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The Right Stuff
1983
This epic chronicle of the seven pilots chosen to become astronauts for Project Mercury is based on the novel by Tom Wolfe (THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES) and directed by visionary filmmaker Philip Kaufman (QUILLS, THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING).Deep in the desert during the 1950s, army test pilots courageously fought to .. Read more
| Starring | Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, Dennis Quaid, Charles Frank |
|---|---|
| Director | Philip Kaufman |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Thriller |
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The Right Stuff
This epic chronicle of the seven pilots chosen to become astronauts for Project Mercury is based on the novel by Tom Wolfe (THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES) and directed by visionary filmmaker Philip Kaufman (QUILLS, THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING).
Deep in the desert during the 1950s, army test pilots courageously fought to break the sound barrier. These maverick men would stop at nothing to achieve winning speed. Led by their champion, Chuck Yeager (Sam Shepard), they caroused at the local watering hole while sharing tales of extreme sport and bravery--until the Russians successfully sent their Sputnik satellite into the skies, and the United States government panicked, quickly launching a space program of its own. In an effort to find the right men for the job, the government searched the desert and the seas, compiling a crew of daredevil space cowboys willing to do anything for the chance to represent America in the space race. After gruelling medical, physical, and psychological tests, seven men were left standing, led by American hero John Glenn (Ed Harris), test pilots Gordon Cooper (Dennis Quaid), Gus Grissom (Fred Ward), and Scott Carpenter (Charles Frank), and Navy man Alan Shepard (Scott Glenn). With the help of the media and the government, these men became overnight heroes, sacrificing their freedom and their families for the dream of space travel.
This piercing exploration of the men and wives behind the mission serves as a testament to the determination of America to dominate the field of space exploration, while offering an intriguing portrait of a period in which America wanted to believe in perfect men and their perfect wives, even if the reality was vastly more complex. This gripping film also features fabulous special effects and stunning aerial cinematography.
| Starring | Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, Dennis Quaid, Charles Frank, Ed Harris, Lance Henriksen, Scott Paulin, Fred Ward, Kim Stanley, Barbara Hershey, Veronica Cartwright, Pamela Reed, Chuck Yeager |
|---|---|
| Director | Philip Kaufman |
| Studio | WARNER HOME VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 3 hrs 5 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Thriller |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Dubbed | French, German |
| Hearing-impaired | English, German |
| Subtitles | DVD: Arabic, Bulgarian, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish |
| Released | DVD: 01 Apr 2000 Production year: 1983 |
| Format | DVD |
The Right Stuff (1983)
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Critics' reviews (5)
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Tom Wolfe's bestseller about the training of the first American astronauts here becomes an exhilarating, sprawling, Oscar-winning chronicle of the race to put a man into space. The point of director Philip Kaufman's visually dazzling epic is to ally the early test pilots, such as Chuck Yeager (stoically played by Sam Shepard), who clearly have the “right stuff” for the job, with the pioneering heroes of the Old West. Borrowing a great deal from the work of maverick director John Ford in terms of mythological scope and story structuring, Kaufman's drama documentary is a great tribute to the space race. It's packed with terrific performances (Ed Harris, Fred Ward, Dennis Quaid), thought-provoking satire, nail-biting aerial scenes and emotional resonance.
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"...Full of beauty, intelligence and excitement....[The film] provides a fresh, entertaining look back at the recent past....[The] cinematography is lustrous and impeccably clean..."
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Most helpful member's review
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5 out of 5 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Hilarious satire mixed with dramatic tension, excellent
Biopic on the space race. Some great moments of tension and excitement as we watch pilot after pilot try to break air speed and space records. Fairly standard Oscar stuff, except what we’re treated to in the first half of the film is some outrageous comedy that is so obviously taking the mickey that you’re not sure whether it’s meant to be or not. Mixing political satire and parody the film lampoons elements of the whole story without losing respect for the men that were made of it.
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Most recent members' review
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Authentic top drawer Boys Own stuff
One of my favourite ten films. If you like flying and anything to do with space this is completely unmissable. Totally authentic and full of brilliant performances, it captures the tension between the unusual breed of pilot who becomes a test pilot (if not for very long before meeting his maker) and those who chased the future and became famous as astronauts beyond anyone's expectation.
I remember these events as they happened and the Right Stuff brings it all to life with humour and complete conviction. -
News and features
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Stuff happens for Glenn
- 13 May 2008
Apocalypse Now actor Scott Glenn is to take on the role of former US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld in Oliver Stone's new biopic of Bush the younger, W., according to reports. Digital Spy says the 67-year-old, whose other credits include The Bourne Ultimatum, The Right Stuff and Silence Of The Lambs, will take up the role of Rummy alongside No Country For Old Men star Josh Brolin as Dubya himself. They will be joined by a cast including Fantastic Four star Ioan Gruffudd as Tony Blair, Crash's Read more
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