First Man (film)

In 1961, NASA test pilot Neil Armstrong is flying the X-15 rocket-powered spaceplane when it unexpectedly bounces off the atmosphere when Armstrong attempts his initial descent. Although he manages to land the plane in the Mojave Desert, his colleagues express concern that his recent record of mishaps is due to distraction.

His 2-year-old daughter, Karen, is undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. Desperate to save her, Neil keeps a detailed log of her symptoms and researches possible treatments, but she dies soon afterward. Grief-stricken and suspecting he has been grounded, Armstrong applies for Project Gemini and is accepted to NASA Astronaut Group 2. With his wife Janet, and their son Rick, Neil moves to Houston alongside other astronaut families. He befriends Elliot See, another civilian test pilot, and Ed White. As Armstrong begins training, Deke Slayton impresses upon the new astronauts the importance of the Gemini program, as the Soviet Union had reached every milestone in the Space Race ahead of the United States. Neil and Janet have a second son, Mark.

In 1965, after the Soviets complete the first extravehicular activity (EVA), Armstrong is informed that he will command Gemini 8, with David Scott as the pilot. Prior to the mission, See and Charles Bassett are killed in a T-38 crash, deepening Armstrong's grief at the string of recent losses. Armstrong and Scott successfully launch on Gemini 8 and dock with the Agena target vehicle, but soon afterward, a malfunction causes the spacecraft to roll at an increasingly dangerous rate. After nearly blacking out, Armstrong activates the RCS thrusters and safely aborts the mission. He initially faces criticism, but NASA determines the crew is not at fault and the mission is rated a "success".

Later, White reveals that he has been selected for the Apollo 1 mission, along with Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee. During a launch rehearsal test on January 27, 1967, a fire kills White and the Apollo 1 crew. Armstrong learns the news while representing NASA at the White House. The next year, after Armstrong ejects from the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle in an accident that could have killed him, Slayton informs Armstrong that he has been selected to command Apollo 11, which will likely attempt the first lunar landing. As the mission nears, Armstrong becomes increasingly preoccupied and emotionally distant from his family. Prior to the launch, Janet confronts Neil about the possibility that he might not survive the flight and insists that he explain the risks of the mission to their young sons. After telling them about the risks he faces, Armstrong says goodbye to his family.

Three days after launch, Apollo 11 enters lunar orbit. Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin undock in the Lunar Module Eagle and begin the landing. The landing site terrain turns out to be much rougher than expected, forcing Armstrong to take manual control of the spacecraft. He lands Eagle successfully at an alternative site with less than 30 seconds of fuel remaining. After setting foot on the Moon, Armstrong utters his famous line, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Later he drops Karen's bracelet into Little West crater. With their mission complete, the astronauts return home and are placed in quarantine, where they watch footage of John F. Kennedy's 1962 speech "We choose to go to the Moon" on television, and Neil and Janet share a moment of tenderness.

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• Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong, the astronaut who became the first person to walk on the Moon during Apollo 11.
• Claire Foy as Janet Armstrong, Neil's first wife.
• Jason Clarke as Ed White, Neil's friend and neighbor, the first American to walk in space, who died during a pre-launch test for Apollo 1, which was to be the first crewed Apollo mission.
• Kyle Chandler as Deke Slayton, one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts, who became NASA's first Chief of the Astronaut Office.
• Corey Stoll as Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the Moon during Apollo 11, and also pilot for Gemini 12.
• Patrick Fugit as Elliot See, partnered with Armstrong as backup crew for Gemini 5. Chosen for command on Gemini 9, See was killed in 1966 when his NASA trainer jet crashed in St. Louis, where he was training for that mission.
• Christopher Abbott as Dave Scott, who flew with Armstrong on the Gemini 8 mission.
• Ciarán Hinds as Bob Gilruth, the first director of NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center.
• Olivia Hamilton as Pat White, Ed's wife.
• Pablo Schreiber as Jim Lovell, Gemini astronaut and backup commander on Armstrong's Apollo 11 mission.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/10/ryan-gosling-first-man-pablo-schreiber-jim-lovell-astronaut-cast-1202180966/|last1=D'Alessandro|first1=Anthony|date=October 2, 2017|website=Deadline|title=Damien Chazelle Astronaut Movie 'First Man' Finds Its Jim Lovell|access-date=September 15, 2019}}
• Shea Whigham as Gus Grissom, one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts. He was killed during a pre-launch test for Apollo 1, which was to be the first crewed Apollo mission.
• Shawn Eric Jones as Wally Schirra, the first astronaut to go into space three times, and the only astronaut to have flown in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs.
• Lukas Haas as Mike Collins, the Command Module Pilot for Apollo 11, who also flew on Gemini 10.
• Ethan Embry as Pete Conrad, Pilot of Gemini 5 and backup commander for Gemini 8.
• Brian d'Arcy James as Joe Walker, Armstrong's fellow X-15 test pilot who became the seventh person in space by taking that plane into space twice.
• Cory Michael Smith as Roger Chaffee, capsule communicator for the Gemini 3 and Gemini 4 missions, and the third crew member who was killed with Grissom and White in the Apollo 1 pre-launch test.
• Kris Swanberg as Marilyn See, Elliot's wife.
• Skyler Bible as Richard F. Gordon Jr., astronaut, the backup pilot for Neil Armstrong during the Gemini 8 mission.
• Gavin Warren as Rick Armstrong, Neil Armstrong's son.
• Leon Bridges as Gil Scott-Heron

