), with subtitles in English and Spanish.

Related home video titles:

Apollo 13 is heralded as one of the most accurate portrayals of an actual space event. To see things from an IMAX perspective, check the IMAX Space Collection on DVD. The movie The Dish depicts some of the real life challenges faced by technical crews during the moon missions from a “down under” perspective.

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