View source for Apollo 11 (1996 film)

{{Infobox television
| image                =
| image_size           =
| image_alt            =
| caption              =
| genre                = Docudrama
| creator              =
| based_on             =
| writer               = Phil Penningroth
| screenplay           =
| story                =
| director             = [[Norberto Barba]]<ref name=ttad />
| starring             = [[Carmen Argenziano]]<br />[[Xander Berkeley]]<br />[[Dennis Lipscomb]]<br />[[William Mesnik]]<br />[[Jane Kaczmarek]]<br />[[Matt Frewer]]
| narrated             =
| theme_music_composer = Phil Marshall
| country              = United States
| language             = English
| producer             = Lulu Zezza
| editor               = Allan Holzman
| cinematography       =
| runtime              = 90 minutes
| company              =
| budget               =
| network              = [[The Family Channel (American TV network, founded 1990)|The Family Channel]]
| released             = {{Start date|1996|11|17}}
}}
'''''Apollo 11''''' is a television docudrama film which aired on November 17, 1996 on [[Television networks preceding ABC Family|The Family Channel]]. It was nominated for  a [[Primetime Emmy]].
== Development ==
The film was developed in response to the positive reviews of the 1995 film ''[[Apollo 13 (film)|Apollo 13]]''. Executive producer James Manos Jr. thinks the reason no movie was made previously was that, "at first glance it didn't seem as if anything dramatic happened".<ref name=lat>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19685595/the_los_angeles_times/|title=Moon Over 'Apollo 11'|newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|date=November 17, 1996|page=433|via=Newspapers.com|last1=King|first1=Susan}}</ref>
They received NASA's permission to record portions of the film in the original [[Apollo Mission Control Center]]. Engineers at the complex volunteered to make some of the equipment work like it did in 1969, to add authenticity.<ref name=lat />
[[Buzz Aldrin]], one of the three [[Apollo 11]] astronauts, contributed to this movie as technical consultant.<ref name=ope>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19715188/daily_world/|title=The Family Channel revisits history in "Apollo 11"|newspaper=Daily World|location=Opelousas, Louisiana|last1=Jones Jr|first1=Ewart|page=23|date=November 15, 1996|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> He was not always on the film set, but he made an effort to keep up with the film's production. He was filmed for a cameo, but the scene was cut. During the scene, he played a clergyman that interacted with [[Xander Berkeley]], who portrayed Aldrin in the film.<ref name=lat /><ref name=pbp /> [[Neil Armstrong]] was asked by Aldrin if he was interested in participating in the film's creation, but Armstrong never got back to him.<ref name=atl>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19724658/the_atlanta_constitution/|title=Movie re-creates flight of Apollo 11|newspaper=The Atlanta Constitution|location=Atlanta, Georgia|date=November 17, 1996|page=414|via=Newspapers.com|last1=Bobbin|first1=Jay}}</ref>
==Plot==
Fearful that the Soviets would continue their lead in the [[Space Race]] and be the first to put a man on the [[Moon]], [[NASA]] felt an enormous pressure to push the [[Apollo Program]] forward as quickly as possible, though they knew that pushing too hard could lead to disaster. This film recreates the tensions that were felt not only by the three [[astronaut]]s, [[Neil Armstrong]], [[Buzz Aldrin]], and [[Michael Collins (astronaut)|Michael Collins]], but also by their families and by the teams of technicians training to deal with anything that could go wrong.
==Cast==
*[[Jeffrey Nordling]] as commander [[Neil Armstrong]]<ref name=nhp>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19741052/news_record/|title='Apollo 11' explores human side of historic space launch|last1=Nicewonger|first1=Kirk|newspaper=News Record|location=North Hills, Pennsylvania|date=November 16, 1996|page=18|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
*[[Xander Berkeley]] as [[Apollo Lunar Module]] pilot [[Buzz Aldrin]].<ref name=nhp /> Berkeley was also cast in ''[[Apollo 13 (film)|Apollo 13]]'', which was thought to have aided him in acquiring this role<ref name=ope />
*[[Jim Metzler]] as [[Command module Columbia|Command module]] pilot [[Michael Collins (astronaut)|Michael Collins]]<ref name=nhp />
*[[Jane Kaczmarek]] as Jan Armstrong<ref name=ttad />
*[[Wendie Malick]] as Pat Collins<ref name=ttad />
*Maureen Mueller as Joan Aldrin<ref name=ttad />
*[[Matt Frewer]] as [[Gene Kranz]]<ref name=ttad />
*[[Jake Lloyd]] as Mark Armstrong
==Release==
The film was released on Sunday, November 17, 1996 on The Family Channel at 7 p.m. EST as a part of a FAM Sunday Night Movie Event.<ref name=ttad>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19715235/the_times_and_democrat/
|title=The Eagle lands again on the moon|newspaper=The Times and Democrat|date=November 17, 1996|page=33|via=Newspapers.com|location=Orangeburg, South Carolina}}</ref> Following the movie on the premiere night, Aldrin and others answered questions about spaceflight live in a feature titled ''From the Moon to Mars''.<ref name=pbp>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19741025/the_palm_beach_post/|title='Apollo 11' flies on Fam|last1=Bobbin|first1=Jay|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|location=West Palm Beach, Florida|date=November 17, 1996|via=Newspapers.com|page=221}}</ref><ref name=atl />
The film was nominated for a 1997 [[Primetime Emmy]] for Sound Mixing for a Drama, Miniseries, or Special.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1997/tv/news/hbo-bests-big-3-in-emmy-noms-1116675892/|title=HBO bests Big 3 in Emmy noms|last1=Richmond|first1=Ray|publisher=Variety|date=July 25, 1995|access-date=May 1, 2018}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[Apollo 11 in popular culture]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0115560|Apollo 11}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Apollo 11}}
[[Category:1996 television films]]
[[Category:1996 films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:ABC Family original films]]
[[Category:American films based on actual events]]
[[Category:American space adventure films]]
[[Category:American television docudramas]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Neil Armstrong]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Buzz Aldrin]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Michael Collins (astronaut)]]
[[Category:Drama films based on actual events]]
[[Category:Films about Apollo 11]]
[[Category:Films about astronauts]]
[[Category:Films set in Houston]]
[[Category:Films shot in Houston]]
[[Category:MTM Enterprises films]]