In early 2003, actor-director Clint Eastwood and production people at the Warner Bros. studio 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.{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-mar-14-et-quick14.2-story.html|title=Eastwood to direct astronaut film biography|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=March 14, 2003|access-date=February 19, 2017}}

Universal and DreamWorks ultimately took up the First Man project in the mid-2010s.Lee, Ashley (March 7, 2017). [https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/universal-sets-ryan-goslings-neil-armstrong-biopic-fall-183452970.html "Ryan Gosling's Neil Armstrong Biopic Is Set For Fall 2018 Debut"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180901080537/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/universal-sets-ryan-goslings-neil-armstrong-biopic-fall-183452970.html |date=September 1, 2018}}. The Hollywood Reporter/Yahoo! Entertainment. Retrieved September 20, 2018. Damien Chazelle, who had received critical acclaim for his work on 2014's Whiplash, signed on to the film's production that year, and hired Josh Singer to rewrite an existing script.{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2018/film/in-contention/how-neil-armstrong-biopic-first-man-achieved-lift-off-1202925131/ |title=How Neil Armstrong Biopic 'First Man' Achieved Lift-Off |last=Tapley |first=Kristopher |date=September 3, 2018 |website=Variety |access-date=October 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181012214546/https://variety.com/2018/film/in-contention/how-neil-armstrong-biopic-first-man-achieved-lift-off-1202925131/ |archive-date=October 12, 2018 |url-status=live}} Gosling, who starred in Chazelle's 2016 film 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.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/11/ryan-gosling-neil-armstrong-movie-first-man-damien-chazelle-1201636876/|title=Ryan Gosling Orbiting Damien Chazelle's Neil Armstrong Movie at Universal?|website=Deadline Hollywood |first=Mike Jr.|last=Fleming|date=November 24, 2015|access-date=December 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018083109/http://deadline.com/2015/11/ryan-gosling-neil-armstrong-movie-first-man-damien-chazelle-1201636876/|archive-date=October 18, 2017|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/damien-chazelle-ryan-gosling-neil-armstrong-biopic-first-man-1201949407/|title=Ryan Gosling, Damien Chazelle to Reteam on Neil Armstrong Biopic|website=Variety|first=Justin|last=Kroll|date=December 29, 2016|access-date=December 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230013623/http://variety.com/2016/film/news/damien-chazelle-ryan-gosling-neil-armstrong-biopic-first-man-1201949407/|archive-date=December 30, 2016|url-status=live}} Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen also produced the film through Temple Hill Entertainment, with pre-production starting in March 2017.{{Cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ryan-gosling-claire-foy-share-first-look-at-neil-armstrong-biopic-first-man-1105707 |title=Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy Share First Look at Neil Armstrong Biopic 'First Man' |last=McClintock |first=Pamela |date=April 25, 2018 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=October 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143106/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ryan-gosling-claire-foy-share-first-look-at-neil-armstrong-biopic-first-man-1105707 |archive-date=June 12, 2018 |url-status=live}} Actor Jon Bernthal was originally attached to the project and was cast as David Scott, but had to depart the production when his daughter suffered a serious illness.{{cite web|url=https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a25458789/jon-bernthal-the-punisher-interview/|title=Jon Bernthal on What It Means to Man Up|first=Molly|last=Knight|date=December 20, 2018|website=Men's Health}} PIX Systems were used to aid in the production of this film.{{Cite press release|url=https://www.mesalliance.org/2019/02/27/pix-plays-supporting-role-in-91st-academy-award-winning-films-mesa/|title=PIX Plays Supporting Role in 91st Academy Award Winning Films (MESA)|date=2019-02-27|website=Media & Entertainment Services Alliance|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-02}}

File:Mockup of X-15 on set of First Man at Edwards AFB, rear.jpg of X-15-3 on set at Edwards Air Force Base]]

