Reaching for the Stars

Growing up, I did not care about space travel, NASA, or going to the moon. However, I had the pleasure of marrying a man who would have been an astronaut if he could have. This opened my world to new and exciting adventures. We even visited NASA on our honeymoon. So, of course, a movie, even loosely based on Apollo 11, is worth watching in our household. But is it suitable for children? In this Fly Me to the Moon Christian Movie Review & Parent Guide, I give you the information you need before viewing this movie with your children.

While the title has been used before in a 2008 animated film, it is most known for its catchy tune by Frank Sinatra. However, it was originally titled “In Other Words” written by Bart Howard and sun by Kaye Ballard in 1954.

Fly Me to the Moon - This photo shows the NASA control room with Channing Tatum playing the Nasa Flight Director

Fly Me to the Moon Christian Movie Review

Studio Synopsis:

Starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, “Fly Me to the Moon” is a sharp, stylish comedy-drama set against the high-stakes backdrop of NASA’s historic Apollo 11 moon landing. Sparks fly in all directions as marketing maven Kelly Jones (Johansson), brought in to fix NASA’s public image, wreaks havoc on launch director Cole Davis’ (Tatum) already difficult task. When the White House deems the mission too important to fail, Jones is directed to stage a fake moon landing as a backup, and the countdown truly begins.

My Synopsis:

Cole Davis is the NASA launch director. He doesn’t know it yet, but his world is about to be turned upside down when the President’s office decides to send marketing professional, Kelly Jones, to improve NASA’s image and “sell the program” to the public. Jones and Davis are clearly smitten with each other. However, what Jones doesn’t know is that she will have to fake a moon landing and deceive Davis in the process.

Christian Review of Fly Me to the Moon – What Parents Want to Know

Language:

The overall language is typical of a PG-13 rating. There is one use of the f-word. Several times God’s name is taken in vain such as J-sus, g-dd-mn, and my g-d.

Additionally, uses of foul language include: a-s, a-shole, d-mnit, h-ll, son-of-a-b-tch, sh-t, bulls-it.

Violence:

Television sets show clips of news coverage, including soldiers from the Vietnam War.

An explosion is shown from the Apollo 1 mission where astronauts Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee lost their lives. You can hear the screams, but not much is shown on the screen.

A person uses an alcoholic drink to try to put out a fire. (Great lesson about flammable liquids).

Spiritual Content:

A black cat appears on the NASA campus frequently throughout the film and is considered a symbol of bad luck.

When a NASA official is asked about science versus God, and the meaning is quite clear, that God and science cannot co-exist, the man says, “Science has brought me closer to God.” He also quotes Scripture, “The heavens declare the glory of God.” Psalm 19:1

A person says, “Serving Christ is my full-time job.”

Deception:

There is a great deal of lying and deception in this movie. The entire premise is that they (the President’s office and the marketing professionals) are attempting to fake the moon landing without the knowledge of NASA.

A woman fakes a pregnancy to land an account. She lies about almost everything including who she is, where she is from, and she even changes identities within the film to “sell” NASA to senators.

Other Content:

People are seen smoking, which was prevalent during this period. In fact, when you look at photos from NASA, there are ashtrays and coffee mugs all around the control center. Additionally, there is smoking on airplanes.

Furthermore, various types of alcohol are consumed including beer, mixed drinks, etc.

This is a romance comedy – there is flirting, girls and guys are shown dancing, and a few kisses are exchanged between an unmarried couple.

Jim Rash, known as the Dean from Community, plays a gay flamboyant director.

Teachable Moments:

Some people believe that the entire moon landing was faked. Conspiracy theories are numerous when it comes to outer space and space travel. I have often said that in every conspiracy theory, there is some truth. Were there people who wanted to “fake a moon landing” just in case something went wrong? Was there an attempt to sway the public to spend money on a moon landing?

Research the different ways NASA partnered with products to market the space program.

Additionally, research Disney and the space program. Walt Disney produced films centered around space even before “NASA” was founded. Disney’s first space film, Man in Space, featured scientists such as Warner Von Braun. Additionally, when Disneyland opened, a giant rocket was part of Tomorrowland.

If you are ever in central Florida, it is worth visiting NASA. Our family viewed a nighttime shuttle launch, the last shuttle launch, and 2 Space-X rocket launches. These were truly amazing to see.

Research how the space program gave us new inventions and technology. If you doubt that going into space is worth the money, you will definitely come away with a newfound respect for the life-saving technology we have because of the space program.

Fly Me to the Moon Christian Review – My Viewing Recommendations

Overall, this is a cute movie. However, the language and deception make it definitely more adult in nature. My recommendation is for ages 13-14 and up. Since it is based on historical events, this is a great movie to discuss historical fiction and really explore the truth of Apollo 11 versus fictional accounts.

About Fly Me to the Moon Movie:

Rating: PG-13 for some strong language, smoking

Release Date: July 12, 2024

Runtime: 2 hours, 12 minutes

Genre: Comedy/Romance

Studio: Apple Studios, Berlanti-Schechter Films, These Pictures

Directed by: Greg Berlanti

Screenplay by: Rose Gilroy

Story by: Bill Kirstein, Kennan Flynn

Produced by: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Lia, Keenan Flynn, Sarah Schechter

Edited by: Harry Jierjian

Music by: Daniel Pemberton

Distributed by: Columbia Pictures (through Sony Pictures Releasing)

The Cast of Fly Me to the Moon:

Scarlett Johansson as Kelly Jones

Channing Tatum as Cole Davis

Jim Rash as Lance Vespertine

Ray Romano as Henry Smalls

Woody Harrelson as Moe Berkus

Anna Garcia as Ruby Martin

Donald Elise Watkins as Stu Bryce

Noah Robbins as Don Harper

Christian Clemenson as Walter

Colin Woodell as Buzz Aldrin

Nick Dillenburg as Neil Armstrong

Christian Zuber as Michael Collins

Gene Jones as Senator Hopp

Joe Chrest as Senator Vanning

Stephanie Kurtzuba as Jolene Vanning

Colin Jost as Senator Cook

Dariusz Wolski as Edvard

Frequently Asked Questions:

Where can I watch Fly Me to the Moon?

Fly Me to the Moon releases into theaters on July 12, 2024. It will eventually be shown on Apple TV+ as this is an Apple TV production.

Is there any LGBTQ+ content?

There is a gay character named Lance Vespertine who plays a film director.

Will Fly Me to the Moon stream on Disney+?

No, Fly Me to the Moon will not stream on Disney+.

How much did it cost to produce Fly Me to the Moon?

The production budget for Fly Me to the Moon was $100 million.

Fly Me to the Moon

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