Caulfield dons a Woodward and Bernstein importance in his quest for the truth. In part, this is because Whitter serves as the catalyst for Caulfield’s investigative reporting. Nevertheless, his importance comes across as much larger. Whitter, who first reports discrepancies in the crew’s television transmissions, isn’t prominently featured in the film. Yet even the most inconsequential of characters feels important. There’s ample action, and a smattering of characters.

With a run-time of just over two hours, “Capricorn One” marvelously paces its plot. When Whitter disappears seemingly without a trace, Caulfield embarks on a mission to uncover the truth about Capricorn One, and his friend’s vanishing. However, Whitter shares his disbelief with friend and journalist Robert Caulfield ( Elliott Gould). NASA technician Elliot Whitter ( Robert Walden) reports anomalous data readings which Kelloway dismisses as a malfunctioning workstation. Unfortunately, the faux landing doesn’t quite proceed as Kelloway planned. Reluctantly, and with their families threatened, Brubaker, Walker, and Willis agree. Sacrifice the mission and falsify its results to save the space program, he argues. Rather than scrap the voyage, Kelloway insists the three astronauts fake a Mars landing. James Kelloway ( Hal Holbrook) arrives and explains in a Shakespearean-caliber soliloquy, that a critical error in Capricorn One’s life-support system would have killed the astronauts in-flight leaving the mission a failure. Meanwhile, Capricorn One launches as planned sans its flight crew, leaving the general public blissfully unaware. Simpson) are whisked off to a remote, abandoned desert base. Moments before liftoff, the trio of astronauts Colonel Charles Brubaker ( James Brolin), Lieutenant Colonel Peter Willis ( Sam Waterson), and Commander John Walker ( O.J.

The first crewed mission to Mars, “Capricorn One,” is set to launch. With a taut screenplay, superb acting, and a gripping premise, “ Capricorn One” is an irresistible watch. 1975 political thriller “Three Days of the Condor” offered a realistic mystery, and 1978 Peter Hyams-directed sci-fi thriller “Capricorn One” follows suit. Conspiracy theory films range from the extraordinary to the plausible.

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