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‘Apollo 13’ With Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, and Rob Mahoney

August 25, 2026 · Apollo 13 (1995) · Adventure · Drama · History · 1:58:29 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Hanks or Cruise

Bill Simmons▶ 10:52Tom Cruise — Tom Cruise could not have played Jim Lovell; Hanks was perfect for Apollo 13, while he wouldn't want to see Hanks in Eyes Wide Shut or The Firm (Cruise roles)
Rob Mahoney▶ 11:06Tom Hanks — Jokes that Hanks would be 'something to behold' in Eyes Wide Shut, playing along with the bit rather than staking a clear position

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Amanda Dobbins▶ 37:00She would trade both of Tom Hanks's Oscars for one Oscar for his Apollo 13 performance, which she calls his best and most essential performance.
Bill Simmons▶ 39:41Cast Away is actually Hanks's best performance, harder than Apollo 13 since he had to carry the film alone for over an hour.
Craig Horlbeck▶ 40:42His favorite Hanks performance/movie isn't any of the acclaimed dramas — it's Sleepless in Seattle.
Rob Mahoney▶ 39:06Apollo 13 is much better than Philadelphia, and Hanks's performance in it is better (though subtler) than his Oscar-winning Philadelphia performance.

Most Rewatchable Scene

Amanda Dobbins▶ 51:43Draws a distinction: the re-entry into the atmosphere is the 'most rewatchable' scene, while the CO2 filter fix scene is her personal 'favorite'
Bill Simmons▶ 51:33The carbon dioxide filter fix scene ('this into this'), though he also strongly considers the atmosphere re-entry sequence as the 'best' answer overall
Craig Horlbeck▶ 52:06The atmosphere re-entry scene
Rob Mahoney▶ 48:14Praises the CO2 filter fix scene extensively (jokes about wanting someone to hand him random parts to build something), aligning with Amanda's favorite pick, but doesn't explicitly state his own definitive 'most rewatchable' choice

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:03:02Questions the physics/logistics of slingshotting around the moon (understands the technology but jokes 'Sir Isaac Newton take the wheel') and notes the spacecraft's finicky requirement to turn things on in a very specific order for it to work, comparing it to unreliable internet
Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:52Jokingly floats conspiracy theories about why astronauts live so long (space 'magic dust,' something on the far side of the moon) before deferring to Craig's more grounded explanation; also notes the mysterious 'right order' required to operate the lunar module switches/no-eject button as unexplained technology
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:01:29Astronauts seem to live forever (Fred Haise alive, Jim Lovell died at 97, Buzz Aldrin still alive) — real answer is they're elite physical specimens plus NASA monitors and gives them yearly health checkups for life, essentially as guinea pigs

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:04The jello in zero gravity scene when they're making the home movie and he's trying to catch/eat it
Rob Mahoney▶ 1:05:22The zero-g vomit scene, calling it a great showcase for visual effects despite being disgusting

Is There a Better Title?

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:06:15Agrees no better title - likes how dialed back 'Apollo 13' is compared to something like 'Houston We Have a Problem,' which would feel too internet/SEO-driven
Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:09No, there isn't a better title than Apollo 13 - he thinks the title is fine as is

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:12:31The visual effects, particularly the paint chips falling off during the Saturn V launch, which look dated now; also mentions the flight surgeon/press officer character Henry being too two-faced/villainous
Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:16The ending lacking a proper reunion scene - the astronauts land and are just greeted by strangers/military on the aircraft carrier instead of a Top Gun-style reunion with families/Sinise and Hanks in Houston
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:12:13The portrayal of Jack Swigert as underprepared/a wild card last-minute addition, questioning if that was historically accurate
Rob Mahoney▶ 1:13:02The teenage daughter's storyline, specifically her blaming Paul (played by Rob's noted 'Alan') for breaking up the Beatles - calls it the most maligned/tough part of the movie

Joey Pants Award

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:25:24Agrees Walter Cronkite steals the show; also notes several control room actors (including one resembling Dennis Leary, likely Ray McKinnon) as 'that guy' contenders
Bill Simmons▶ 1:24:36Narrowed it to Clint Howard, Jim's mom, and Walter Cronkite, but leans toward Todd Louiso as a strong pick; also mentions Joe Spano (from Hill Street Blues) as his personal favorite 'that guy'
Rob Mahoney▶ 1:24:09Questions whether Loren Dean counts as a recognizable 'that guy,' citing his roles in Gattaca and Bugsy, without giving a definitive pick

Casting What-Ifs

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:27:50Proposed Julianne Moore (acknowledging she may be a bit young) for Marilyn Lovell over Kathleen Quinlan, imagining her delivering the 'take it up with my husband' line
Bill Simmons▶ 1:27:16Suggested Tom Cruise as Kevin Bacon's Jack Swigert ('60s cad' type, could sell the beer-bottle/cocktail-flipping monologue) but wondered if Cruise could sell Swigert's crisis of confidence; also suggested Denzel's coked-up/no-sleep Flight character as an alternate take on the Jack Swigert role, played for comedic effect
Rob Mahoney▶ 1:26:27Proposed swapping Ed Harris for Gene Hackman as Gene Kranz, questioning if Harris's shadowy/mysterious energy fits the role

