Top 5 Space Travel Movies

Ad Astra opens this week.  Starring Brad Pitt and Tommy Lee Jones, it has plenty of Oscar potential.  Pitt plays an astronaut who travels through space to seek his missing father.

 In honor of this movie’s opening weekend, here are my top five space travel movies.

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5.  The Right Stuff

This movie takes the fifth slot because it’s been the longest since I’ve seen it.  It’s based on Tom Wolfe’s non-fiction book about Mercury 7, the first crewed space flight by the U.S.  It boasts a cast that includes Dennis Quad, Ed Harris, Sam Shepard (Oscar nominated for his role), and Fred Ward.  Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert named it the best film of 1983.

4. Interstellar

I’m a huge Christopher Nolan fan.  This is his underrated space epic starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway.  In a dystopian future where Earth is becoming uninhabitable, a team of explorers travel through a wormhole to search for a new home for humanity.  This one gets emotional in that the astronauts have to say goodbye to their families in order to save them, with no promise of ever seeing them again.

3. Gravity

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I’ve been using RunPee for a few years now and it’s basically a requirement of going to the movies for me. The best part of course are the “pee times” that give you cues, synopses and times for when you can pee without missing the most important parts of the movie. There is also information about the credits- length, extras and if there are any extra scenes at the wayyy end. Super helpful to just know that it is or isn’t worth staying. There is a timer function that will buzz your phone when it’s a good time to pee. I also appreciate that the app is very conscientious about it being an app you use in a theater- dark background, all silent alarms etc. I will always enjoy the experience of the theater even if I could watch things at home- but I’ve even used it at home to check for things like after credit scenes or other information too.

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Alfonso Cuarón won Best Director for this survival story starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.  It also won Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.  Which is fitting because the movie makes you feel like you are there.  I saw this one on an IMAX screen and it was like being on a thrill ride.  Sandra Bullock got an Oscar nomination for her knockout performance.

2. First Man 

Damien Chazelle makes movies about the price of ambition.  This biopic focuses on Neil Armstrong and what it took to achieve the Apollo 11 moon landing.  This film is notable for its realistic scenes of rocket travel.  It features sound editing and special effects that put you inside the rocket next to Ryan Gosling, from the very first scene.

1. 2001 : A Space Odyssey 

My mom bought me a Stanley Kubrick boxed set for Christmas when I was in college and this was my favorite film in the set.  Kubrick set the bar for the space epic with his adaptation of the Arthur C. Clarke novel.  It follows mankind from the beginning of time to the future.  And it features one of the most famous computers in cinema history:  H.A.L. 9000.  I got to watch this with a live orchestra providing the soundtrack and it was awesome.  I always try to catch this one when it plays on a big screen.  All of these selections should be seen on the big screen when/if possible for maximum effect.

I know, I know.  Apollo 13 isn’t on the list.  Sorry, but I feel like it’s one of the overrated movies of my generation.  Maybe I’ll give it another watch one day and reassess it. [Editor note:  Apollo 13 is in my top 10 films ever and my rewatches never get old…]

Honorable Mentions

The Martian

This would probably be in my sixth slot.  It was hard to leave it off the list.  Like Gravity, this is another tale of survival.  Matt Damon plays an astronaut stranded on Mars who must find a way to survive until Earth can send a rescue mission.  Based on the novel by Andy Weir, the movie gets bonus points for using actual science. [Ed note: okay, you are redeeming yourself a little here.]

October Sky

This biopic tells the story of NASA engineer Homer Hickam as a teenager.  Jake Gyllenhaal plays the son of a coal miner who is inspired to take up rocket science by the Sputnik launch.  Chris Cooper (always good!) plays his disapproving father.  Laura Dern is the inspiring teacher who helps Homer and his friends build and launch model rockets.

Hidden Figures

Or, as my poor forgetful father dubbed it after calling me three times to ask the name of it, Feelings For Numbers.    The movie tells the story of three black female mathematicians who worked for NASA during the Space Race, especially during Project Mercury.  Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monáe, and Octavia Spencer give inspiring performances in this important and uplifting film.  The movie also features one of my favorite recent Kevin Costner performances.

The Downlow on Sci Fi movie breaks:

Don’t get stranded in the middle of the latest sci-fi film.  Remember to take the RunPee app with you so you don’t miss any of the good parts of the movie.  We have Peetimes for all the latest movies and we add new movies every week.  You can also get the latest movie news and reviews by following us on Twitter @RunPee and liking us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RunPee/).

Movie Review – Ad Astra

Movie Review – Hidden Figures

Movie Review – First Man

Golden Man

Golden Man loves comedies, romantic films, superhero movies, and awards bait.  He blogs about the Oscar race all year long at www.etchedingold.ninja