Principal photography began in Atlanta, Georgia, in November 2017.{{cite news |last=Walljasper |first=Matt |title=What's filming in Atlanta now? First Man, Venom, Ozark—plus, you can see downtown in the new Avengers trailer |url=https://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/whats-filming-in-atlanta-now-first-man-venom-ozark-plus-you-can-see-downtown-in-the-new-avengers-trailer/ |magazine=Atlanta |date=November 30, 2017 |access-date=November 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315144008/http://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/whats-filming-in-atlanta-now-first-man-venom-ozark-plus-you-can-see-downtown-in-the-new-avengers-trailer/|archive-date=March 15, 2018|url-status=live}} Chazelle and cinematographer Linus Sandgren chose to shoot the film in three different formats: Super 16mm, 35mm Techniscope & Super 35 3-perf, and IMAX 70mm film for the Moon sequence.{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2018/11/first-man-damien-chazelle-16mm-linus-sandgren-toolkit-podcast-episode-63-1202016982/|title='First Man': How Damien Chazelle Used Handheld 16mm Cameras to Cut Through the Neal Armstrong Myth|last=O'Falt|first=Chris|date=November 1, 2018|work=IndieWire|access-date=November 2, 2018|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181102180015/https://www.indiewire.com/2018/11/first-man-damien-chazelle-16mm-linus-sandgren-toolkit-podcast-episode-63-1202016982/|archive-date=November 2, 2018|url-status=live}} The 16mm format was used in most of the scenes that occur inside the spacecraft and 35mm film was used for the scenes that take place in the Armstrong house and around the NASA facility.{{Cite news|url=https://nofilmschool.com/2018/10/cinematographer-linus-sandgren-first-man|title=How Cinematographer Linus Sandgren Used Format to Change Visual Tone In 'First Man'|date=October 16, 2018|work=No Film School|access-date=November 2, 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181103052312/https://nofilmschool.com/2018/10/cinematographer-linus-sandgren-first-man|archive-date=November 3, 2018|url-status=live}}

First Man was shot without the use of green screen. Instead, LED displays of up to 10 meters were used. These projected images that would simulate views of the Earth, space and lunar surface as seen from inside (or just outside) aircraft and spacecraft depicted in the film. Next to the screens, several simulators of spacecraft were built. These were programmed to move synchronized with the images on the curved LED screens that could be seen through the windows. Chazelle chose this technique to help the actors to feel like the astronauts; instead of seeing a green screen, they saw the outside environment recreated with visual effects. Miniatures were used for several exterior shots of the spacecraft.

To recreate Armstrong's home, the production crew built a replica of it in an empty lot. The lunar surface was simulated by sculpting the landscape of a Vulcan rock quarry just south of Atlanta. Chazelle filmed these sequences at night, using a custom 200,000-watt light to duplicate the effect of sunlight on the surface.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kftv.com/news/2018/10/17/atlanta-quarry-filmed-as-moon-for-first-man|title = Atlanta quarry filmed as moon for First Man}} For the simulation of low gravity on the lunar surface, a balancing system calibrated for the actors was constructed. NASA historian Christian Gelzer, as well as astronauts Al Bean (from Apollo 12) and Al Worden (from Apollo 15), were on set as technical consultants.{{Cite web|url=http://scienceandfilm.org/articles/3179/observations-from-the-set-of-first-man-by-a-nasa-historian|title=Observations From The Set Of First Man By A NASA Historian|last=Gelzer|first=Christian|date=December 18, 2018|website=Sloan Science & Film}}

Paul Lambert served as the main visual effects supervisor. Visual effects for the film were provided by DNEG. To create the images that would be displayed on the LED screens, Terragen, a scenery generation program, was used. Additionally, archival footage such as that of an Apollo launch was used, found by DNEG in a 70mm military stock that had not been seen before. These shots were then cleaned up and extended on each side of the frame.{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2018/10/first-man-vfx-christopher-nolan-in-camera-1202012086/|title=Beyond Christopher Nolan: 'First Man' Redefines In-Camera VFX|last=Desowitz|first=Bill|date=October 15, 2018|work=IndieWire|access-date=November 2, 2018|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181103042914/https://www.indiewire.com/2018/10/first-man-vfx-christopher-nolan-in-camera-1202012086/|archive-date=November 3, 2018|url-status=live}} Chazelle believed that it was important that the space scenes in the film matched what people knew from the historical footage, and using the historical footage itself made this possible.{{Cite news|url=http://vfxvoice.com/first-man-an-effects-odyssey/|title=FIRST MAN: An Effects Odyssey|last=Failes|first=Ian|date=November 6, 2018|work=VFXVoice.com|access-date=November 6, 2018|language=en-US|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107010448/http://vfxvoice.com/first-man-an-effects-odyssey/|archive-date=November 7, 2018}}

