First Man (film)

First Man
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Damien Chazelle
Produced by
Screenplay by Josh Singer
Based on First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong
by James R. Hansen
Starring
Music by Justin Hurwitz
Cinematography Linus Sandgren
Edited by Tom Cross
Production
company
Distributed by Universal Pictures[1]
Release date
  • August 29, 2018 (2018-08-29) (Venice)
  • October 12, 2018 (2018-10-12) (United States)
Running time
 141 minutes[2]
Country United States
Language English
Budget $59–70 million[3][4]
Box office $25.1 million[3]

First Man is a 2018 American biographical drama film directed by Damien Chazelle and written by Josh Singer. Based on the book First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen, the film stars Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong, alongside Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, Ciarán Hinds, Christopher Abbott, Patrick Fugit, and Lukas Haas, and follows the years leading up to the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon in 1969. Steven Spielberg serves as an executive producer.[5]

First Man had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 29, 2018, and was released in the United States on October 12, 2018, by Universal Pictures. The film received praise for Gosling and Foy's performances and Chazelle's direction, as well as the moon landing sequence, and has grossed $25 million worldwide.

Cast

Production

In early 2003, actor-director Clint Eastwood and production people at the studio Warner Bros. bought the film rights to James R. Hansen's First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong. Eastwood had previously directed as well as starred in the 2000 space-themed picture Space Cowboys, though he stated that he would likely not appear on camera in First Man.[10]

Universal and DreamWorks ultimately took up the First Man project in the mid-2010s.[11] Damien Chazelle, who received critical acclaim for his work in 2016's La La Land, signed onto the film's production in 2014, and hired Josh Singer to rewrite an existing script.[12] Gosling, who starred in La La Land, joined as well to portray Armstrong in November 2015, and Hansen was hired to co-produce the film because of his role as the book's author.[13][14] Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen also produced the film through Temple Hill Entertainment, with pre-production starting in March 2017.[15][12] Principal photography began in Atlanta in November 2017. To recreate Armstrong's home the production crew built a replica of it in an empty lot, while the moon landing sequence was shot in a local rock quarry at night.[16][12]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 29, 2018.[17][18][19] It screened at the Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2018,[20][21] and screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2018.[22] It was released in the United States on October 12, 2018, by Universal Pictures.[23]

Reception

Box office

As of October 14, 2018, First Man has grossed $16.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $8.6 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $25.1 million.[3]

In the United States and Canada, First Man was released alongside Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween and Bad Times at the El Royale, and was projected to gross $18–25 million from 3,640 theaters in its opening weekend.[24][4] The film made $5.8 million on its first day, including $1.1 million from Thursday night previews at 2,850 theaters. It went on to debut to just $16.5 million at 3,640 theaters, finishing third at the box office behind holdovers Venom and A Star Is Born. Deadline Hollywood said the under-performance did not have too much to do with the controversy involving the American Flag and more with the 141 minute runtime and the film's focus on drama.[2]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 88% based on 280 reviews, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "First Man uses a personal focus to fuel a look back at a pivotal moment in human history - and takes audiences on a soaring dramatic journey along the way."[25] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100, based on 55 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[26] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it a 79% positive score.[2]

Owen Gleiberman of Variety called the film "so revelatory in its realism, so gritty in its physicality, that it becomes a drama of thrillingly hellbent danger and obsession."[27] Writing for IndieWire, Michael Nordine awarded the film a B+, describing as "A powerful experience that will inspire renewed awe of what Armstrong and his ilk did." Nordine praised the opening flight sequence, Gosling's performance and Chazelle's direction.[28] Diana Dabrowska from Cinema Scope wrote, "Armstrong's trip becomes a means for emotional emancipation, a backdrop for an intimate, universal story about dealing with trauma."[29] Alex Hudson of Exclaim! gave the film 8/10 and praised the film's slow pacing and big payoff, writing, "The moon scene is truly jaw-dropping, and brilliantly captures the gravity — no pun intended — of that world-changing moment." [30] Nicholas Barber of the BBC gave it a five-star rating, stating that "Gosling and Foy's performances in First Man are probably too unshowy to win awards. But they should, because they could hardly have been bettered. The same goes for the whole of this extraordinary film."[31]

A. O. Scott wrote for The New York Times that the film “gets almost everything right, but it’s also strangely underwhelming. It reminds you of an extraordinary feat and acquaints you with an interesting, enigmatic man. But there is a further leap beyond technical accomplishment — into meaning, history, metaphysics or the wilder zones of the imagination — that the film is too careful, too earthbound, to attempt.”[32] Anthony Lane of The New Yorker said the film "captures the grandeur and otherness of the Apollo saga, but not the Midwestern modesty of its hero, Neil Armstrong," writing: "Skillful and compelling this film may be, but, if Neil Armstrong had been the sort of fellow who was likely to cry on the moon, he wouldn’t have been the first man chosen to go there. He would have been the last."[33]

Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair criticized Gosling's performance as "yet another man of few words, his hooded eyes and pursed lips again meant to signal depth but instead seeming a bit empty. Though Gosling lets some of his sly wit shine through in moments, there's a lot of passive, affectless mien going on in First Man."[34] Stephanie Zacharek of Time said the film as a whole did not live up to Gosling's performance, writing: "This is a respectful movie, even a genuflecting one; there's never a moment when Chazelle fails to let you know he's doing important, valuable work. But that's the problem: The movie feels too fussed-over for such a low-key hero. Its star, Ryan Gosling, turns in a discreet, sensitive performance, almost too sensitive for the movie around it..."[35]

Political controversies

Political stance of the film

Some critics and journalists found the film to be overtly American and avoid certain topics including race and modern politics, while others said the film lacked patriotism and was a reflection of the modern political climate. Richard Brody of The New Yorker, described the film as "a right-wing fetish object", calling it "a film of deluded, cultish longing for an earlier era of American life, one defined not by conservative politics but, rather, by a narrow and regressive emotional perspective that shapes and distorts the substance of the film."[36] Conversely, Armond White of the National Review said that the casting of non-American actors (including Gosling, Foy and Clarke) in key roles was intentional, and that "American ambition and achievement take a back seat to cynicism and wifely resentment". He also wrote: "Patriotism is a personal thing; deliberate dispassion about American history is a contemporary Hollywood tragedy."[37] Writing for The Mary Sue, Kate Gardner described the film as apolitical, but wrote it was "impossible for me to divorce First Man from the modern political climate" and that she was "glad they decided against making it a story of American exceptionalism, but as with most historical films, they decide to focus mostly on white men."[38]

American flag controversy

On August 31, 2018, it was reported that the film would not include a scene of Armstrong and Aldrin planting the American flag on the Moon. Florida Senator Marco Rubio described the omission as "total lunacy". Chazelle responded with a statement, saying: "I show the American flag standing on the lunar surface, but the flag being physically planted into the surface is one of several moments [...] that I chose not to focus upon. To address the question of whether this was a political statement, the answer is no. My goal with this movie was to share with audiences the unseen, unknown aspects of America's mission to the Moon."[39] The Armstrong family also released a statement, saying: "We do not feel this movie is anti-American in the slightest. Quite the opposite. But don't take our word for it. We'd encourage everyone to go see this remarkable film and see for themselves."[39] Producer Wyck Godfrey told Deadline Hollywood the scene was not included because Chazelle "wanted to be truly emotionally back with the character [Armstrong] and process the emotional journey."[40]

Buzz Aldrin, who landed on the Moon with Armstrong on Apollo 11, responded to the controversy with a tweet containing the hashtags "#proudtobeanAmerican #freedom #honor #onenation #Apollo11 #July1969 #roadtoApollo50" and two photos of him and Armstrong planting the flag on the Moon.[41][40]

