Abigail Johnson is a New York City-based writing intern, screenwriter, actor, and director. Her main focus is women in the entertainment industry and authenticity, especially advocating for diverse storytelling and new perspectives. Abigail loves discovering indie films that may not be seen in a traditional movie theatre, as well as listening to pop music and trying to find the next big artist. Abigail connects to Hollywood Insider’s values of substance over scandal and focusing on compassion and philosophy in her writing at Hollywood Insider. Utilizing writing for good is the main Hollywood Insider value that Abigail connects with, as her main goal is to use her talents for good.
Aug 2, 2024
Since the landing of the moon in 1969, there have been those who question the credibility of the famed event that gave America the winning title of the space race. Because most people will not make it into the stratosphere of space, questions, and conspiracies began to arise of whether or not the moon landing was real. As art will imitate life, it’s no surprise that the conspiracies have inspired a new film. ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ is the newest rom-com directed by Greg Berlanti from a screenplay by Rose Gilroy. The Apple Studios film hit theatres this week and opens up compelling questions about the true story of the moon landing.
The story of ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ is about Kelly, a marketing specialist who is called to advertise NASA and the upcoming moon landing. Kelly engages in a relationship with Cole, the director in charge of the Appolo 11 mission. As the excitement begins to grow around the upcoming mission, Kelly is told she must figure out a way to get alternate footage of the moon landing, in case the Appolo 11 fails.
Despite the film being based around the true event of the moon landing, ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ is not advertised as being based on a true story, much like that of ‘Hidden Figures’. Therefore, it is important to take the events of ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ with a grain of salt. Many moments of the film were untrue in the story of the moon landing. For example, in the film, Kelly is seen calling in actors to portray astronauts, when in reality, NASA had a strict policy against astronauts appearing in advertisements. Of course, it is important to note that the fake moon landing is fictionalized as well, as there is no true evidence that there is an alternate filmed moon landing.
It has been said that ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ is “loosely based on true events”, which makes sense considering the history surrounding the space race and the moon landing. At the time, the Vietnam War had been raging for the majority of the decade, and the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing. Because of this, the government was weary of devoting funds to the moon landing mission. However, with the help of the real public affairs office, NASA developed an open-book policy for the Appolo 11 mission. This meant that journalists were able to easily cover the events of the moon landing mission, causing there to be more conversation and excitement around the moon landing.
‘Fly Me to the Moon’ is a surprisingly funny look into the world of advertising. In a world where marketing and public relations are becoming more and more accessible through social media, I thought that it was interesting for audiences to take a trip back in time to see how advertising and PR worked before social media. Despite this, there were moments in the dialogue that felt too modern for the 1969 time period.
The film, while entertaining, was largely montages, therefore lacking a lot of plot. It’s a film that doesn’t require a lot of searching for hidden meanings unless the fake moon landing conspiracy is the hidden meaning you are looking for. The romance plotline is the weaker of the two plotlines of romance and the moon landing. It’s almost hard to tell what the relationship is between Kelly and Cole, as one minute they’re developing this relationship, and another moment they are enemies in the workplace. Despite these flaws in the plot, the stylization of the film is one of its strongest moments, staying committed to the time period while appealing to modern audiences.
The performances in this movie are widely strong, despite the film not being overly dramatic or showy in nature. Scarlett Johansen, who plays Kelly, is a wise-cracking female lead who is easy to root for throughout the film. Channing Tatum plays Cole, and he greatly captures those moments between someone who has the fate of NASA in his hands and the pressure he feels from everyone to his comedy and fun moments with Johansen. The two are a strong pair onscreen, both focusing on the other in their scenes rather than trying to pull focus to their own performance. Personally, I am rooting for a reunion between the two in future films.
Despite the film being a loose interpretation of the moon landing mission and the space race, ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ is well worth the trip to the movie theatre. ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ is a fun and fresh take on the Appolo 11 mission, as well as a new perspective on the moon landing conspiracy.
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Nick Dillenburg, Anna Garcia, Jim Rash, Noah Robbins, Colin Woodell, Christian Zuber, Donald Elise Watkins, Ray Romano, Woody Harrelson | Director: Greg Berlanti | Writer: Rose Gilroy | Producers: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Lia, Keenan Flynn, Sarah Schechter | Cinematography: Dariusz Wolski | Editing: Harry Jierjian
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Abigail Johnson is a New York City-based writing intern, screenwriter, actor, and director. Her main focus is women in the entertainment industry and authenticity, especially advocating for diverse storytelling and new perspectives. Abigail loves discovering indie films that may not be seen in a traditional movie theatre, as well as listening to pop music and trying to find the next big artist. Abigail connects to Hollywood Insider’s values of substance over scandal and focusing on compassion and philosophy in her writing at Hollywood Insider. Utilizing writing for good is the main Hollywood Insider value that Abigail connects with, as her main goal is to use her talents for good.
Abigail Johnson is a New York City-based writing intern, screenwriter, actor, and director. Her main focus is women in the entertainment industry and authenticity, especially advocating for diverse storytelling and new perspectives. Abigail loves discovering indie films that may not be seen in a traditional movie theatre, as well as listening to pop music and trying to find the next big artist. Abigail connects to Hollywood Insider’s values of substance over scandal and focusing on compassion and philosophy in her writing at Hollywood Insider. Utilizing writing for good is the main Hollywood Insider value that Abigail connects with, as her main goal is to use her talents for good.
Abigail Johnson is a New York City-based writing intern, screenwriter, actor, and director. Her main focus is women in the entertainment industry and authenticity, especially advocating for diverse storytelling and new perspectives. Abigail loves discovering indie films that may not be seen in a traditional movie theatre, as well as listening to pop music and trying to find the next big artist. Abigail connects to Hollywood Insider’s values of substance over scandal and focusing on compassion and philosophy in her writing at Hollywood Insider. Utilizing writing for good is the main Hollywood Insider value that Abigail connects with, as her main goal is to use her talents for good.
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