The pressure suits used in the film were made by prop maker Ryan Nagata. His work on the film includes the A/P22S-2 worn in the beginning of the movie, the ejection seat harness on the Gemini suits, and the gloves used on the Lunar Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) scene along with the Communications Carrier Assembly or "Snoopy cap", and a urine collection device. The Gemini, Apollo I, and Apollo A7L suits were made by Global Effects Inc, and were used throughout the section of the movie devoted to Apollo 11.{{cite web|url=https://www.tested.com/art/makers/852492-adam-savage-meets-spacesuits-first-man/|title=Adam Savage Meets the Spacesuits from First Man!|last=Chan|first=Norman|website=Tested|date=October 18, 2018|access-date=June 18, 2019|archive-date=May 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530161332/https://www.tested.com/art/makers/852492-adam-savage-meets-spacesuits-first-man/|url-status=dead}}

{{Main|First Man (soundtrack)}}

The musical score for First Man was composed and conducted by Justin Hurwitz. The score was performed by a 94-piece orchestra, with instruments such as the electronic theremin and Moog synthesizer, as well as vintage sound-altering machines including Leslie speakers and an Echoplex, in order to balance vintage and electronic sounds.{{cite magazine |url= https://variety.com/2018/artisans/production/ryan-gosling-first-man-music-1202926698/ |title= 'First Man' Gets Space-Age Feel with Unusual Instruments, Retro Sounds |magazine= Variety |access-date= November 1, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181031174145/https://variety.com/2018/artisans/production/ryan-gosling-first-man-music-1202926698/ |archive-date= October 31, 2018 |url-status=live |df= mdy-all }}{{cite magazine |first=Jon|last=Burlingame|url= https://variety.com/2018/artisans/production/ryan-gosling-first-man-music-1202926698/ |title= 'First Man' Gets Space-Age Feel with Unusual Instruments, Retro Sounds |magazine= Variety |date=September 5, 2018|access-date= October 31, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181031174145/https://variety.com/2018/artisans/production/ryan-gosling-first-man-music-1202926698/ |archive-date= October 31, 2018 |url-status=live}} The score album released on October 12, 2018, by Back Lot Music and received praise from critics, especially for its balance of softer melodic passages and powerful themes.{{cite news |access-date= October 31, 2018 |title= 'First Man': Film Review {{!}} Venice 2018 |url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/first-man-venice-2018-1138214 |newspaper= The Hollywood Reporter |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181028035114/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/first-man-venice-2018-1138214 |archive-date= October 28, 2018 |url-status=live |df= mdy-all }}{{cite news |access-date= October 31, 2018 |title= 'First Man' Offers an Emotional Account of Neil Armstrong's Life (Film Review) |url= https://www.space.com/42013-first-man-movie-review.html |newspaper= Space.com |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181101015356/https://www.space.com/42013-first-man-movie-review.html |archive-date= November 1, 2018 |url-status=live |df= mdy-all}}

The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 29, 2018.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/festivals/first-man-damien-chazelle-ryan-gosling-venice-film-festival-opening-night-1202877318/|title=Damien Chazelle's 'First Man' With Ryan Gosling to Open 75th Venice Film Festival (EXCLUSIVE)|website=Variety|first=Kristopher|last=Tapley|date=July 18, 2018|access-date=July 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719021252/https://variety.com/2018/film/festivals/first-man-damien-chazelle-ryan-gosling-venice-film-festival-opening-night-1202877318/|archive-date=July 19, 2018|url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/venice-film-festival-unveils-full-lineup-1129426 |first=Ariston |last=Anderson |date=July 25, 2018 |title=Venice to Kick Off Awards Season With New Films From Coen Brothers, Luca Guadagnino and Alfonso Cuaron |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=July 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725121213/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/venice-film-festival-unveils-full-lineup-1129426 |archive-date=July 25, 2018 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/venice-film-festival-full-lineup-1202883737/ |first=Nick |last=Vivarelli |date=July 25, 2018 |title=Venice Film Festival Lineup: Heavy on Award Hopefuls, Netflix and Star Power |work=Variety |access-date=July 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725121612/https://variety.com/2018/film/news/venice-film-festival-full-lineup-1202883737/ |archive-date=July 25, 2018 |url-status=live }} It screened at the Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2018,{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/festivals/2018-telluride-film-festival-line-up-1202918919/|title='First Man,' 'Front Runner' and 'Roma' Among 2018 Telluride Film Festival Selections|website=Variety|first=Kristopher|last=Tapley|date=August 30, 2018|access-date=August 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830174303/https://variety.com/2018/film/festivals/2018-telluride-film-festival-line-up-1202918919/|archive-date=August 30, 2018|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://telluridecms-production.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/guides/45th-TFF-program-guide-final.pdf|title=Telluride Film Festival Program Guide|website=Telluride Film Festival|access-date=August 30, 2018}} and at the Toronto International Film Festival in IMAX at the Ontario Place Cinesphere on September 9, 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tiff-2018-lineup-beautiful-boy-life-more-1129445|title=Toronto: Timothee Chalamet Starrer 'Beautiful Boy,' Dan Fogelman's 'Life Itself' Among Festival Lineup|website=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Etan|last=Vlessing|date=July 24, 2018|access-date=July 24, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/first-man-toronto-imax-premiere-damien-chazelle-ryan-gosling/|title='First Man' Gets Bigger and Bolder in Toronto IMAX Premiere|website=TheWrap|first=Steve|last=Pond|date=September 9, 2018|access-date=September 9, 2018}} It was theatrically released in the United States on October 12, 2018, by Universal Pictures.{{cite news|last1=Lee|first1=Ashley|title=Universal Sets Ryan Gosling's Neil Armstrong Biopic for Fall 2018 Debut|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/universal-sets-ryan-goslings-neil-armstrong-biopic-fall-2018-debut-983996|access-date=March 9, 2017|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=March 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309081552/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/universal-sets-ryan-goslings-neil-armstrong-biopic-fall-2018-debut-983996|archive-date=March 9, 2017|url-status=live}}

