Challenger – Ein Mann kämpft für die Wahrheit (TV Movie 2013)

Challenger – Ein Mann kämpft für die Wahrheit: Directed by James Hawes. With William Hurt, Joanne Whalley, Brian Dennehy, Bruce Greenwood. Factual drama exploring the truth behind the space shuttle Challenger’s 1986 disintegration.

“Admirably done story of physicist Richard Feynmanu0026#39;s involvement in figuring out the reasons for the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1988.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThree agencies were involved in deciding to launch that freezing morning — NASA, Raytheon, and Morton-Thiokol. This isnu0026#39;t made clear in the film, because the film is about Richard Feynman. But a New Yorker feature article years ago described what the agencies did about their doubts. Calls were made back and forth between the experts at each agency, each anxious to u0026quot;check its six ou0026#39;clocku0026quot;, and the question being asked gradually underwent evolution — from u0026quot;Should we launch?u0026quot; to u0026quot;Why SHOULDNu0026#39;T we launch?u0026quot; The results were disastrous.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eA committee was formed to investigate the causes of the failure, with Feynman being the only independent members, all the others tied up with the military or with political considerations. But this isnu0026#39;t one of those dumb and oversimplified stories in which there is some sort of military/industrial conspiracy against the whistleblower. It belongs to the genre but is a pretty good example of it. So was the more commercially oriented u0026quot;The Pentagon Wars.u0026quot; An example of a dumbed-down rendition is u0026quot;The Insider,u0026quot; which really has little to say and shamelessly invents incidents to hype the drama.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWilliam Hurt captures Feynmanu0026#39;s personality with accuracy. Not his speech or his gestures. Itu0026#39;s not an impression. But he has a grasp on Feymanu0026#39;s inner character — devoted to science and outspoken. Feynman was actually quite a guy and might be described as abrasive. He didnu0026#39;t hesitate to demolish the ideas of others, whether they were equals or subordinates. He didnu0026#39;t do it viciously. He simply pointed out how stupid the notions were and then went on about his business.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe climactic scene is unforgettable. All the engineers (who generally hate physicists for having their heads in the clouds) are testifying before the committee and throwing up a blizzard of jargon about u0026quot;ambient temperaturesu0026quot; and u0026quot;Kelvin coefficientsu0026quot; and directions to u0026quot;the Wheatstone Bridgeu0026quot; and other unfathomable cant in order to keep the water so murky that no one can detect their own part in the catastrophe. I wonu0026#39;t give away the climax except to say that Feynman pulls a u0026quot;Bill Nye, The Science Guyu0026quot; stunt that shuts all the connivers up and embarrasses the experts.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe BBC put this out. I suppose they could afford to be a little less careful with American political sensibilities. William Hurt and his scowl of amazement is about perfect. Feynmanu0026#39;s illness isnu0026#39;t dwelt on for sympathetic effect but it was real enough; he died a short time later.”