Jim Lovell [On the night of the Apollo 11 landing]
Christopher Columbus, Charles Lindbergh, and Neil Armstrong. Ha, ha, ha. Neil Armstrong!
Played by Tom Hanks 
Apollo 13 (1995) · 94 quotes
Apollo 13 (1995) · 94 quotes
Most-quoted character in Apollo 13 (1995): in 37 of its 94 quotes
Most scenes with: Jack Swigert (8), Fred Haise (6), CAPCOM (5)
Looks like we just had our glitch for this mission.
More lines from Jim Lovell
10 quotes Jim Lovell Jim Lovell From now on, we live in a world where man has walked on the moon. And it's not a miracle, we just decided to go.
Jim Lovell There's nothing routine about flying to the moon, I can vouch for that.
Jim Lovell We just lost the moon.
Jim Lovell Listen to a recording of the original performance of this quote:
Houston, we have a problem.
Note: ranked #50 in the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movie quotations in American cinema. In real life, the quote was "Houston, we've had a problem." Apollo Expeditions to the Moon, ch. 13.1, by James A. Lovell. The original phrase pronounced by Jack Swigert, "Houston, we've had a problem here" and then repeated by Lovell, "Houston, we've had a problem", was altered to a present-tense in the film script.
Jim Lovell I am sick and tired of the entire western world knowing how my kidneys are functioning!
Jim Lovell Gentlemen, it's been a privilege flying with you.
Jim Lovell Gentlemen, what are your intentions? I'd like to go home.
Jim Lovell Hello, Houston, this is Odyssey. It's good to see you again.
Jim Lovell [narrating]
Our mission was called "a successful failure," in that we returned safely but never made it to the moon. In the following months, it was determined that a damaged coil built inside the oxygen tank sparked during our cryo stir and caused the explosion that crippled the Odyssey. It was a minor defect that occurred two years before I was even named the flight's commander. Fred Haise was going back to the moon on Apollo 18, but his mission was canceled because of budget cuts; he never flew in space again. Nor did Jack Swigert, who left the astronaut corps and was elected to Congress from the state of Colorado. But he died of cancer before he was able to take office. Ken Mattingly orbited the moon as Command Module Pilot of Apollo 16, and flew the Space Shuttle, having never gotten the measles. Gene Kranz retired as Director of Flight Operations just not long ago. And many other members of Mission Control have gone on to other things, but some are still there. As for me, the seven extraordinary days of Apollo 13 were my last in space. I watched other men walk on the moon, and return safely, all from the confines of Mission Control and our house in Houston. I sometimes catch myself looking up at the moon, remembering the changes of fortune in our long voyage, thinking of the thousands of people who worked to bring the three of us home. I look up at the moon and wonder, when will we be going back, and who will that be?
Scenes with Jim Lovell
26 scenes Jim Lovell (practicing for re-entry)
What happened?
We came in too steep. We're dead.
Pete Conrad Jim, you think it's too late for him to abort?
Jim Lovell No, he still has time to get outta there, he just needs someone to wave him off. Pull up, Neil!
Barbara Lovell
[Jim's daughter wants to go trick-or-treating as a hippie]
Dad, can I please wear this?
Jim Lovell Sure.
Jim!
Jim Lovell No! No, absolutely not.
Naturally, it's 13. Why 13?
Jim Lovell It comes after 12, hon.
Politician
Jim, people in my state are asking why we're continuing to fund this program now that we've beaten the Russians to the moon.
Jim Lovell Imagine if Christopher Columbus came back from the New World, and no one returned in his footsteps.
Jim Lovell Just a little while longer Freddo. Just a little while longer, we're gonna hit that water in the South Pacific. Open up that hatch. It's 80 degrees out there.
80 degrees.
Jim Lovell [As everyone is madly trying to identify the problem from instrument readings]
Houston, we are venting something out into space. I can see it outside window one right now. It's definitely a... a gas of some sort.
Jim Lovell [pause]
It's got to be the oxygen.
[as they pass over the lunar surface]
Mare Tranquilitatis - Neil and Buzz's old neighborhood. Coming up on Mount Marilyn. Jim, you've got to take a look at this.
Jim Lovell I've seen it.
Jim Lovell I've trained for the Fra Mauro highlands... and this is FLIGHT SURGEON HORSESHIT, Deke!