First Man grossed $44.9 million in the United States and Canada, and $60.7 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $105.6 million, against a production budget of $59 million.

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.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/box-office-first-man-venom-1202972814/|title='First Man' Takes on 'Venom' and 'A Star Is Born' as October Box Office Goes Galactic|work=Variety |first=Rebecca |last=Rubin |date=October 9, 2018 |access-date=October 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181010001557/https://variety.com/2018/film/news/box-office-first-man-venom-1202972814/ |archive-date=October 10, 2018 |url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-preview-first-man-blast-1151471|title=Box-Office Preview: 'First Man' to Blast Off in Wake of Juggernauts 'Venom,' 'A Star Is Born'|author=Pamela McClintock|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=October 11, 2018|access-date=October 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011170047/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-preview-first-man-blast-1151471|archive-date=October 11, 2018|url-status=live}} 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 $16 million, finishing third at the box office behind holdovers Venom and A Star Is Born.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/10/first-man-landing-1m-from-thursday-night-shows-early-b-o-read-1202481481/|title='Sony Swings Past $1 Billion As 'Venom' Bites $35M+; 'First Man' Lands Third With $16M+ – Sunday AM|website=Deadline Hollywood |date=October 14, 2018 |first=Anthony |last=D'Alessandro |access-date=October 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013125239/https://deadline.com/2018/10/first-man-landing-1m-from-thursday-night-shows-early-b-o-read-1202481481/ |archive-date=October 13, 2018 |url-status=live}} Anthony D'Alessandro of Deadline Hollywood stated that the under-performance was less a matter of any controversy involving the American flag and more to do with the 141 minute runtime and the film's focus on drama, although Forbes speculated the backlash played a factor.{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamos/2018/10/14/houston-ryan-gosling-and-first-man-have-a-problem/ |title=Houston, Ryan Gosling And 'First Man' Have A Problem|website=Forbes|date=October 14, 2018|first=Jim|last=Amos|access-date=October 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015012234/https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamos/2018/10/14/houston-ryan-gosling-and-first-man-have-a-problem/ |archive-date=October 15, 2018|url-status=live}} Michael Cieply, also of Deadline, acknowledged that the flag controversy drew Internet criticism and that it could have hurt the film's performance at the box office.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/10/what-words-cost-first-man-quite-a-lot-1202482492/|title=What Do Words Cost? For 'First Man,' Perhaps, Quite A Lot|website=Deadline Hollywood |date=October 14, 2018|first=Michael|last=Cieply|access-date=October 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181014212424/https://deadline.com/2018/10/what-words-cost-first-man-quite-a-lot-1202482492/|archive-date=October 14, 2018|url-status=live}} The film fell 47% in its second weekend, grossing $8.6 million and finishing fifth, and then made $4.9 million in its third week, finishing seventh.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/10/halloween-record-opening-weekend-box-office-1202485871/|title='Halloween' Scares Up Second-Best October Opening With $77M+; Best Debut For Blumhouse & Carpenter Canon; Great Launch For Miramax|website=Deadline Hollywood |date=October 21, 2018 |first=Anthony |last=D'Alessandro |access-date=October 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020013841/https://deadline.com/2018/10/halloween-record-opening-weekend-box-office-1202485871/|archive-date=October 20, 2018|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/10/halloween-screaming-a-33m-second-weekend-will-slash-100m-mark-tonight-1202490458/|title='Halloween' Screams $32M Second Weekend As October B.O. Moves Toward Record|website=Deadline Hollywood |date=October 28, 2018 |first=Anthony |last=D'Alessandro|access-date=October 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027101538/https://deadline.com/2018/10/halloween-screaming-a-33m-second-weekend-will-slash-100m-mark-tonight-1202490458/|archive-date=October 27, 2018|url-status=live}}

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of {{RT data|score}} based on {{RT data|count}} reviews, with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}. The website'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."{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/first_man|title=First Man (2018)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Fandango|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}} On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100, based on 56 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/first-man |title=First Man Reviews |work=Metacritic |publisher=CBS Interactive |access-date=November 29, 2018 }} 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.

