There have been different theories about the US moon landing floating around the internet. Some claim that it was faked for national pride. Greg Berlanti’s “Fly Me to the Moon” (2024) takes the route of a romantic comedy to shed light on the same subject. It shows a fictional advertising executive tasked with creating a fake version of the Apollo 11 mission, fearing the actual mission may not be successful. During her journey, she meets the NASA launch director and gets romantically involved with him. The film stars Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum in the lead roles. Besides them, the film stars Woody Harrelson, Ray Romano, Anna Garcia, and Jim Rash in integral roles.
Spoilers Ahead
Fly Me to the Moon (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
“Fly Me to the Moon,” starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, follows a romantic relationship between a marketing specialist and the NASA rocket launch director as they cross paths in a mission to create a fictionalized version of the Apollo 11 mission in case the real mission fails. The film is directed by Greg Berlanti and based on a screenplay by Rose Gilroy.
What happens in the ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ movie?
“Fly Me to the Moon” follows Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson), an advertising executive based in New York, who is an expert in her work. We see her enter a room full of men and manipulate them into agreeing to buy Mustang cars. During this discussion, she pretends to be pregnant to sway their minds. She is used to lying to get what she needs to get done. However, one day, this go-getter reputation backfires on her. She meets Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson), who works for the US President, and learns about her reputation and her past.
Moe realizes Kelly has been living under a false identity, and she has done it more than once. So, he expects her to work on a secret mission in exchange for keeping it a secret. He wants her to promote the upcoming Apollo 11 launch. Shortly before their conversation, the Soviet Union sent a man to the moon and brought him back alive. The US failed in their mission. So, the two countries are in a neck-to-neck fight to take a lead in this race. The US is impatient to win and prove its dominance. Knowing Kelly’s marketing prowess, Moe hires her to promote a positive image of their mission.
Kelly & Cole’s Meeting
Kelly heads to Florida with her associate, Ruby Martin (Anna Garcia). As a feminist, Ruby does not wish to work for Nixon’s government. But Kelly convinces her to join her for this NASA mission. Once they reach Florida, Kelly crosses paths with Cole Davis (Channing Tatum) in a diner. Cole is the director in charge of the upcoming Apollo 11 launch. The day after their fiery interaction, she shows up at the NASA lot. From the get-go, she tries to find ways to make Cole and the staff’s work seen in a better light. Cole does not want interference from anyone like her. However, he has no choice but to allow her on their premises. So, he takes her to a storage room assigned to her as her office.
Since Cole does not show her any respect, Kelly takes charge of the situation. For a TV advertorial, she hires someone to play Henry Smalls (Ray Romano), Cole’s close associate for the Apollo 11 launch. Somehow, she manages to get a new office with a view better than even Cole’s. Cole realizes that Kelly is determined to give a positive spin to the mission. So, he agrees to a meeting with her. She shares options of brands they can join hands with for sponsorship to improve their public perception. He is not on board with taking private money. But she convinces him to let her proceed with her work.
Kelly’s Promotional Work
Kelly promotes the three astronauts who are going to Space through Apollo 11. She uses multiple brand collaborations to promote NASA. It soon gets on Cole’s nerves, who worries it is taking the focus out of what’s important. However, he grows fond of her in no time. She requests him to put a live television camera on their LEM (lunar excursion module) so they can broadcast the moon landing. However, he doesn’t want it to look like a publicity stunt. Besides, he fears disappointing others based on his prior experience of failure. Regardless, Moe convinces him to put the camera on the LEM.
Why does Moe Berkus want Kelly to build a fake moon landing?
Henry tells Kelly how Cole is a veteran who once aspired to be an astronaut. However, Cole did not make the cut because of an A-fib. Henry makes Kelly realize what the mission means to Cole. Later, Kelly charms Senator Hopp (Gene Jones) into supporting their cause. Later, with Cole’s help, Kelly convinces two more senators to secure the launch. Since it raises stakes and expectations, Moe gets concerned. He doesn’t want to take any chance on the failure of Apollo 11. That’s why he tasks Kelly with a mission to create a fictionalized version of the moon landing.
Fly Me to the Moon (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
Kelly brings her past colleague, Lance Vespertine (Jim Rash), to direct their fictionalized moon landing. He hires actors to replicate every movement astronauts Aldrin and Armstrong will make on the moon. The real astronauts practice every movement they will make for reference. To improve their public image further, Kelly gets Cole an interview opportunity. However, the interviewer triggers him by asking about his prior botched mission. So, Cole gets furious and tries to beat the interviewer. After that conflict, he decides to convince another senator to support the cause.
Cole takes Kelly to meet the senator in his private helicopter. Earlier, this conservative senator spoke against Apollo 11 because of his staunch religious beliefs. However, Cole opens up about how science led him closer to God. Kelly assumes Cole is lying about his faith. But later, he reveals he was being truthful. After flying back home, they kiss each other. While they grow closer, she starts feeling guilty for betraying him, seeing how passionate he is about the program. So, she leaves at the last minute and travels under a different identity. Moe learns about it and stops her.
What version of the moon landing gets broadcast? Real or Fake?
Moe tells Kelly that they have decided to broadcast the alternate version in video with the original voices of the astronauts. After their conversation, Kelly gets emotional thinking about all the people she is leaving behind. So, she returns to NASA and reveals the truth to Cole. He gets justifiably angry for her betrayal. Regardless, she hopes to telecast the actual moon landing footage, not the fake one. On the day of the launch, she realizes they need a brand new TV for their work. So, she breaks into a store and steals one. Once the cops show up, she also convinces them not to arrest her.
Minutes before the launch, Cole’s associate, Stu Bryce (Donald Elise Watkins), attaches the TV to their LM. But he doesn’t find enough time to do the tests. In the end, they telecast the real footage of the moon landing and pretend that they are doing the opposite in front of Moe. Eventually, a mishap on the set makes Moe realize that Kelly lied to him. However, he is pleasantly surprised to see the astronauts land on the moon. He tells Kelly and all her staff not to disclose any details of their operation. Then, he offers her another job. But she rejects it.
Later, Kelly tells Cole that her real name is Winnie. She used to go door to door with her mother to sell things. Only later did they realize that it was a scam. When Winnie’s mother was getting arrested, she told Winnie to run away. Since then, Winnie has assumed multiple identities, including Kelly, to make a living. Her advertorial skills helped her with her career. She and Cole get back together once she opens up about her past.
