Apollo 13
NASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy.
Despite a mid-range budget of $52.0M, Apollo 13 became a massive hit, earning $355.2M worldwide—a remarkable 583% return.
2 Oscars. 31 wins & 59 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Jim Lovell
Gene Kranz
Jack Swigert
Fred Haise
Ken Mattingly
Marilyn Lovell
Main Cast & Characters
Jim Lovell
Played by Tom Hanks
Commander of Apollo 13, veteran astronaut who must lead his crew home after catastrophic failure
Gene Kranz
Played by Ed Harris
Flight Director at Mission Control who orchestrates the rescue operation with unwavering determination
Jack Swigert
Played by Kevin Bacon
Command Module Pilot brought in last-minute, must prove himself during the crisis
Fred Haise
Played by Bill Paxton
Lunar Module Pilot who becomes ill during the mission but remains focused on survival
Ken Mattingly
Played by Gary Sinise
Original Command Module Pilot scrubbed from the mission, works tirelessly from ground to solve power-up procedures
Marilyn Lovell
Played by Kathleen Quinlan
Jim's wife who maintains composure while facing the possibility of losing her husband
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Jim Lovell at a celebratory party watching the Apollo 11 moon landing on TV, surrounded by astronauts and their families. He tells his wife Marilyn he wants to walk on the moon, establishing his unfulfilled dream.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 17 minutes when Ken Mattingly is pulled from the Apollo 13 mission 72 hours before launch due to exposure to German measles. Jack Swigert is brought in as a last-minute replacement, disrupting the carefully prepared crew dynamic.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 34 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to Apollo 13 launches successfully. The crew actively chooses to commit to the mission despite the last-minute crew change. They leave Earth and enter the new world of space, passing the point of no return., moving from reaction to action.
At 67 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 48% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat The oxygen tank explodes. "Houston, we've had a problem." The mission fundamentally changes from landing on the moon to survival. Stakes are raised to life-or-death. False defeat: what seemed like a routine mission becomes a potential catastrophe., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 103 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, CO2 levels reach critical levels - the crew will die of carbon dioxide poisoning. "Whiff of death" is literal. Lovell, exhausted and frozen, snaps at his crew in despair. The situation seems hopeless; they appear doomed to die in space., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 112 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Gene Kranz declares "Failure is not an option" and Mission Control successfully engineers a CO2 filter solution using only materials available on the spacecraft. New information and synthesis of all available resources enables a path forward. The crew will survive long enough to attempt reentry., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Apollo 13's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping Apollo 13 against these established plot points, we can identify how Ron Howard utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Apollo 13 within the adventure genre.
Ron Howard's Structural Approach
Among the 24 Ron Howard films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Apollo 13 exemplifies the director's characteristic narrative technique. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Ron Howard filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional adventure films include The Black Stallion, The Bad Guys and Puss in Boots. For more Ron Howard analyses, see Solo: A Star Wars Story, Cinderella Man and Parenthood.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Jim Lovell at a celebratory party watching the Apollo 11 moon landing on TV, surrounded by astronauts and their families. He tells his wife Marilyn he wants to walk on the moon, establishing his unfulfilled dream.
Theme
Marilyn Lovell expresses her fear about the dangers of space flight, saying "I can't live without you." The theme of the film is established: when disaster strikes, success is measured not by achieving the original goal, but by making it home alive.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to the astronaut program, crew selection, training sequences, and family dynamics. We meet Jim Lovell, Ken Mattingly, Fred Haise, Jack Swigert, and their families. NASA culture and the Apollo program are established.
Disruption
Ken Mattingly is pulled from the Apollo 13 mission 72 hours before launch due to exposure to German measles. Jack Swigert is brought in as a last-minute replacement, disrupting the carefully prepared crew dynamic.
Resistance
Lovell debates whether to accept Swigert as replacement or postpone the mission. The crew rushes to integrate Swigert. Families prepare for launch. Final training and preparation sequences as tension builds toward liftoff.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Apollo 13 launches successfully. The crew actively chooses to commit to the mission despite the last-minute crew change. They leave Earth and enter the new world of space, passing the point of no return.
Mirror World
The ground crew at Mission Control, led by Gene Kranz, becomes the thematic mirror to the astronauts. Their relationship embodies the film's theme: teamwork, problem-solving under pressure, and bringing people home safely against impossible odds.
Premise
The "fun and games" of space travel - zero gravity demonstrations, TV broadcasts from space, the crew enjoying their journey to the moon. This is what audiences came to see: astronauts in space doing remarkable things.
Midpoint
The oxygen tank explodes. "Houston, we've had a problem." The mission fundamentally changes from landing on the moon to survival. Stakes are raised to life-or-death. False defeat: what seemed like a routine mission becomes a potential catastrophe.
Opposition
Mounting problems: power loss, CO2 buildup, freezing temperatures, navigation difficulties. Mission Control and the crew battle multiple cascading failures. Pressure intensifies as media reports the crew may not survive. Bad guys (physics, failing systems) close in.
Collapse
CO2 levels reach critical levels - the crew will die of carbon dioxide poisoning. "Whiff of death" is literal. Lovell, exhausted and frozen, snaps at his crew in despair. The situation seems hopeless; they appear doomed to die in space.
Crisis
Dark night of the soul. Mission Control scrambles to solve the CO2 problem with makeshift materials. The crew is silent, contemplative, facing death. Families watch helplessly. Everyone processes the possibility of losing the astronauts.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Gene Kranz declares "Failure is not an option" and Mission Control successfully engineers a CO2 filter solution using only materials available on the spacecraft. New information and synthesis of all available resources enables a path forward. The crew will survive long enough to attempt reentry.
Synthesis
The finale: crew powers up the command module with severely limited battery, executes the crucial burn to correct their trajectory, jettisons the damaged service module and lunar module, and attempts reentry through Earth's atmosphere. Maximum tension as communication is lost during reentry blackout.
Transformation
The parachutes deploy and Apollo 13 splashes down safely in the Pacific Ocean. Mission Control erupts in celebration. The closing image mirrors the opening: Lovell with his family, but transformed. He didn't walk on the moon, but he came home - success redefined by survival and teamwork.