File:"First Man" Premiere at NASM (NHQ201810040122).jpg and Claire Foy's performances received praise from critics.]]

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."{{cite web|last=Gleiberman|first=Owen|author-link=Owen Gleiberman|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/first-man-review-ryan-gosling-damien-chazelle-1202920157/|title=Venice Film Review: Ryan Gosling in First Man|date=August 29, 2018|work=Variety|access-date=August 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829213025/https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/first-man-review-ryan-gosling-damien-chazelle-1202920157/|archive-date=August 29, 2018|url-status=live}} Writing for IndieWire, Michael Nordine awarded the film a B+, describing it 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.{{cite web|last=Nordine|first=Michael|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2018/08/first-man-review-ryan-gosling-damien-chazelle-venice-1201998370/|title=First Man Review: Damien Chazelle and Ryan Gosling's Thrilling Neil Armstrong Biopic Has the Right Stuff – Venice|date=August 29, 2018|work=IndieWire|location=Los Angeles, California|access-date=August 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830012014/https://www.indiewire.com/2018/08/first-man-review-ryan-gosling-damien-chazelle-venice-1201998370/|archive-date=August 30, 2018|url-status=live}} Peter Howell of the Toronto Star praised the Moon landing sequence, writing: "When the Eagle finally lands on the moon in First Man, the picture truly soars."{{Cite web |first=Peter|last=Howell|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/review/2018/10/11/ryan-goslings-first-man-is-a-space-hero-with-soul.html |title=Ryan Gosling's First Man is a space hero with soul |access-date=October 15, 2018 |newspaper=Toronto Star|date=October 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015192433/https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/review/2018/10/11/ryan-goslings-first-man-is-a-space-hero-with-soul.html |archive-date=October 15, 2018 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}} 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."{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20180829-film-review-five-stars-for-first-man|title=Film review: Five stars for First Man|last=Barber|first=Nicholas|work=BBC Culture|publisher=BBC|date=August 29, 2018|access-date=September 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902180237/http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20180829-film-review-five-stars-for-first-man|archive-date=September 2, 2018|url-status=live}}

A. O. Scott, of The New York Times, wrote 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."{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/10/movies/first-man-review-ryan-gosling-damien-chazelle.html|title=Review: Review: 'First Man' Takes a Giant Leap for Man, a Smaller Step for Movies|last=Scott|first=A. O.|author-link=A.O. Scott|work=The New York Times|date=October 10, 2018|access-date=October 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013042546/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/10/movies/first-man-review-ryan-gosling-damien-chazelle.html|archive-date=October 13, 2018|url-status=live}} 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."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/10/15/damien-chazelles-moon-shot-in-first-man|title=Damien Chazelle's Moon Shot in "First Man"|last=Lane|first=Anthony|author-link=Anthony Lane|magazine=The New Yorker|location=New York City|date=October 8, 2018|access-date=October 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181014010202/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/10/15/damien-chazelles-moon-shot-in-first-man|archive-date=October 14, 2018|url-status=live}}

Richard Brody, also of The New Yorker, said First Man would appeal to right-wing proponents as "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."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/first-man-reviewed-damien-chazelles-neil-armstrong-bio-pic-is-an-accidental-right-wing-fetish-object|title="First Man," Reviewed: Damien Chazelle's Neil Armstrong Bio-Pic Is an Accidental Right-Wing Fetish Object|last=Brody|first=Rochard|magazine=The New Yorker|location=New York City|date=October 10, 2018|access-date=November 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181010230003/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/first-man-reviewed-damien-chazelles-neil-armstrong-bio-pic-is-an-accidental-right-wing-fetish-object|archive-date=October 10, 2018|url-status=live}} Armond White of the National Review gave the film a negative review, writing: "... director Damien Chazelle aims to give a realistic, procedural account of Armstrong's journey, yet the poetry never happens. Chazelle's take is dour, deliberately unromantic."{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/10/american-exceptionalism-not-first-man-falters/|title=American Exceptionalism – Not! First Man Falters|last=White|first=Armond|author-link=Armond White|work=National Review|date=October 12, 2018|access-date=October 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181102004203/https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/10/american-exceptionalism-not-first-man-falters/|archive-date=November 2, 2018|url-status=live}}

