1983 Directed by Philip Kaufman
A chronicle of the original Mercury astronauts in the formation of America's space program: Alan Shepherd, the first American in space; Gus Grissom, the benighted astronaut for whom nothing works out as planned; John Glenn, the straight-arrow 'boy scout' of the bunch who was the first American to orbit the earth; and the remaining pilots: Deke Slayton, Scott Carpenter, Wally Schirra, and Gordon Cooper.
Sam Shepard Scott Glenn Ed Harris Dennis Quaid Fred Ward Barbara Hershey Kim Stanley Veronica Cartwright Pamela Reed Scott Paulin Charles Frank Lance Henriksen Donald Moffat Levon Helm Mary Jo Deschanel Scott Wilson Kathy Baker Mickey Crocker Susan Kase Mittie Smith Royal Dano David Clennon Jim Haynie Jeff Goldblum Harry Shearer Scott Beach Jane Dornacker Anthony Munoz John P. Ryan Show All…
Mark Berger Pat Jackson Richard Hymns Tim Holland John Benson Randy Thom Todd Boekelheide Karen G. Wilson David MacMillan Jay Boekelheide Thomas Scott Andy Wiskes
L'etoffe des héros, Os Eleitos - Onde o Futuro Começa, Správní hoši, 필사의 도전, De Pure Klasse, Elegidos para la gloria, De syv utvalgte, Der Stoff, aus dem die Helden sind, L'Étoffe des héros, Uomini veri, Mænd af rette støbning, Az igazak, Boşluktaki Kahramanlar, 太空先锋, Οι Κατάλληλοι Ανθρωποι, Парни что надо, Os Eleitos, הצוות המובחר, Správná posádka, Os Eleitos: Onde o Futuro Começa, ライトスタッフ, Pierwszy krok w kosmos, Истински неща, Хлопці що треба, 太空先鋒, Rätta virket, L'étoffe des héros, Los elegidos, Pravi fantje, Put u svemir, Valiojoukko, კარგი გუნდი, Escollits per a la glòria
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USAPG
Germany12
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Brazil10
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UK15
Sweden
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Norway12
FranceU
GreecePG
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ItalyT
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Australia
France
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Greece
NetherlandsAL
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NetherlandsAL
NetherlandsAL
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Brazil
Canada
Czechia
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Italy
Japan
Mexico
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
UK
USA
Uruguay
one of the great entertainments.
and golly gee whiz did it inspire INTERSTELLAR. it also inspired this entry to be so uninteresting, because i watched the film for a piece related to Interstellar, which is the film that has completely sapped my critical faculties dry this weekend.
73/100
Begins and ends weakly: the Yeager prologue strains too hard to be iconic (and is rife with tin-eared dialogue, unlike the rest of the movie—"We did it! We finally broke the sound barrier" someone cries, as if anyone in earshot or in the audience hadn't worked that out—while the epilogue ("And for a brief moment, Gordo Cooper became the greatest pilot anyone had ever seen") just feels like a cheap shot...especially given that it's spoken by Levon Helm, who also plays Yeager's gum-loaning wingman. But the arrival of Jeff Goldblum and Harry Shearer in minor roles heralds a marvelous change of pace, and Kaufman's affectionate satire of the Mercury program's training regimen and PR campaign enlivens docudrama conventions by…
35mm at the Music Box as part of the Chicago Critics Film Festival. Almost 48-year-old me was there, as was 8-year-old me. We both left exhilarated. This is a first ballot entry into the 'They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To' Hall of Fame. My brain actually can't reconcile that the man who wrote and directed this isn't one of the first 5-7 names mentioned in the discussion of greatest directors ever; the choices Philip Kaufman makes are that striking. I need to find a platform to discuss this more. Hell, I may need to record a commentary. But a few thoughts:
-How about the fact that we don't meet one of the future astronauts for at least 20-25…
“There was a demon who lived in the air…”
Director Phillip Kauffman’s love letter to the Mercury Space Program is really a love letter to a certain ephemeral essence. It can easily be dismissed as a love letter to American exceptionalism, provided you overlook its constant, subtle and not so subtle reminders that even in its finest hour, America had - and has - a long, long way to go. The Right Stuff loves America deeply without ever losing perspective.
