WINNER of the audience award at Sun dance, “In the Shadow of the Moon” takes a fresh look at the U.S. lunar program of the late ’60s and early ’70s with eye-popping, never-seen footage and revealing new interviews with astronauts from all nine missions.
They do not include the first man on the moon, the reclusive Neil (“One Giant Leap for Mankind”) Armstrong, who is represented by ample archival footage and even an excerpt of an appearance by his parents on the game show “I’ve Got a Secret.”
It’s a stirring reminder of a time when anything seemed possible – these American heroes boosted morale eroded by the Vietnam War, as well as bringing the whole world together to celebrate their success.
Directed by British filmmaker David Sington, the film notes that man has not returned to the moon since December 1972, more than a generation ago. As astronaut Jim Lovell so eloquently put it, “it was a time when we made bold moves.”
IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON
*** 1/2
Running time: 106 minutes. Rated PG (mild language, brief violent images, incidental smoking). At the Lincoln Square, the Sunshine.