First Man was listed on numerous critics' top ten lists for 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/feature/film-critics-list-the-top-10-movies-of-2018?ref=hp|title=Best of 2018: Film Critic Top Ten Lists|last=Dietz|first=Jason|website=Metacritic|date=December 5, 2018|access-date=June 18, 2019|archive-date=November 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114124147/https://www.metacritic.com/feature/film-critics-list-the-top-10-movies-of-2018?ref=hp|url-status=dead}}

{{div col}}

• 1st – Kyle Smith, National Review{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/12/the-top-ten-best-movies-of-2018/|title=The Top Ten Best Movies of 2018|last=Smith|first=Kyle|work=National Review|date=December 25, 2018|access-date=June 18, 2019}}
• 2nd – Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, The A.V. Club
• 3rd – Angie Han, Mashable
• 4th – Barry Hertz, The Globe and Mail
• 5th – A.A. Dowd, The A.V. Club
• 5th – Lisa Nesselson, Screen Daily
• 5th – Tomris Laffly, Time Out New York{{cite web|url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/film/best-movies-of-2018|title=The best films of 2018|last1=Rothkopf|first1=Joshua|work=Time Out|date=December 13, 2018|access-date=June 18, 2019}}
• 6th – Jesse Hassenger, The A.V. Club
• 6th – Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly
• 7th – Chris Wasser, Irish Independent
• 7th – David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
• 7th – Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
• 7th – Anne Thompson, Indiewire{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2018/12/top-13-best-movies-of-2018-indiewire-staff-picks-1202029915/3/|title=The 13 Best Movies of 2018, According to the IndieWire Film Staff|work=IndieWire|page=3|date=December 21, 2018|access-date=June 18, 2019}}
• 7th – Matt Singer, ScreenCrush
• 8th – Owen Gleiberman, Variety
• 8th – Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly
• 9th – Nicholas Barber, BBC
• 9th – Jon Frosch, The Hollywood Reporter
• 9th – Scott Chitwood, ComingSoon.Net
• 9th – K. Austin Collins, Vanity Fair
• 10th – UPROXX
• Top 10 (listed alphabetically) – Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal
• Top 10 (listed alphabetically) – Hal Boedeker, Orlando Sentinel
• Top 10 (listed alphabetically), IGN
• Top 10 (listed alphabetically), WIRED
• Best of 2018 (listed alphabetically, not ranked), CNN
• Best of 2018 (listed alphabetically, not ranked) – Ty Burr, The Boston Globe

{{div col end}}

{{main|List of accolades received by First Man}}

First Man received ten nominations at the 24th Critics' Choice Awards, where it won for Best Editing and Best Score.{{Cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/2019-critics-choice-awards-nominations-list-full-1166282/item/best-picture-critics-choice-nominations-2019-1166283 |title=Critics' Choice Awards: 'The Favourite' Leads With 14 Nominations |last=Nordyke |first=Kimberly |date=December 10, 2018 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=February 17, 2018}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/2019-critics-choice-awards-winners-list-full-1172261/item/best-picture-critics-choice-nominations-2019-1166283 |title=Critics' Choice Awards: 'Roma,' 'Americans,' 'Mrs. Maisel' Top Winners |last=Crist |first=Allison |date=January 13, 2019 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=February 17, 2019}}

At the 76th Golden Globe Awards, where Claire Foy had been nominated for Best Supporting Actress, Hurwitz again won the award for Best Original Score,{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-golden-globes-2019-nominees-winners-list-2019-story.html |title='Vice,' 'The Assassination of Gianni Versace' lead 2019 Golden Globe nominations |author= |work=Los Angeles Times |date=December 6, 2018 |access-date=February 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206143125/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-golden-globes-2019-nominees-winners-list-2019-story.html |archive-date=December 6, 2018 |url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/articles/all-winners-76th-golden-globes|title=All the Winners of the 76th Golden Globes|date=January 6, 2019|publisher=Hollywood Foreign Press Association|access-date=February 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190108041625/https://www.goldenglobes.com/articles/all-winners-76th-golden-globes|archive-date=January 8, 2019|url-status=live}} The film was nominated for seven categories at the 72nd British Academy Film Awards, but did not win any. At the 91st Academy Awards, the film was nominated in four categories including Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing and Best Production Design, with the film's visual effects team of Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles and J. D. Schwalm winning the award for Best Visual Effects.{{cite press release|url=https://www.oscars.org/news/91st-oscarsr-nominations-announced|title=91st Oscars® Nomination Announced|publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=January 22, 2019|access-date=February 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123012152/https://www.oscars.org/news/91st-oscarsr-nominations-announced|archive-date=January 23, 2019|url-status=live|location=Los Angeles, CA}}

