MovieChat Forums > First Man (2018) Discussion > I think I like Armstrong less now (and t...

I think I like Armstrong less now (and that's unfair)

posted 5 years ago by RichardBlaine (303)
7 replies | jump to latest

I mean, don't get me wrong. He'll always have my respect and admiration. And I can appreciate the tragedies in his life and the effects they must have had on him.

That said, he was really kind of a surly SOB, wasn't he? I'd be scared to talk to him. The film left me kind of cold and indifferent, and I'm guessing that wasn't the intention. Gosling was wooden and unemotional, but I'm sure that's how he was directed to play Armstrong. I'm thinking that's the way the man was.

I don't expect my heroes to all be jovial and good-natured and warm and fuzzy, but just the same, you'd like to think you'd enjoy sitting down and having a cold one with them. Not Armstrong, though. I guess I learned more about the man than I wanted to know.

My fault for not appreciating that heroes are really just human beings. I reckon that means I'm being unfair. I feel bad about that, but dammit, I just wanted to like the man more.

[–] ebhaynz (3529) 5 years ago

Armstrong was definitely a nice guy but a lot of aeronautical engineers don't have the most outgoing personalities. His co-worker Buzz Aldrin didn't have the greatest personality either...Buzz was so smart he basically solved orbital mechanics on his own during the Gemini program. After the lunar landings Buzz ended up in a psychiatric ward for awhile and after years of therapy he's done very well for himself. Neil ended up retreating to Ohio and ended up leading a fairly quiet and boring life as a teacher.

[–] Adam60z (3750) 5 years ago

Don't judge him based on this poorly done film.

[–] liscarkat (16543) 5 years ago

Yes, the Armstrong in this movie (I don't know what he was like in reality) was a humorless dick, possibly a sociopath. Not likable at all. The entire movie, although entertaining, was totally full of shit.

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

Some people are introverted and shy ya know.

And for the people saying he was a humorless dick. You really find the stupid shit people joke around and laugh about funny? If you do that's fine, but don't judge a guy for not because 9 times out of 10 the shit people laugh at really is a lot of bullshit... some people are just more true to themselves.

[–] R_Kane (15828) 2 years ago

So, Rich. You did not read or see The Right Stuff. WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT SUCCESSFUL TEST PILOTS ARE LIKEABLE?

Sheesh. You need to learn how to adjust your expectations. You probably think that Angels are “likeable.”

[–] RichardBlaine (303) 2 years ago

Hi, and thanks for the comment. I'm not sure I said that successful test pilots are likeable. I probably wasn't clear. It was three years ago, but I think I meant that it would be nice if they were. Looks like I mentioned something about how it would be cool to "sit down and have a cold one" with a guy like Armstrong. Looks like I also wrote that I was being unfair in my expectations.

But thanks for the suggestion. Maybe I'll adjust my expectations even further.

[–] Ranb (7186) a year ago

If you read the book "First Man", you will probably find a completely different person on those pages. I know I did compared to the film.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205589.First_Man