Astronaut Neil Armstrong’s sons are firing back at conservative critics who are furious that the new movie First Man does not show their dad planting the American flag on the moon.
“We’ve read a number of comments about the film and specifically about the absence of the flag planting scene, made largely by people who haven’t seen the movie,” said Rick and Mark Armstrong in a statement. “This story is human and it is universal. Of course, it celebrates an America achievement. It also celebrates an achievement ‘for all mankind,’ as it says on the plaque Neil and Buzz left on the moon.”
The sons, who have seen the film multiple times, added that there actually are numerous scenes that show the American flag on the moon, only the act of planting it there is missing.
Astronaut Neil Armstrong
Director Damien Chazelle explained that the decision to not show the actual planting of the flag wasn’t politically motivated, but was motivated by a desire to show viewers the “unseen, unknown” aspects of the mission.
“To address the question of whether this was a political statement, the answer is no,” said Chazelle. “My goal with this movie was to share with audiences the unseen, unknown aspects of America’s mission to the moon — particularly Neil Armstrong’s personal saga and what he may have been thinking and feeling during those famous few hours. My hope is that by digging under the surface and humanizing the icon, we can better understand just how difficult, audacious and heroic this moment really was. This film is about one of the most extraordinary accomplishments not only in American history, but in human history.”
Apollo 11 launched on July 16, 1969, and carried Armstrong, who was the commander, Buzz Aldrin, who served as the lunar module pilot, and Command Module Pilot Michael Collins. The landing took place on July 20, with Armstrong going first and Aldrin following him about 20 minutes later.
Sparked by Ryan Gosling’s comments at a Venice Film Festival press conference, and fueled by a critical tweet from Sen. Marco Rubio, a narrative emerged that the film was minimizing the uniquely American achievement of Armstrong.
Gosling said he believed Armstrong’s moonwalk “was widely regarded not as an American, but as a human achievement.” The comments spread on social media and were amplified by critics who viewed them as insufficiently patriotic.
Rubio fanned the flames when he responded, “This is total lunacy. And a disservice at a time when our people need reminders of what we can achieve when we work together. The American people paid for that mission,on rockets built by Americans, with American technology & carrying American astronauts. It wasn’t a UN mission.”
Aldrin then posted a photo of him planting the American flag on the moon as a rebuke to the movie.
Aldrin never mentioned the film, First Man, by name but added the hashtags, “Proud to be an American,” “Freedom,” “Honor,” “One Nation,” “Apollo 11,” “July 1969,” and “Road to Apollo 50.”
Armstrong’s sons, however, said everyone should calm down and refrain from comments unless they have actually seen the movie.
“We do not feel this movie is anti-American in the slightest. Quite the opposite,” said the Armstrong’s. “But don’t take our word for it. We’d encourage everyone to go see this remarkable film and see for themselves.”
Critics have praised the film, with the title sitting at 89 percent fresh on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
Below is the full note, attributed to Neil Armstrong’s sons, Rick and Mark, and First Man author James R. Hansen.
“We’ve read a number of comments about the film today and specifically about the absence of the flag planting scene, made largely by people who haven’t seen the movie. As we’ve seen it multiple times, we thought maybe we should weigh in.
This is a film that focuses on what you don’t know about Neil Armstrong. It’s a film that focuses on things you didn’t see or may not remember about Neil’s journey to the moon. The filmmakers spent years doing extensive research to get at the man behind the myth, to get at the story behind the story. It’s a movie that gives you unique insight into the Armstrong family and fallen American Heroes like Elliot See and Ed White. It’s a very personal movie about our dad’s journey, seen through his eyes.
This story is human and it is universal. Of course, it celebrates an America achievement. It also celebrates an achievement “for all mankind,” as it says on the plaque Neil and Buzz left on the moon. It is a story about an ordinary man who makes profound sacrifices and suffers through intense loss in order to achieve the impossible.
Although Neil didn’t see himself that way, he was an American hero. He was also an engineer and a pilot, a father and a friend, a man who suffered privately through great tragedies with incredible grace. This is why, though there are numerous shots of the American flag on the moon, the filmmakers chose to focus on Neil looking back at the earth, his walk to Little West Crater, his unique, personal experience of completing this journey, a journey that has seen so many incredible highs and devastating lows.
In short, 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.”
First Man opens in theaters on October 12.