It’s influence can be found everywhere and it ranks high on my list of films that shouldn’t exist yet somehow do.
"[...] But on that glorious day in May 1963, Gordo Cooper went higher, farther, and faster than any other American - 22 complete orbits around the world; he was the last American ever to go into space alone. And for a brief moment, Gordo Cooper became the greatest pilot anyone had ever seen."
When I was excavating the bottom drawers of my dad's office filing cabinet a few weeks after his death in 2016, I happened upon old spiral notebooks filled with his recordings of every name and every single event portrayed in this story, not to mention every subsequent astronaut name, Apollo mission, rocket launch, etc that followed after it. My dad always told me his first love as…
Don’t let the 3 hour+ runtime deter you, The Right Stuff flies by at Mach 2.0. It is a comprehensive look at the evolution of the space program from sound barrier flight tests through the beginnings of the space race. Featuring an amazing ensemble cast, this is an entertaining and educational thrill ride for all ages.
Basically, if you like metal things that fly through the air, this is a must see. The Right Stuff reminds us that these test pilots are science’s rock stars. If I could live alternate lives, one variation would have to be that of one of these adrenaline junkies who live life right at the very edge. Few existences seem more exhilarating and worthwhile despite…
Cowboys going into space. One of the few movies made in Hollywood after the mid-60s that can be right called Fordian. Mythmaking and its double mirror. American exceptionalism and its feats of clay. It is about how Cold War made it essential to print the legend about the US space program. only it was made when the same Cold War was still ongoing (and one of the characters was an actual presidential hopeful) which adds an extra bite. It tones down Wolfe's jabs at Mercury while keeping the book overall shape and perspective and adding the larger doubling giving and take between myths and their cracks as a continuous thing (which might also be argued is the difference between writing…
This adaptation of Tom Wolfe's extensively researched novel covers an awful lot of ground so fortunately has a charitable runtime of over three hours. The story commences in 1947 with test pilot Captain Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier and culminating with the successful launch of Mercury-Atlas 9, the final crewed space mission of the U.S. Mercury program, piloted by astronaut Gordon Cooper.
Directed by Philip Kaufman and co-written with William Goldman, it utilises Yeager as a counterpoint for the training and eventual undertakings of seven astronauts chosen for Project Mercury, America's first human spaceflight program. While the core of the narrative focuses mainly on the training and exploitation of the astronauts, Kaufman applies himself to keeping their plotlines counterweighted…
"The first American in space will not be a Chimpanzee." -Eisenhower,
The scene when all the astronauts make out was unexpected but appreciated.
The Right Stuff is a very, very, very good film. It's well made, well performed, and well directed. It also happens to be consistently entertaining despite being long as hell. It's just a solid film all around with no discernible weakness other than a few awkward scenes. I like the matter of fact way the story is told, warts and all, and the cast is highly impressive. It's not a film I'm likely to rewatch but it's a film I won't forget.
Recommended when you have some free time.
Sam Shepard and Dennis Quaid play polar opposites in The Right Stuff, the story of the United States’ most famous penis-measuring contest. Every time Jeff Goldblum runs down the hall to deliver disheartening news about Russia giving us the space race smack down, our resolve to redeem ourselves grows. And grows. LBJ doesn’t take L’s lightly.
Shepard plays Chuck Yeager, the cool, reserved test pilot that breaks sound barriers but doesn’t engage in the local pilots’ bar smack talking. He’s got the talent, he’s got the rep, and he’s got Barbara Hershey! He’s also got the too cool to be too cool for school vibe Sam Shepard often exudes. Unfortunately, Yeager’s lack of a college diploma keeps him from becoming…
Myth making and myth critiquing.
And hugely entertaining from start to finish.
And the best cast movie of all time? Possibly. Likely.
Double bill with Unforgiven: This is America.