Deke Slayton Jim, if you hold out for Ken, you will not be on Apollo 13. It's your decision.
Senator
How do you go to the bathroom in space?
Jim Lovell Well, um... I tell you it's a highly technical procedure of cranking down the window and looking for a gas station.
I've been going over the numbers again. Have they called up with a reentry plan yet? 'Cause we're coming in too shallow, we're coming in too damn fast.
Jim Lovell We're working on something, just hold on.
Listen, they gave us too much delta vee, they had us burn too long. At this rate, we're going to skip out of the atmosphere and we're never going to get home.
What are you talking about? How'd you figure that?
I can add.
Jim Lovell Jack, They've got half the Ph.D.'s on the planet working on it.
Houston says we're right on the money.
And what if they had made a mistake and there was no way to correct it, why would they tell us? There's no reason to tell us!
What do you mean they're not going to tell us? That's bullshit!
Jim Lovell Now listen, there's a thousand things that have to happen in order. We are on number eight. You're talking about number six hundred and ninety-two.
And in the meantime, I'm trying to tell you we're coming in too fast. I think they know it, and I think that's why we don't have a God-damned reentry plan.
Jim Lovell That's duly noted, thank you Jack.
Hey! This piece of shit's gonna get you home. That's cause that's all we got left, Jack!
What are you saying, Fred?
I think you know what I'm saying.
Now wait a minute. All I did was stir those tanks.
What was that gauge reading before you hit the switch?
Don't tell me how to fly the damn C.M. --
You don't even know, do you!?
-- they brought me in here to do a job, they asked me to stir the damn tanks and I stirred the tanks!
Jim Lovell Jack, stop kicking yourself in the ass.
This is NOT MY FAULT!
Jim Lovell No one is saying it is. If I'm in the left-hand seat when the call comes up, I stir the tanks.
Yeah, well, tell HIM [Haise] that.
I just asked you what the gauge was reading. And YOU DON'T KNOW!
Jim Lovell All right gentlemen, we're not gonna do this. We're not gonna go bouncing off the walls for ten minutes, because we're just gonna end up right back here with the same problems! Try to figure out how to stay alive!
Jim Lovell ... and then, Jack and I'll eat.
Hey I'm hungry.
Jim Lovell Are you sure, Freddo?
I could eat the ass out of a dead rhinoceros.
Reporter So the number 13 doesn't bother you?
Only if it's a Friday.
Reporter Apollo 13, lifting off at 13:13, and entering the moon's gravity on April 13th?
Jim Lovell Well, uh, as a matter of fact, our own Ken Mattingly has done some... research on that particular phenomenon. Ken?
Well, I uh, had a black cat walk over a broken mirror under the lunar module ladder, didn't seem to be a problem.
13, this is Houston, do you read?
Jim Lovell Roger that, Ken. Are the flowers blooming in Houston?
That's a negative, Jim. I do not have the measles.
[glares pointedly at the flight surgeon]
Television Reporter
Is there a specific instance in an airplane emergency when you can recall fear?
Jim Lovell Uh well, I'll tell ya, I remember this one time - I'm in a Banshee at night in combat conditions, so there's no running lights on the carrier. It was the Shrangri-La, and we were in the Sea of Japan and my radar had jammed, and my homing signal was gone... because somebody in Japan was actually using the same frequency. And so it was - it was leading me away from where I was supposed to be. And I'm lookin' down at a big, black ocean, so I flip on my map light, and then suddenly: zap. Everything shorts out right there in my cockpit. All my instruments are gone. My lights are gone. And I can't even tell now what my altitude is. I know I'm running out of fuel, so I'm thinking about ditching in the ocean. And I, I look down there, and then in the darkness there's this uh, there's this green trail. It's like a long carpet that's just laid out right beneath me. And it was the algae, right? It was that phosphorescent stuff that gets churned up in the wake of a big ship. And it was - it was - it was leading me home. You know? If my cockpit lights hadn't shorted out, there's no way I'd ever been able to see that. So uh, you, uh, never know... what... what events are to transpire to get you home.
It hurts when I urinate.
Jim Lovell Well, you're not getting enough water.
No, I'm drinkin' my rations, same as you... I think old Swigert gave me the clap. Been pissin' in my relief tube.
Jim Lovell Well, that'd be a hot one at the debriefing for the flight surgeons... Another first for America's space program.
