I can't believe William Hurt, who to me, has always been a great actor, didn't get award recognized for his portrayal of brilliant real life scientist, Richard Feynman, called in to help find the source of the 1986 Challenger disaster. Feynman working tooth and nail, becoming work obsessed, his health not the best, was the one, who pinpointed the cause. This is a very engrossing movie, where over 90 minutes, it deals with the aftermath of that horrific day, where Feynman was called to Washington, from His L.A home I presume, to help with the investigation, and gets entangled into political issues, going up against the big guns, making a few enemies, quick. Feynman was an admirable character, and Hurt gives it such clout, in what really is a remarkable performance, no acting credit or not. This is a character you can't pull the wool over or befool. Joanne Whalley was really good, surprisingly really good, as his concerned wife, while Brian Dennehy was solid, as the slightly shady guy leading the investigation. One CIA Sergeant (Bruce Greenwood, solid as always, with this being no exception) teams up with Hurt, where they become good friends. Greenwood uses discreet methods to divulge some info, for why the shuttle took off that day, which was quite disheartening. On the whole, this t.v. movie is engrossing like I aid, where the other plus is Hurt. Why can't he make a comeback, which I what I say to myself with each recent film he does. A movie that has you from the word "Go", it's last scene, memorable.

I remember exactly what I was doing when I heard challenger went down. It is one of those events in ones life that remains vivid so many years later. So this movie appealed to me.The movie itself is not all that intriguing, in-fact it moves along quite slowly. There is a conspiracy element. But if you are expecting snipers, sabotage, or mayhem then you will have to find your entertainment elsewhere. This is just about plain old bureaucratic corporate subterfuge at work. But hey, 7 people died. Where is the fault? What went wrong? Someone knows what went wrong. The true cause for the disaster would likely have remained undisclosed, if it weren't for one Richard P. Feynman, played by William Hurt.You basically follow Feynman, an outsider without affiliation, journey from hangar, to launchpad, to meeting, and repeat until he puts the pieces together. (oh and a trip to the Pentagon as well). You wonder if Feynman is ever going to have his day. Or, will he fall flat and fail. After all, this movie is as much about him and his frailties as well. As usual William Hurt gives a rock steady performance. We feel for this poor fellow and cheer him on.The supporting cast is a good fit too. Brian Dennehy is the stereotypical grumpy chairman of the committee. Bruce Greenwood, the wooden Air Force General with all the Pentagon connections. His character serves also as a literary tool to fill us in on the corporate vs. military back story. This reveals to the viewers the motive of certain parties involved to attempt a cover-up. After all, why would anybody not want the truth to come out? Anyways, if you have interest in the subject matter it is worth the watch.

i remember what I was doing when the Challenger blew up,, I was eating breakfast laying in bed,, home for school.. first time we got off for MLK day,, back when it was a federally mandated holiday,, William Hurt did an awesome job with this,, very good acting,, totally credible,, it was amazing to see just how much of a cover up there really was going on at NASA,,after all those accidents there for awhile,, people were saying that NASA stood for not another shuttle accident.. I know it's cruel,, but there was more than just that accident... also the company that NASA dealt with Morton Tyicol I believe they too were at fault and tried to cover the whole thing up,,, I enjoyed the movie very much, as was glad to see that the Challenger Disaster was finally put to the screen.

I stumbled across The Challenger Disaster late last night while watching Discovery. I was drawn into the film because it starts by depicting Feynmann, a legend in the physics world, teaching a class.For those who, like I do, work with physicists on a daily basis, William Hurt's depiction of Feynmann is particularly satisfying because the actor has captured so accurately the unique characteristics of both the man himself and of the profession as a whole. While watching this film, I often found myself nodding in recognition as Hurt showed us the kind of single-minded drive for the truth that can seize hold of a scientist engrossed in an interesting problem. At the same time, the more human side of those with such blazing intellect is also movingly portrayed. In Hurt's Feynmann, I saw the same spirit that my colleagues exhibit every day.The movie is also interesting for its historical aspects. In light of the recent cancelling of the shuttle program by the Obama administration, the revelations of NASA's attempt to justify costs and obtain continued funding by co-opting the Titan rocket program into their own payload have special significance. Likewise, the depiction of the pressurized, risk-accepting not-so-safe safety culture of the time will resonate in this post-Chernobyl, post-Fukushima, post-disaster era, where risk analysis and safety culture is growing in prominence.I was in junior high when the Challenger disaster occurred. I remember the shock and the disbelief, and I also remember how quickly the whole thing was forgotten. But as this movie reminds us, thanks to Dr. Feynmann's brilliant work, and the help of other men and women of integrity who were on the commission, something useful and lasting came out of it.