"In the Shadow of the Moon"

Quote of the day:
"America did not invent human rights. In a very real way, human rights invented America."
--Jimmy Carter

Quote of the day no. 2:
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
--Neil Armstrong

It was an electrifying moment worldwide in July 1969 as people everywhere watched a man step onto the surface of the moon.

The excellent documentary “In the Shadow of the Moon” tells the story of the Apollo space program and our flights to the moon in the 1960s and 70s.

The structure of the film is quite simple. Lots of historical footage (some never or rarely seen) is blended with contemporary interviews with several of the Apollo astronauts. I was fascinated with their stories of what went on behind the scenes as they prepared and undertook their missions.

The movie reminded me that our mission to land a man on the moon resulted in a singular achievement. And that spectacular, unifying accomplishment has yet to be matched.

As I watched the film, I also realized that many Americans were not even alive to see Armstrong’s historic step. It turns out that MOST Americans were not alive for it. The 2005 Census survey measured the median age as 36.4, which means that more than half of Americans were born in September 1970 or later.

If you were alive and can remember where you were when the first moon landing happened, this film will bring back wonderful memories, fill in some gaps and introduce you to the variety of personalities of the astronauts.

But the film is especially important for those who were not watching as this happened. The story of the Apollo space program is a vital and authentically inspirational part of our recent history. We need to remember that such things are possible.

It’s a good time at the movies.