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:33:45Tom Hanks: could take the Kevin Bacon 'seven jack' title; apex mountain is a broad peak somewhere between winning the Oscar for Forrest Gump and filming Apollo 13/voicing Toy Story. Also gives picks for Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, for the acclaim), Sinise (building toward Forrest Gump/CSI), Kevin Bacon (probably Footloose era in the 80s), and Ed Harris (somewhere between this movie and The Truman Show).
Rob Mahoney▶ 1:34:26Counterpoints Bill on Hanks, suggesting apex mountain might be when he had enough clout to do The Lady Killers or direct/star in That Thing You Do, post-Saving Private Ryan.

Picking Nits

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:40:49It's a parenting nitpick that they let the youngest child watch the live broadcast not knowing if his dad would come back alive, essentially letting a four-year-old potentially watch his father's death live
Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:41:31Mary Haise's character got the shaft in the movie, barely any scenes beyond being pregnant in the bedroom
Bill Simmons▶ 1:39:54Not enough cigarette smoking shown given it's 1970 (everyone in the control room and house should be smoking except the kids); also notes real astronauts complained the depicted arguing in the spaceship was unrealistic
Rob Mahoney▶ 1:41:50During the emergency landing scene, two women drop a salad bowl, spill about 10% of it, and then implausibly just scoop the spilled salad back into the bowl

Sequel/Prequel/Limited Series/Remake

Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:10None — Apollo 13 is untouchable; Bill rejects any sequel, prequel, prestige TV series, or remake and immediately moves on.

Just One Oscar

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:42:57Hanks over the movie (her 'hot take'), but would be happy with the movie winning
Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:44Best Picture, with Hanks as a close alternative
Rob Mahoney▶ 1:43:02Leans toward Adapted Screenplay for its smart choices, but ultimately would take Best Picture if the competition is Braveheart

Movies Referenced (62)

Braveheart (1995)

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, Rob Mahoney▶ 16:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Forrest Gump (1994)

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, Rob Mahoney▶ 11:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

First Man (2018)

6 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons, Rob Mahoney▶ 1:46:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Martian (2015)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Rob Mahoney, Amanda Dobbins▶ 7:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Night Shift (1982)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins▶ 20:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Philadelphia (1993)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Rob Mahoney, Amanda Dobbins▶ 8:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rush (2013)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Rob Mahoney, Amanda Dobbins▶ 23:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Seven (1979)

5 mentions · Rob Mahoney, Craig Horlbeck, Bill Simmons▶ 1:23:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Far and Away (1992)

4 mentions · Rob Mahoney, Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins▶ 21:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Footloose (1984)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins▶ 25:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Toy Story (1995)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Rob Mahoney▶ 11:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Rob Mahoney▶ 11:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (5)

Ron Howard

18 mentions · Bill Simmons, Rob Mahoney, Amanda Dobbins · Known for A Beautiful Mind▶ 8:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mel Gibson

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Braveheart, Lethal Weapon 3, Conspiracy Theory▶ 35:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Costner

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 8:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sean Penn

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Mystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking▶ 36:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steven Spielberg

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Schindler's List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Saving Private Ryan▶ 1:37:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (16)

Ed Harris

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Rob Mahoney, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Appaloosa, The Truman Show▶ 6:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Bacon

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Rob Mahoney · Known for Footloose, Hollow Man▶ 24:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bill Paxton

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Aliens, Apollo 13▶ 6:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kathleen Quinlan

6 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons · Known for Apollo 13, The Doors▶ 9:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Christopher Lloyd

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Back to the Future, The Addams Family, Addams Family Values▶ 1:23:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joe Pesci

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Goodfellas, Raging Bull, The Irishman▶ 1:22:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rick Moranis

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Parenthood, Little Shop of Horrors, Spaceballs▶ 1:22:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Walter Cronkite

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:25:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anthony Hopkins

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Silence of the Lambs, Nixon▶ 36:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Horner

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Avatar, Titanic, The Mask of Zorro▶ 59:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joe Spano

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Apollo 13, Hollywoodland, Fracture▶ 50:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Travolta

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Pulp Fiction, Get Shorty, Saturday Night Fever▶ 1:20:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (4)

Jim Lovell

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Apollo 13, The Man Who Fell to Earth▶ 34:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Al Reinert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Apollo 13▶ 34:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Damien Chazelle

1 mentions · Amanda Dobbins · Known for Whiplash, La La Land, First Man▶ 1:47:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jeffrey Kluger

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Apollo 13▶ 34:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