Apollo 13
Mind, body, and spirit characters are often used in "based on a true story" movies and stories. Apollo 13
is no different. In fact, this movie includes two sets of mind, body,
and spirit characters - one set in space and one on the ground.
I've covered why mind, body, and spirit characters show up in "true story" movies in previous posts (see above). In this post, I want to focus on "motivation." On the surface, each character seems like a mind character. They all have knowledge and share information freely and they all react to conflict, especially the explosion, with knowledge, information, and procedure. Even when the procedures no longer apply because of the disaster, they start to build new procedures. All of this is mind-related behavior.
In order to see the character's true natures, you have to look a little bit deeper at the characters' motivations. For this analysis, I will focus on one key motivation for each character type. Others are apparent in the film, but I just want to illustrate the concept.
Jack Swigert (space): Swigert (Kevin Bacon) is the first member of the crew to suggest they might not make it home after the explosion on board the spacecraft. When he is going through the checklist to power up the spacecraft and prepare for reentry, Swigert puts a note that says "NO!" over a set of switches. Later, he explains he didn't want to accidentally separate the lunar module with Lovell and Haise still inside. Swigert is also the first to realize the ship's reentry angle is too shallow, which would cause them to skip off the Earth's atmosphere with no way to return.
Deke Slayton (ground): Deke (Chris Ellis) was in charge of putting together the flight schedule. When Alan Sheppard's ear infection flared up, Deke moved Lovell's crew, who were originally scheduled for Apollo 14, up to Apollo 13. When the crew was exposed to the measles, Deke made the call that Ken Mattingly had to sit out. Gene Krantz refused to believe the crew of Apollo 13 would be killed, but Deke gives the crew 3:1 odds. When the crew starts to show signs of panic, Deke Slayton realizes fear could lead to mistakes and tries to calm them down, letting them know Mattingly is working the problem.
Fred Haise (space): Haise (Bill Paxton) is embarrassed when he vomits shortly after takeoff. Lovell tries to cheer him up, but Haise would rather forget the event and just "get to work." When they pass over the moon, knowing they won't be able to land, he starts to go over the geography, pointing out where they would have landed and what they were supposed to be doing on this mission. As they start going through the checklist fix the carbon dioxide scrubbers, he starts by asking for clarification, but then gets to the point where he says, "OK, Houston. I see what you're getting at."
Ken Mattingly (ground): Mattingly (Gary Sinise) is most at home in the simulator, going over or developing procedures. The first time the crew is in the simulator, they perform near perfect. Mattingly doesn't think that is good enough. When he is brought in to develop the power up procedure after the explosion, he doesn't want to have anything the crew doesn't have. In other words, he doesn't want to make a mistake and include a step in the procedure that the crew physically can't perform. When he is offered rest, he refuses that as well, for the same reason.
Jim Lovell (space): Lovell (Tom Hanks) starts off afraid of losing the chance to walk on the moon, a dream he'd had for quite some time. After the explosion, he receives a command to cut power to a critical system, which would prevent them landing on the moon. His immediate response is, "We just lost the moon." Contrast that with Swigert's initial response about possibly losing their lives. Once the moon is "lost," though, Lovell has a new "cause." He wants the crew to get back safely, and his actions from that point forward reflect this.
Gene Krantz (ground): Krantz's (Ed Harris) character is defined by the statement "Failure is not an option." Everything he does and says has its roots in getting the crew back alive. Any suggestion they might lose the crew is met with harsh resistance. When others are talking about disaster behind his back, he turns and insists this will be their "finest hour." His desire to bring the crew back alive (his fear that they won't come back alive) drives every decision and action.
I've covered why mind, body, and spirit characters show up in "true story" movies in previous posts (see above). In this post, I want to focus on "motivation." On the surface, each character seems like a mind character. They all have knowledge and share information freely and they all react to conflict, especially the explosion, with knowledge, information, and procedure. Even when the procedures no longer apply because of the disaster, they start to build new procedures. All of this is mind-related behavior.
In order to see the character's true natures, you have to look a little bit deeper at the characters' motivations. For this analysis, I will focus on one key motivation for each character type. Others are apparent in the film, but I just want to illustrate the concept.
The Body Motivation: Fear of Death/Pain/Sickness
Jack Swigert (space): Swigert (Kevin Bacon) is the first member of the crew to suggest they might not make it home after the explosion on board the spacecraft. When he is going through the checklist to power up the spacecraft and prepare for reentry, Swigert puts a note that says "NO!" over a set of switches. Later, he explains he didn't want to accidentally separate the lunar module with Lovell and Haise still inside. Swigert is also the first to realize the ship's reentry angle is too shallow, which would cause them to skip off the Earth's atmosphere with no way to return.
Deke Slayton (ground): Deke (Chris Ellis) was in charge of putting together the flight schedule. When Alan Sheppard's ear infection flared up, Deke moved Lovell's crew, who were originally scheduled for Apollo 14, up to Apollo 13. When the crew was exposed to the measles, Deke made the call that Ken Mattingly had to sit out. Gene Krantz refused to believe the crew of Apollo 13 would be killed, but Deke gives the crew 3:1 odds. When the crew starts to show signs of panic, Deke Slayton realizes fear could lead to mistakes and tries to calm them down, letting them know Mattingly is working the problem.
The Mind Motivation: Fear of Making a Mistake
Fred Haise (space): Haise (Bill Paxton) is embarrassed when he vomits shortly after takeoff. Lovell tries to cheer him up, but Haise would rather forget the event and just "get to work." When they pass over the moon, knowing they won't be able to land, he starts to go over the geography, pointing out where they would have landed and what they were supposed to be doing on this mission. As they start going through the checklist fix the carbon dioxide scrubbers, he starts by asking for clarification, but then gets to the point where he says, "OK, Houston. I see what you're getting at."
Ken Mattingly (ground): Mattingly (Gary Sinise) is most at home in the simulator, going over or developing procedures. The first time the crew is in the simulator, they perform near perfect. Mattingly doesn't think that is good enough. When he is brought in to develop the power up procedure after the explosion, he doesn't want to have anything the crew doesn't have. In other words, he doesn't want to make a mistake and include a step in the procedure that the crew physically can't perform. When he is offered rest, he refuses that as well, for the same reason.
The Spirit Motivation: Fear of Losing a Cause or a Dream
Jim Lovell (space): Lovell (Tom Hanks) starts off afraid of losing the chance to walk on the moon, a dream he'd had for quite some time. After the explosion, he receives a command to cut power to a critical system, which would prevent them landing on the moon. His immediate response is, "We just lost the moon." Contrast that with Swigert's initial response about possibly losing their lives. Once the moon is "lost," though, Lovell has a new "cause." He wants the crew to get back safely, and his actions from that point forward reflect this.
Gene Krantz (ground): Krantz's (Ed Harris) character is defined by the statement "Failure is not an option." Everything he does and says has its roots in getting the crew back alive. Any suggestion they might lose the crew is met with harsh resistance. When others are talking about disaster behind his back, he turns and insists this will be their "finest hour." His desire to bring the crew back alive (his fear that they won't come back alive) drives every decision and action.
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