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IMDbPro

The Challenger Disaster

Original title: The Challenger
  • TV Movie
  • 20132013
  • TV-14TV-14
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
4.3K
YOUR RATING
William Hurt, Brian Dennehy, Eve Best, and Bruce Greenwood in The Challenger Disaster (2013)
  • Drama
  • History
Factual drama exploring the truth behind the space shuttle Challenger's 1986 disintegration.Factual drama exploring the truth behind the space shuttle Challenger's 1986 disintegration.Factual drama exploring the truth behind the space shuttle Challenger's 1986 disintegration.
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
4.3K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • James Hawes
  • Writer
    • Kate Gartside
  • Stars
    • Eve Best
    • Joanne Whalley
    • William Hurt
Top credits
  • Director
    • James Hawes
  • Writer
    • Kate Gartside
  • Stars
    • Eve Best
    • Joanne Whalley
    • William Hurt
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 28User reviews
    • 9Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 2 nominations

    Photos11

    William Hurt in The Challenger Disaster (2013)
    William Hurt in The Challenger Disaster (2013)
    William Hurt in The Challenger Disaster (2013)
    The Challenger Disaster (2013)
    Sean Cameron Michael in The Challenger Disaster (2013)
    Kevin McNally, Sean Cameron Michael, and David Sherwood in The Challenger Disaster (2013)
    William Hurt, Brian Dennehy, Eve Best, and Bruce Greenwood in The Challenger Disaster (2013)
    William Hurt, Brian Dennehy, Eve Best, and Bruce Greenwood in The Challenger Disaster (2013)
    William Hurt, Brian Dennehy, Eve Best, and Bruce Greenwood in The Challenger Disaster (2013)
    William Hurt, Brian Dennehy, Eve Best, and Bruce Greenwood in The Challenger Disaster (2013)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Eve Best
    Eve Best
    • Sally Rideas Sally Ride
    Joanne Whalley
    Joanne Whalley
    • Gweneth Feynmanas Gweneth Feynman
    William Hurt
    William Hurt
    • Richard Feynmanas Richard Feynman
    Bruce Greenwood
    Bruce Greenwood
    • General Kutynaas General Kutyna
    Kevin McNally
    Kevin McNally
    • Mulloyas Mulloy
    Brian Dennehy
    Brian Dennehy
    • Rogersas Rogers
    Henry Goodman
    Henry Goodman
    • Dr. Weissas Dr. Weiss
    Meganne Young
    Meganne Young
    • Michelle Feynmanas Michelle Feynman
    • (as Megan Young)
    Langley Kirkwood
    Langley Kirkwood
    • Avionics Engineeras Avionics Engineer
    Nick Boraine
    Nick Boraine
    • SRB Engineeras SRB Engineer
    Sean Cameron Michael
    Sean Cameron Michael
    • Judson Lovingoodas Judson Lovingood
    • (as Sean C. Michael)
    Stephen Jennings
    Stephen Jennings
    • Neil Armstrongas Neil Armstrong
    Nicholas Pauling
    Nicholas Pauling
    • Bill Grahamas Bill Graham
    Liesl Ahlers
    Liesl Ahlers
    • Hotel Receptionistas Hotel Receptionist
    Stevel Marc
    Stevel Marc
    • Taxi Driveras Taxi Driver
    Danny Keogh
    • Head Of Recoveryas Head Of Recovery
    Robert Hobbs
    Robert Hobbs
    • Allan J Macdonaldas Allan J Macdonald
    Clayton Boyd
    Clayton Boyd
    • Reporter 4as Reporter 4
    • Director
      • James Hawes
    • Writer
      • Kate Gartside
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      William Hurt and Brian Dennehy share the screen again 30 years later after their partnership in Gorky Park (1983).
    • Goofs
      When Feynman visits the Shuttle factory, the flight deck interior is clearly that of a Boeing 747-200. You can see the flight engineer's panel and the four throttles on the centre console, also the windscreen layout gives it away.
    • Quotes

      Rogers: The other commissioners are just being respectful.

      Richard Feynman: And you're saying I'm not? You understand the implications of the oxygen being activated? I do. The astronauts had to do that themselves. Which means they were ALIVE for at least some of those two minutes and thirty six seconds before they slammed into the ocean. Mr Rogers I'm an atheist, I personally doubt they're touching the face of God so I prefer to show my respect by finding the CAUSE of their appalling deaths and not stand around looking sad.

    • Connections
      Follows Challenger (1990)

    User reviews28

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    A very well done piece of history...
    This is an extremely well done telling of the investigation surrounding the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986. Despite the fact that we all know the outcome of the findings, there are constantly rising stakes here which help keep you glued to the story.

    William Hurt is exceptional as physicist Richard Feynman, a member of the fact-finding commission, who almost single-handedly recognized the cause of the disaster and pushed the commission in the right direction. I did find his failing health issues to be important but overdone. The "peeing blood" and dialysis tended to take me out of the story when I'd already gotten and understood his health problems with the "x-ray" scene.

    Brian Dennehy also did a remarkable job of channeling William Rogers (as head of the Challenger fact-finding commission) who from the beginning wants to whitewash the whole the thing. Rogers was the Secretary of State under Richard Nixon which is hardly a vote of confidence for the man and any real neutrality.

    Overall, it would seem that history is not going to be kind to the Reagan Administration. The film does bring out facts that were never a part of any official commission findings implying those were repressed for apparently legitimate national security issues of the time. In a nutshell, the Reagan budget cuts caused NASA to promise the military the ability to launch military spy satellites via the shuttles almost on demand instead of the military developing their own new missile. Decidedly, putting temperature restrictions on such shuttle launches would not be something to tell the Soviets about. However, maybe in future years someone will realize that even this was a false concern because the launches would have been from the California coast where freezing temperatures would be almost non-existent.

    I highly recommend this film to relive this piece of recent history.
    helpful•11
    2
    • tv-striker
    • Nov 17, 2013

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 16, 2013 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • 73 Seconds: The Challenger Investigation
    • Production companies
      • BBC Films
      • Erste Weltweit Medien
      • Moonlighting Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 30 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 16:9 HD

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