The Last Man on the Moon

Carrying echoes of The Right Stuff and Space Cowboys, Mark Craig's documentary focuses on NASA astronaut Gene Cernan, while at the same time offering an historical overview of the entire U.S. space program. As the title indicates, Cernan was the last man to leave his footprints on the lunar surface when he commanded the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. In extensive interviews, Cernan recalls his days as a Navy test pilot, recruitment into the astronaut program, role in the troubled 1966 Gemini 9A mission, piloting of the lunar module in 1969's Apollo 10 flight (a “test run” for the first moon landing later that year), and finally his command of Apollo 17. He speaks movingly of the loss of colleagues in the tragic accidents that periodically befell NASA's efforts, and acknowledges in hindsight the selfishness of his commitment to his job, which played a major role in the dissolution of his first marriage and led him to neglect his young daughter (although he did famously scrawl her initials onto the moon's surface). Cernan's recollections are accompanied by a wide array of archival footage and stills, as well as new (and some vintage) comments from colleagues, family, and friends. The camera also captures footage of the 80-year-old Cernan talking to audiences about his exploits. The Last Man on the Moon successfully conveys the euphoria and hope that the space program inspired—coming at a moment when American leadership was being challenged by the Soviet Union—but it also reminds us of the human cost involved, even as it suggests that we have lost some of that restless (albeit occasionally reckless) spirit that characterized the Apollo missions. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)