A Smile as Big as the Moon

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:49 am

I am surprised that this hasn't been a hot topic lately. I am very excited for this film to air on television this weekend. My parents already have it programmed into their PVR so I can watch it later. (No cable at my house.)

The book is excellent and I hope the movie will reflect that; I am certain it will. if anyone is going to the premiere or has links to reviews or whatever please post them here for all to see. (Vincent already has some links on the Hab1.com homepage.)

street · Post by **street** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 12:22 pm

I'll be working the Huntsville premiere Friday night. I've already viewed the film (to be prepared for parents calling in with questions) and must say we look pretty in it! The production company worked hard making the props and setting look 1980ish, but one scene does prominently feature the exterior of the Davidson Center. We are looking forward to more special needs folks looking to us for a great experience, inspired by the film.

Hotdog · Post by **Hotdog** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:24 pm

Are tickets still available? I went to the store link http://www.spacecamp.com/store/A-Smile- ... tml?page=1 and the page is no longer there. Help!

WesL · Post by **WesL** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 3:44 pm

LA event was a great - there were so many people there that several people didn't get to see the movie due to lack of seats.

Movie itself is really great. Great cast and production. You can tell this wasn't some low-end production. I think Space Camp alumni will be proud of it.

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 5:41 pm

Hotdog wrote:Are tickets still available? Help!

Check the Hab1 home page - Vincent has listed other options for obtaining tickets!

Hotdog · Post by **Hotdog** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 1:35 am

Thanks guys...My girlfriend and I made it down to the premiere and it was awesome! Definately worth the time and expense. The movie is great, we were really impressed.

gt0163c · Post by **gt0163c** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 7:37 am

I watched the movie last night and enjoyed it. After the initial "we don't have any programs for kids like yours", Space Camp did come off looking great. Overall, it was a good movie, inspiring for all and fun for us camp alumni.

There were a couple of things that I noticed that made me smile:
- The UAT subbing in for the UAH pool
- The old style wings the campers were wearing at the end. Which are correct for the time. But, interestingly, the first kid off the bus ("tattle tale" girl with the dark hair and big glasses) had camp wing (with red on the badge in the center) instead of academy wings (blue badge) like everyone else. Were there not old school academy wings around so some of the actors ended up wearing camp wings?
- The Right Stuff award was the newer style metal instead of the older style (and time period correct, I believe) acrylic.
- The kids bunked in Hab2 rather than Hab1. Not sure which Hab the group actually stayed in. Going through the Academy Level 1 (junior high) program, they should have stayed in Hab1. But I wouldn't be surprised if special arrangements were made which allowed the kids to stay more together in the bays in Hab2.

airkale · Post by **airkale** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 12:07 pm

Yes I agree, the movie was very well done. My girldfriend even enjoyed it, despite her lack of enthusiasm for anything at the space and rocket center. The film was a great ballance of the story of special ed kids as well as space camp programs. Neither point took side stage.

Obviously, there were a whole bunch of details that didn't match up in the movie compared with should have been. Afterall, so much has changed at the center from 1988. But only those way too familure with the place would have probably noticed!

Watching last night had me thinking about Space Canada's trip that she is trying to organize. Hope that works out!

street · Post by **street** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 11:33 am

gt0163c wrote:- The kids bunked in Hab2 rather than Hab1. Not sure which Hab the group actually stayed in.

Those quarters were pretty spiffy, weren't they? I hope parents don't expect their childrens hab rooms to look like those! That set was actually built in the bottom of Hab I.

gt0163c · Post by **gt0163c** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 12:01 pm

street wrote:
gt0163c wrote:- The kids bunked in Hab2 rather than Hab1. Not sure which Hab the group actually stayed in.
Those quarters were pretty spiffy, weren't they? I hope parents don't expect their childrens hab rooms to look like those! That set was actually built in the bottom of Hab I.

Ahh...having never been in a Hab2 bay, I just assumed that's what they looked like. Spiffed up some, but similar. But, now that I think about it, they did look a little too nice. Plus, I would assume Hab2 has bunk beds rather than all singles.