Jim Lovell [The crew has been "killed" in a simulator accident]
Well, if I had a dollar for every time they killed me in this thing, I wouldn't have to work for you, Deke. We have two days, and we'll be ready.
Jim Lovell Freddo, how long does it take to power up the LEM?
Three hours by the checklist.
Jim Lovell We don't have that much time.
Jim Lovell The astronaut is only the most visible member of a very large team, and all of us, right down to the guys sweeping the floor are honored to be a part of it. What did the man say? "Give me a lever long enough and I'll move the world." Well that's exactly what we're doing here. This is divine inspiration, folks. It's the best part of each one of us that anything is possible. Things like a computer that can fit into a single room and hold millions of pieces of information, or the Saturn V rocket. Now, this is the actual launch vehicle that will be taking Alan Shepard and his crew on the first leg of the Apollo 13 mission.
Congressman When are you going up again, Jim?
Jim Lovell I'm slated to be the commander of Apollo 14 sometime late next year.
Congressman If there is an Apollo 14. Now, Jim, people in my state are asking why we're continuing to fund this program now that we've beaten the Russians to the moon.
Jim Lovell Well, imagine if Christopher Columbus came back from the New World, and no one returned in his footsteps.
Jeffrey Lovell
Dad, did you know the astronauts in the fire?
Jim Lovell Yeah, I knew the astronauts in the fire. All of them.
Jeffrey Lovell
Could that happen again?
Jim Lovell Well, I'll tell you something about that fire. A lot of things went wrong. The, uh, the door, it's called the hatch. They couldn't get it open when they needed to get out, that was one thing. And, uh... well, a lot of things went wrong in that fire.
Jeffrey Lovell
Did they fix it?
Jim Lovell Oh, yes, absolutely. We fixed it. It's not a problem anymore.
Jim Lovell Well, between Jack's back taxes and the Fred Haise Show, I'd say that was a pretty successful broadcast.
That was an excellent show, Odyssey.
Thank you very much, Houston.
We've got a couple of housekeeping procedures for you. We'd like you to roll right to 0-6-0 and null your rates.
Roger that. Rolling right, 0-6-0. [presses the buttons. The craft begins rolling right]
And if you could give your oxygen tanks a stir.
Roger that. [flips the switches to activate the tank fans. Suddenly, one tank explodes and the alarm begins buzzing] Hey, we've got a problem here.
Jim Lovell What did you do?
Nothing. I stirred the tanks.
Uh, this is Houston. Say again, please?
Jim Lovell Houston, we have a problem.
Jim Lovell Okay, Houston, the quad-heater circuit breakers are open.
Copy that.
We'll use the forward omni when the Earth's in the window, and we're switching to aft omni when we see the moon.
We copy that, Thirteen. Aquarius, we don't want you to make any more waste dumps. The venting may push you off course.
Oh, Christ.
What's up?
Jim Lovell No more waste dumps. We're just gonna have to store it. Jack, we're gonna need some more urine bags. Okay, Houston, that leaves us with just the computer, which I'm shutting down now. [shuts off L.E.M. computer] And that's it. We just put Sir Isaac Newton in the driver's seat.
I've been going over the numbers again. Have they called up with a re-entry plan yet? 'Cause we're coming in too shallow.
Jim Lovell We're working on something, Jack. Just hold on.
I can't remember the ratio temperature; we got no references on board.
Jim Lovell Well, let's see if Houston can pull up the MIL-SPECs.
Listen, listen, listen! They gave us too much Delta V, had us burn too long. At this rate, we're gonna skip right off of the atmosphere, and we're never gonna get back!
What are you talking about? How'd you figure that?
I can add.
Jim Lovell Jack, they've got half the Ph.Ds on the planet working on this.
Houston says we're right on the money.
And what if they have made a mistake, all right, and there was no way to reverse it? You think they would tell us? There's no reason for them to tell us.
What do you mean they're not gonna tell us? That's bullshit!
Jim Lovell All right, there's 1,000 things that have to happen in order, we are on #8. You're taking about #692.
And in the meantime, I'm trying to tell you we're coming in too fast. I think they know it, and I think that's why we don't have a goddamn re-entry plan.
Jim Lovell That's duly noted. Thank you, Jack. We agree with that.
Hey! This piece of shit's gonna get you home. That's 'cause that's the only thing we got left, Jack!
