The new movie Fly Me to the Moon, starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, dives into the thrilling era of the space race and the audacious Apollo program. It playfully incorporates a popular conspiracy theory: the moon landing was faked. But as you watch the romantic comedy unfold against this historical backdrop, you might wonder, “how much of Fly Me to the Moon is true?” While the film takes creative liberties, it’s grounded in real events and historical details. Let’s explore the fascinating blend of fact and fiction in Fly Me to the Moon.
The movie’s premise is set firmly within the historical context of the Space Race. The United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a fierce competition to achieve spaceflight milestones, with landing a man on the moon as the ultimate prize. This rivalry, a significant aspect of the Cold War, is accurately portrayed in the film as the driving force behind the immense pressure on NASA and the Apollo program. Furthermore, the movie correctly highlights NASA’s real-world struggle with public image and funding in the years leading up to Apollo 11. To combat this, NASA indeed employed public relations strategies to garner public support and ensure the mission resonated with the American people.
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The film also incorporates factual details regarding corporate partnerships and the media frenzy surrounding the astronauts. The partnerships with brands like Omega watches, Tang, and Fruit of the Loom, showcased in the movie, were indeed historical realities. These collaborations were part of NASA’s efforts to promote the Apollo missions and integrate them into popular culture. Similarly, the film accurately depicts the intense media attention and celebrity status bestowed upon astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. They became household names, symbols of American ingenuity and courage, reflecting the genuine public fascination with the space program.
However, the central narrative of Fly Me to the Moon takes a decidedly fictional turn. The romance between Kelly Jones, the PR expert played by Scarlett Johansson, and Cole Davis, the launch director portrayed by Channing Tatum, is a creation of the filmmakers. Screenwriter Rose Gilroy and director Greg Berlanti crafted this romantic storyline to add a compelling human element to the historical backdrop. More significantly, the core plot device – the U.S. government hiring a PR operative to stage a fake moon landing as a backup plan – is entirely fictional. This “Project Artemis” within the movie is a narrative invention, designed to explore the enduring conspiracy theories surrounding the moon landing.
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Director Greg Berlanti himself acknowledges the blend of fact and fiction in the movie. He emphasizes the production team’s efforts to ensure the technical and NASA-related details were accurate, lending authenticity to the historical setting. This commitment to factual accuracy makes the fictional elements, like the fake moon landing plot, more engaging and thought-provoking. Berlanti points out that while they took “historical fiction liberties,” they aimed to maintain the integrity of established historical facts. For example, they shifted the first televised camera from Apollo 8 to Apollo 11 for narrative impact, highlighting the significance of the moon landing mission within their story.
The film directly addresses the persistent moon landing conspiracy theories, some of which suggest renowned director Stanley Kubrick, famous for 2001: A Space Odyssey, was involved in staging a hoax. Fly Me to the Moon playfully nods to this theory by including references to hiring Kubrick. Despite overwhelming evidence and the sheer scale of the Apollo program involving hundreds of thousands of people, a segment of the population still believes the moon landing was a fabrication. The movie acknowledges this enduring skepticism and uses it as a springboard to explore themes of truth, trust, and the power of narrative.
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Berlanti hopes the film ultimately champions the importance of truth and celebrates the remarkable achievements of the Apollo program. He expresses a desire for audiences to leave the theater with a renewed appreciation for the reality of the moon landing and the incredible scientific and engineering feat it represented. He highlights that a significant portion of the Apollo project’s resources was dedicated to the monumental task of launching the rocket off Earth – an achievement that was witnessed by the world and remains undeniable.
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In conclusion, Fly Me to the Moon is not a documentary but a work of historical fiction. While it accurately portrays the historical context of the Space Race, NASA’s challenges, and the cultural impact of the Apollo program, its central plot concerning a staged moon landing and the romantic relationship are fictional. The film cleverly uses the backdrop of real events to explore a captivating “what if” scenario and to encourage audiences to reflect on the value of truth amidst widespread conspiracy theories. Ultimately, Fly Me to the Moon offers an entertaining and thought-provoking cinematic experience, blending historical accuracy with imaginative storytelling.