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 2:02 pm

gt0163c wrote:Plus, I would assume Hab2 has bunk beds rather than all singles.

Yes, they have bunk beds. They also have huge washrooms compared to the ones in Hab1.

Hotdog · Post by **Hotdog** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 4:34 pm

I wonder why they built a special set. Why not just use one of the existing Hab II sleep bays?

gt0163c · Post by **gt0163c** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 4:55 pm

Hotdog wrote:I wonder why they built a special set. Why not just use one of the existing Hab II sleep bays?

I'm guessing it would have been difficult to get all of the required equipment, get the lighting right and have room for the cameras and the actors in those small rooms. Most movie and tv sets have walls that move (if they even have more than two walls) and no ceiling in order to accomodate all of the equipment and get the angles for the shots that the director wants.

Boomerang · Post by **Boomerang** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 6:02 pm

I agree it was most likely filmed on a specialy built set to accomodate film equipment. Tha hab 2 bays are fairly large but they are packed with beds and lockers. I remember them being huge when i was a camper but when i went in one in 2007 when i worked their i was amazed how diffrent perception as a kid was from reality.

street · Post by **street** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 12:06 pm

gt0163c wrote:I'm guessing it would have been difficult to get all of the required equipment, get the lighting right and have room for the cameras and the actors in those small rooms. Most movie and tv sets have walls that move (if they even have more than two walls) and no ceiling in order to accomodate all of the equipment and get the angles for the shots that the director wants.

Exactly. Most of the Hab II bays would be very difficult to film in with the permanent walls that run through the middle of the rooms. Lighting would also be difficult, due to the low ceilings. Hab I rooms would be impossible! I've been in a couple of films shot in interiors and the rooms used always were enormous (a church sanctuary for one and an old barn for another).

p51 · Post by **p51** » Sun Feb 26, 2012 11:43 pm

I couldn't get over the more modern royal blue flightsuits instead of the period-correct LES light blue suits.

street · Post by **street** » Mon Feb 27, 2012 11:37 am

By the way, the set pieces used for the Hab room in the film have been repurposed. They are now part of the registration area in Hab I. It looks spiffy!

Jay Chladek · Post by **Jay Chladek** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 11:45 pm

If you guys thought the movie was good, pick up a copy of the book. I read it cover to cover after the film (I couldn't put it down) and all things considered, the movie actually stuck close to the book (one of the better translations I had seen of book to film). Reason I read the book AFTER the film is I didn't want to bias myself and spend half the film saying "that wasn't in the book" or some other nonsense.

Besides, when you read about the challenges Mike and Robyn went through in real life to do this, you gain a BIGGER appreciation for the kind of teachers they are. This was back in the late 1980s and navigating the minefield of school administrators to educate special needs kids I imagine was challenge enough. Today with the nuttier politics involved and the additional distractions to a kid's attention span (let alone one with development issues), I can only believe things would be MUCH more difficult to do if somebody tried it today.

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 3:38 pm

I have more praise for the film. I leant TV recorded copy to a special education teacher who brings his class to where I work each week. (They do work experience here.) He is showing it to his coworker and then to the entire class. He really likes it and is going to share it with other teachers after that. (I told him he could keep the DVD - I have a real copy now.) *thumbs up*

p51 · Post by **p51** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 4:59 pm

street wrote:By the way, the set pieces used for the Hab room in the film have been repurposed. They are now part of the registration area in Hab I. It looks spiffy!

What parts would that be? I was there for the first time after they made the film so I wouldn't have known any difference.
There was a display of costumes right in front of the Enterprise Mission Control when I was there in September:

I noticed right away that the trainer shirts aren't correct for that timeframe, as they used the currently worn one.
The store at SC currently sells copies of the burger shed t-shirts, too: http://www.spacecampstore.com/Big-Dan's ... 404GRN4AL/
When I was there, myself and several people from my team saw these and nobody recalled the reference. After a minute, I realized what this meant and everyone then had a "oh yeah," moment...

A Smile as Big as the Moon

A Smile as Big as the Moon

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