United States President Donald Trump commented on the film, "It's unfortunate. It's almost like they're embarrassed at the achievement coming from America, I think it's a terrible thing. When you think of Neil Armstrong and when you think of the landing on the moon, you think about the American flag. For that reason, I wouldn't even want to watch the movie."[42][43]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Film releases". Variety Insight. Variety Media. Archived from the original on February 5, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 14, 2018). "'Sony Swings Past $1 Billion As 'Venom' Bites $35M+; 'First Man' Lands Third With $16M+ – Sunday AM". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "First Man (2018)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Pamela McClintock (October 11, 2018). "Box-Office Preview: 'First Man' to Blast Off in Wake of Juggernauts 'Venom,' 'A Star Is Born'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  5. ↑ "First Man". Universal Pictures. Archived from the original on September 7, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  6. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (October 9, 2017). "Patrick Fugit Joins Damien Chazelle's 'First Man'; 'The Hate U Give' Casts Dominique Fishback". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on October 20, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  7. ↑ Douglas, Edward (September 29, 2017). ""Spotlight" Star Brian d'Arcy James Lands on Damien Chazelle's Moon Movie "First Man"". The Tracking Board. Archived from the original on November 28, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  8. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 17, 2017). "'Gotham's Cory Michael Smith Joins 'First Man's Space Crew". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on October 20, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  9. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (October 27, 2017). "Skyler Bible Joins 'First Man'; Freddie Stroma Cast In 'Second Act'; Jonathan Goldsmith Boards 'Mamma Mia' Sequel". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Eastwood to direct astronaut film biography". Los Angeles Times. March 14, 2003. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  11. ↑ Lee, Ashley (March 7, 2017). "Ryan Gosling's Neil Armstrong Biopic Is Set For Fall 2018 Debut" Archived September 1, 2018, at the Wayback Machine.. The Hollywood Reporter/Yahoo! Entertainment. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  12. 1 2 3 Tapley, Kristopher (September 3, 2018). "How Neil Armstrong Biopic 'First Man' Achieved Lift-Off". Variety. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  13. ↑ Fleming Jr, Mike (November 24, 2015). "Ryan Gosling Orbiting Damien Chazelle's Neil Armstrong Movie at Universal?". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  14. ↑ Kroll, Justin (December 29, 2016). "Ryan Gosling, Damien Chazelle to Reteam on Neil Armstrong Biopic". Variety. Archived from the original on December 30, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  15. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (April 25, 2018). "Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy Share First Look at Neil Armstrong Biopic 'First Man'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  16. ↑ "What's filming in Atlanta now? First Man, Venom, Ozark—plus, you can see downtown in the new Avengers trailer". November 30, 2017. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  17. ↑ Tapley, Kristopher (July 18, 2018). "Damien Chazelle's 'First Man' With Ryan Gosling to Open 75th Venice Film Festival (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on July 19, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  18. ↑ Anderson, Ariston (July 25, 2018). "Venice to Kick Off Awards Season With New Films From Coen Brothers, Luca Guadagnino and Alfonso Cuaron". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  19. ↑ Vivarelli, Nick (July 25, 2018). "Venice Film Festival Lineup: Heavy on Award Hopefuls, Netflix and Star Power". Variety. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  20. ↑ Tapley, Kristopher (August 30, 2018). "'First Man,' 'Front Runner' and 'Roma' Among 2018 Telluride Film Festival Selections". Variety. Archived from the original on August 30, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Telluride Film Festival Program Guide" (PDF). Telluride Film Festival. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  22. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (July 24, 2018). "Toronto: Timothee Chalamet Starrer 'Beautiful Boy,' Dan Fogelman's 'Life Itself' Among Festival Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on August 2, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  23. ↑ Lee, Ashley (March 7, 2017). "Universal Sets Ryan Gosling's Neil Armstrong Biopic for Fall 2018 Debut". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on March 9, 2017. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
  24. ↑ Rubin, Rebecca (October 9, 2018). "'First Man' Takes on 'Venom' and 'A Star Is Born' as October Box Office Goes Galactic". Variety. Archived from the original on October 10, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  25. ↑ "First Man (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  26. ↑ "First Man Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 25, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  27. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (August 29, 2018). "Venice Film Review: Ryan Gosling in First Man". Variety. Archived from the original on August 29, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  28. ↑ Nordine, Michael (August 29, 2018). "First Man Review: Damien Chazelle and Ryan Gosling's Thrilling Neil Armstrong Biopic Has the Right Stuff — Venice". IndieWire. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on August 30, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  29. ↑ Dabrowska, Diana. "First Man (Damien Chazelle, US) — Gala Presentations". Cinema Scope. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  30. ↑ Hudson, Alex (October 11, 2018). "Ryan Gosling's 'First Man' Sticks the (Moon) Landing". Exclaim. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  31. ↑ Barber, Nicholas (August 29, 2018). "Film review: Five stars for First Man". BBC Culture. BBC. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  32. ↑ Scott, A. O. (October 10, 2018). "Review: Review: 'First Man' Takes a Giant Leap for Man, a Smaller Step for Movies". The New York Times. A.G. Sulzberger. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  33. ↑ Lane, Anthony (October 8, 2018). "Damien Chazelle's Moon Shot in "First Man"". The New Yorker. Condé Nast. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  34. ↑ Lawson, Richard (September 2, 2018). "Review: First Man Is Technically Dazzling and Dramatically Dull". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  35. ↑ Zacharek, Stephanie (August 29, 2018). "First Man Doesn't Quite Live Up to Ryan Gosling's Thoughtful Neil Armstrong Performance". Time. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  36. ↑ Brody, Richard (October 10, 2018). ""First Man," Reviewed: Damien Chazelle's Neil Armstrong Bio-Pic Is an Accidental Right-Wing Fetish Object". The New Yorker. Condé Nast. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  37. ↑ White, Armond (October 12, 2018). "American Exceptionalism — Not! First Man Falters". National Review. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  38. ↑ Gardner, Kate (October 10, 2018). "Review: First Man Is a Technically Stunning Film Made at the Wrong Time". The Mary Sue. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  39. 1 2 Hipes, Patrick (August 31, 2018). "'First Man' Director Damien Chazelle & Neil Armstrong's Family On Flag Flap: It's Not A Political Statement". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  40. 1 2 Tartaglione, Nancy (September 3, 2018). "Buzz Aldrin Weighs In On 'First Man' Flag Flap With Moon Landing Tweet". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  41. ↑ Aldrin, Buzz [@TheRealBuzz] (September 2, 2018). "#proudtobeanAmerican #freedom #honor #onenation #Apollo11 #July1969 #roadtoApollo50" (Tweet). Retrieved September 3, 2018 – via Twitter.
  42. ↑ Rose, Steve (September 6, 2018). "'If anyone can Maga, it is Nasa': how First Man's flag 'snub' made space political again". The Guardian. Steve Rose. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  43. ↑ "Trump, #MeToo Loom Large at Toronto Film Festival". Variety. Brent Lang. September 6, 2018. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
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