That would be unfortunate. All this is speculation after the fact. Those films were reviewed long after the shuttle was on station in orbit. Unless someone was watching in detail in real time and had the authority to abort the ascent to orbit, once orbit was achieved they couldn't do much of anything except carry on and hope for the best. Even if they knew and determined that there was damage, they couldn't fix it. There aren't any heat shield tile replacement service stations in orbit. Columbia couldn't reach the ISS on this mission because of orbital mechanics and lack of fuel and engine power. Other than trying reentry with what they had, the only other option would have been to stay up there and hold out as long as they could while someone else went up there and tried to get them, kind of like a Hollywood movie. I get the sense that NASA doesn't like to think about these kinds of scenarios. Its too ghoulish, thinking maybe, well, seven people can't hold out until a "rescue" ship gets there, but maybe six could. Or five? Or three? Or one? Then, who is going to be thrown out of the hatch to save the others? Forget about it. They were going to make it back together, or not, but they would stay together as a team.
Similar speculation went on during and after Apollo 13. Electrical power there was the critical consuamble. The scenario would have been particularly ghoulish if the O2tank had gone up while the lunra module was on the surface at Fra Mauro. Then you'd have two healthy astronauts and space vehicle stranded on the lunar surface while the command module and its pilot died overhead. The NASA planners about went crazy thinking about that one. But, like in the present accident, there's not much you can do once the critical comittments have been made.