Now what are you saying, Fred?
Well, I think you know what I'm saying.
Now wait a minute. All I did was stir those tanks.
What was that gauge reading before you hit the switch?
Hey, don't tell me how to fly the damn C.M.–
You don't even know, do you?!
–They brought me in here to do a job, they asked me to stir the damn tanks and I stirred the tanks!
Jim Lovell Jack, stop kicking yourself in the ass, all right?
This is not my fault!
Jim Lovell No one is saying it is. If I'm in the left-hand seat when the call comes up, I stir the tanks.
Yeah, well, tell him that. [points to Haise]
I just asked you what the gauge was reading, and you don't know!
Jim Lovell All right, look, we're not doing this, gentlemen, we're not gonna do this. We're not gonna go bouncing off the walls for ten minutes, because we're just gonna end up right back here with the same problems! Try to figure out how to stay alive!
Aquarius, this is Houston.
Jim Lovell Are we on VOX?!
No, we're not on VOX.
Jim Lovell [Turns on switch to transmit; calmly]
Yeah, Houston, this is Aquarius, go ahead.
Yeah, Jim, could you check you check your CO2 gauge for us? [the CO2 warning light blinks on right at that moment]
Jim Lovell Yeah, Houston, we were just looking at that. Our CO2 measurement has jumped 4 notches in the last hour.
That can't be right. I went over those numbers three times.
Jim, that sounds about right. We were expecting that.
Jim Lovell Well, that's very comforting to know, Houston. What do we do about it.
Jim, we're working on a procedure down here for you. Do you copy?
Oh, Christ.
Jim Lovell All right, Houston, we're standing by for those procedures.
Christ, I know why my numbers are wrong. I only figured it for two people.
Jack, you'll be happy to hear that we contacted President Nixon, and he's gonna grant you an extension on your income taxes, since you are... most decidedly out of the country.
Roger that, Houston. That's wonderful news.
Dr. Chuck Tell them they have to sleep. Haise is running a fever of 104.
Uh, Thirteen. Listen, we've had another request from the Flight Surgeon that you fellas get some more sleep. He doesn't like his readings down here.
Jim Lovell [rips off his bio-med sensors]
Let's see how he feels about this. I'm sick and tired of the entire Western world knowing how my kidneys are functioning!
Dr. Chuck [Lovell's readings flatline]
Flight, I just lost Lovell.
Uh, Thirteen. This is Houston. Jim, we just had a drop out on your bio-med sensors.
Jim Lovell I'm not wearing my bio-med sensors, Houston.
[Kranz smirks and silently laughs to himself. CAPCOM glances at Kranz, who waves him off, unconcerned]
...Okay, Jim. Copy that.
Dr. Chuck [Lovell looks over at Haise and Swigert, who proceed in turn to remove their bio-med sensors as well]
Flight! Now I'm losing all three of them!
It's just a little medical mutiny, Doc. I'm sure the guys are still with us. Let's cut 'em some slack, okay?
Aquarius, this is Houston.
Jim Lovell Houston, Aquarius.
Uh, Jim, we've got another course correction for you.
What's up?
Something about another course correction.
Jim Lovell Uh, We copy, uh, Houston. Be advised, it's gonna take Freddo and I awhile to power up the computer for the, uh, alignment platform if we have to fire the engine.
Uh, negative on that, Jim. We can't spare power for the computer.
We gotta do this blind?
Jim Lovell Houston, without the computer, what do we use for orientation?
Come on, we gotta be able to give these guys something up there.
Bill Fenner
Without power, we can't give them a reading.
I'm not talking about power, I'm talking about reference.
Bill Strable
No, no. There's no references. We have a bunch of debris up there...
Jim Lovell Houston, what's the story with this burn?
We're trying to hash something out down here, Aquarius. Stand by.
Jim Lovell Well, now look, Houston, all we need to hold attitude is one fixed point in space. Is that not correct?
Yeah, roger that, Jim.
Jim Lovell Well, Houston, we've got one. If we can keep the Earth in the window, flying manually, the co-ax crosshairs right on its terminator, all I have to know is how long do we need to burn the engine. [under his breath] The shorter the better.
Roger that, Jim.
Glynn Lunney Can they fly it manually? And still shut it down on time without the computer?
I guess that's the best we can do, Glynn. We're out of time.