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."{{cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2018/08/first-man-flag-controversy-damien-chazelle-response-1202455597/|title='First Man' Director Damien Chazelle & Neil Armstrong's Family On Flag Flap: It's Not A Political Statement|last=Hipes|first=Patrick|work=Deadline Hollywood |date=August 31, 2018|access-date=September 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902122427/https://deadline.com/2018/08/first-man-flag-controversy-damien-chazelle-response-1202455597/|archive-date=September 2, 2018|url-status=live}} United States President Donald Trump commented on the omission: "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."{{Cite news |first=Steve|last=Rose|title='If anyone can Maga, it is Nasa': how First Man's flag 'snub' made space political again |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/sep/06/if-anyone-can-maga-it-is-nasa-how-first-man-put-a-rocket-up-the-politics-of-space |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London, England|access-date=September 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906234850/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/sep/06/if-anyone-can-maga-it-is-nasa-how-first-man-put-a-rocket-up-the-politics-of-space |archive-date=September 6, 2018 |url-status=live |date=September 6, 2018 }} Following the film's below-expectations opening of $16 million, some analysts speculated that the flag controversy was in part to blame.{{Cite web |url=https://www.thisisinsider.com/first-man-american-flag-controversy-isnt-hurting-box-office-survey-2018-10 |title=The American flag controversy around 'First Man' isn't the reason it's struggling at the box office |last=McAlone |first=Nathan |date=October 23, 2018 |website=Insider |access-date=November 4, 2018}}

The film revived international interest in Armstrong's first wife, Janet, who plays a central part in the film.{{cite news|url=https://www.pressreader.com/australia/womans-day-australia/20181008/282467119841255|title=Five things you didn't know about Janet Armstrong|work=Woman's Day|via=Pressreader.com|date=October 8, 2018|place=Australia|access-date=October 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031133303/https://www.pressreader.com/australia/womans-day-australia/20181008/282467119841255|archive-date=October 31, 2018|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/film/true-story-behind-first-man-13406654|title=True story behind First Man: Neil Armstrong's wife Janet was often a 'single mother' to their children while he pursued his dream|last=McNally|first=Siobhan|work=Daily Mirror|date=October 12, 2018|place=UK|access-date=October 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031173855/https://www.mirror.co.uk/film/true-story-behind-first-man-13406654|archive-date=October 31, 2018|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=http://madame.lefigaro.fr/celebrites/janet-elizabeth-shearon-inebranlable-epouse-de-astronaute-neil-armstrong-film-first-man-marche-lune-161018-150883|title=Janet Elizabeth Shearon, l'inébranlable épouse de Neil Armstrong|last=Friedman|first=Chloé|work=Le Figaro|date=October 16, 2018|language=fr|access-date=October 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031133152/http://madame.lefigaro.fr/celebrites/janet-elizabeth-shearon-inebranlable-epouse-de-astronaute-neil-armstrong-film-first-man-marche-lune-161018-150883|archive-date=October 31, 2018|url-status=live}} She died a few months before the film's release.{{cite news|url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/houstonchronicle/obituary.aspx?n=janet-armstrong&pid=189396827|title=Janet Shearon Armstrong 1934 – 2018|work=Houston Chronicle|via=Legacy.com|date=June 27, 2018|access-date=October 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031133240/https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/houstonchronicle/obituary.aspx?n=janet-armstrong&pid=189396827|archive-date=October 31, 2018|url-status=live}}

During Armstrong's 1961 flight in an X-15, the rocket plane begins "ballooning" (i.e., bouncing off the top of the atmosphere). The view out the window shows a carpet of clouds just below the wings. However, Armstrong was at {{convert|120,000| feet}}, about twice the altitude at which even the highest clouds form.{{cite magazine|first=Jeffrey|last=Kluger|url=https://time.com/5423099/first-man-moon-landing-neil-armstrong-ryan-gosling/|title=What Neil Armstrong Biopic First Man Gets Right and Wrong About the Moon Landing|magazine=Time|date=October 12, 2018}}

Armstrong learns in the same conversation that he will command Apollo 11 and become the first man on the Moon. Apollo astronauts were assigned to their crews sometimes years in advance. For the two-plus years leading up to Apollo 11 it was assumed that the first lunar landing would not be attempted until Apollo 12, 13 or even 14.

On the lunar surface, Armstrong spends a few minutes alone at Little West Crater. He opens his gloved hand to reveal his daughter Karen's tiny bracelet and drops it into the crater. While Armstrong did visit the crater, there is no historical record that he brought the bracelet with him to the Moon.

• Apollo 11 in popular culture

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|First Man}}

• {{Official website|https://www.uphe.com/movies/first-man}}
• {{IMDb title|1213641}}
• {{Metacritic film}}
• {{Rotten Tomatoes|m/first_man}}
• [http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/first-man/ First Man] at History vs. Hollywood

{{Damien Chazelle}}

{{Academy Award Best Visual Effects}}

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