Damien Chazelle’s First Man centers on Neil Armstrong and his experiences as an astronaut, particularly during the 1969 Apollo 11 mission to the Moon. While the 2018 biographical drama makes some minor adjustments to Armstrong’s life and the Moon landing, Chazelle and screenwriter Josh Singer largely adhere to the key events of Armstrong’s journey.
The film stars Ryan Gosling as the iconic astronaut, capturing his path to becoming the first person to walk on the Moon. First Man spans nearly a decade of Armstrong’s life, starting with a brief look at his pre-NASA days and then focusing on his training and preparations for space travel.
A significant emotional aspect of First Man is Armstrong’s personal life, which is intricately tied to his career as an astronaut. The movie explores Neil’s relationship with his young daughter, Karen, who tragically died at the age of 2 due to complications from a brain tumor. In the film, after Karen’s death, Neil locks away one of her bracelets and becomes emotionally distant, rarely speaking about his loss.
The film depicts Neil Armstrong tossing Karen’s bracelet into the Little West Crater on the Moon. While this specific action isn’t confirmed to have occurred in real life, it is inspired by James R. Hansen’s biography First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong, which served as the basis for Chazelle and Singer’s script. Although there is no historical confirmation of this gesture, it is presented as a plausible and fitting tribute, reflecting Armstrong’s reserved nature and providing him with a sense of closure.
