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The Right Stuff (1983)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
21 October 1983 (USA)
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Tagline:
They were ordinary men and women who shared a common ambition and what they achieved together captured the imagination of the world [UK Theatrical] more
Plot:
The original US Mercury 7 astronauts and their macho, seat-of-the-pants approach to the space program. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Won 4 Oscars.
Another 5 wins
&
11 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(14 articles)
Sam Shepard to Star in Epix's Tough Trade
(From MovieWeb. 20 November 2009, 4:36 AM, PST)
Roger Corman, Anjelica Huston, Sally Kellerman: Governors Awards 2009
(From Alternative Film Guide. 15 November 2009, 5:25 PM, PST)
(From MovieWeb. 20 November 2009, 4:36 AM, PST)
Roger Corman, Anjelica Huston, Sally Kellerman: Governors Awards 2009
(From Alternative Film Guide. 15 November 2009, 5:25 PM, PST)
User Comments:
Pushing the Envelope of Space!
more (145 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Sam Shepard | ... | Chuck Yeager |
 | Scott Glenn | ... | Alan Shepard |
 | Ed Harris | ... | John Glenn |
 | Dennis Quaid | ... | Gordon Cooper |
 | Fred Ward | ... | Gus Grissom |
 | Barbara Hershey | ... | Glennis Yeager |
 | Kim Stanley | ... | Pancho Barnes |
 | Veronica Cartwright | ... | Betty Grissom |
 | Pamela Reed | ... | Trudy Cooper |
 | Scott Paulin | ... | Deke Slayton |
| Charles Frank | ... | Scott Carpenter |
 | Lance Henriksen | ... | Wally Schirra |
| Donald Moffat | ... | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Levon Helm | ... | Jack Ridley / Narrator |
| Mary Jo Deschanel | ... | Annie Glenn |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
193 min
Country:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) |
Dolby (35 mm prints)
Certification:
Canada:A (Nova Scotia) |
Canada:AA (Ontario) |
Canada:G (Quebec) |
Canada:PG (Manitoba) |
Iceland:12 |
Australia:PG |
Finland:S |
France:U |
Ireland:12 |
Norway:11 |
Sweden:11 |
UK:15 |
USA:PG |
West Germany:12 |
Singapore:PG |
Portugal:M/6 |
Norway:12 (original rating)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Tom Wolfe, was unhappy with the film because he felt it made too many changes to the book. William Goldman, the original screenwriter before he left the project also disliked it because he didn't like the way Philip Kaufman portrayed Chuck Yeager as the only hero in the film, while the rest of the astronauts only got lucky and didn't match up to him in any way.
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Goofs:
Factual errors: When Chuck Yeager's flight in the NF-104 ends in an uncontrolled flat spin, he is shown attempting to restart the jet engine. While doing so, a shot of the instrument panel is shown as he feverishly tries to manipulate the controls. The shot centers on what are actually the landing gear indicator lamps flashing on and off, which would have nothing to do with the operation of the engine.
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Quotes:
[first lines]
Narrator: There was a demon that lived in the air. They said whoever challenged him would die. Their controls would freeze up, their planes would buffet wildly, and they would disintegrate. The demon lived at Mach 1 on the meter, seven hundred and fifty miles an hour, where the air could no longer move out of the way. He lived behind a barrier through which they said no man could ever pass. They called it the sound barrier.
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Narrator: There was a demon that lived in the air. They said whoever challenged him would die. Their controls would freeze up, their planes would buffet wildly, and they would disintegrate. The demon lived at Mach 1 on the meter, seven hundred and fifty miles an hour, where the air could no longer move out of the way. He lived behind a barrier through which they said no man could ever pass. They called it the sound barrier.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing (2004)
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Soundtrack:
Wake Up Little Susie
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (145 total)
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'The Right Stuff' is one of the most glorious adventure films ever made, a story of incredible heroism, poignant romance, gripping drama, and broad humor...and amazingly, it has actually happened within our lifetimes!
This is a tale of test pilots, 'pushing the envelope', proving the sound barrier couldn't constrain mankind's reach for space. Leading the way is plain-speaking Chuck Yeager (portrayed by Sam Shepard with Gary Cooper-like charm), a Beeman's gum-chewing cowboy with a passion for his feisty wife (the beautiful Barbara Hershey), and hot planes. Not even a broken rib could hold him back when an opportunity to fly the X-1 was offered. His record-breaking flight could fill a movie by itself...and this is just the BEGINNING of the story!
Jumping ahead a few years, Yeager is joined by a new breed of test pilots, whose total love of flight challenges their relationships, and is the true measure of how they define themselves. Among them are 'Gordo' Cooper (Dennis Quaid), a hot dog jet jockey with an unhappy wife (Pamela Reed, giving an exceptional performance); and Gus Grissom (Fred Ward, in his breakthrough role), coarse and direct, and anxious for his shot at the fastest jets.
The entire world changes when the Russians launch Sputnik, in 1957. As the American space program struggles to 'catch up', the government realizes that American men will have to go into space, and President Eisenhower wants 'educated' test pilots to fill this role. Yeager is out (he never completed college), but Cooper and Grissom, and many others, compete for spots in the New Frontier.
These pilots, from all services, are weeded down to seven men, dubbed 'Astronauts', and the Mercury Space Program is born! Along with Cooper and Grissom, the story focuses on Navy pilot Alan Shepard (Scott Glenn), laconic and prone to ethnic humor; and Marine John Glenn (perfectly cast Ed Harris), a 'boy scout' of unimpeachable morals, who loyally supports an impaired wife (sensitively portrayed by Mary Jo Deschanel). Working under the glare of the world press, the seven gradually come to respect one another, and embark on an epic adventure, full of triumph and tragedy!
Meanwhile, Chuck Yeager, snubbed by NASA, continues to test new generations of jets, pushing the 'envelope', until, in a climactic scene, he achieves the threshold of space, himself. The flight is a near disaster, resulting in a horrendous crash, but the image of the burned but undefeated pilot, walking proudly away from the wreckage, is an unforgettable image of courage, and truly defines 'The Right Stuff'!
This is a REMARKABLE film in every way, and is director Philip Kaufman's masterpiece. Lushly scored by Tom Conti (who won an Oscar for the Tchaikovsky-inspired music), the film soars, both on earth and in space!
If you believe the Age of Heroes is past, watch 'The Right Stuff', and you might change your mind! This is a film to treasure!