Common Sense Media Review
By Charles Cassady Jr.
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lofty recap of the Apollo moon program.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
In the Shadow of the Moon
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON is a retelling of the Apollo space program that aims rather high in compressing the whole epic moon-launch mission into feature length, covering everything from how the space program fit into the political climate of the time to the disasters (the 1967 launch-pad fire) and near-disasters (the Apollo 13 mission).
Is It Any Good?
This never-boring documentary uses no charts or diagrams or PBS-style narrator. Instead, it comes from the mouths of the astronauts and ground crew themselves, helped by a clever montage of astounding NASA space footage and pop-culture background (like Neil Armstrong's parents on a vintage TV game show).
Two sides of the space program emerge here. One is the awe of achievement for all humankind that seemed to transcend the turbulent times. The other shows the fine line between the "Right Stuff" idea ("an unshakable belief in your own infallibility") and the overconfidence that led to a 1967 fire on the launch pad that killed astronauts Grissom, White, and Chaffee in a sealed cockpit inferno.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the documentary's assertion that the American space program somehow transcended its Cold War goal to outdo the Soviets, becoming a more meaningful enterprise. What does the idea of a successful moon landing mean to you? What lessons do you get from the cool-headed "right stuff" attitude of the pilots? The astronauts allude at the end, briefly, to conspiracy theories that the Apollo moon landing was a hoax filmed on a movie set. Why do you think people would believe that?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 12, 2007
- On DVD or streaming : February 11, 2008
- Cast : Alan Bean , Buzz Aldrin , Neil Armstrong
- Director : David Singleton
- Studio : THINKFilm
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : History , STEM
- Run time : 99 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : mild language, brief violent images and incidental smoking
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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