The Right Stuff (1983)

The Space Between

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy The Right Stuff on DVD

It was the film that had everything going for it. It was three hours long, featured an outstanding cast of up-and-coming stars, great special effects, a great script, jaw-dropping cinematography, chest-thumping American patriotism, and just a little subversiveness thrown in to keep the cynics happy. (It beautifully mixes playfulness and heroism.) It earned eight Oscar nominations and took four awards home. But somehow Philip Kaufman's The Right Stuff was a bitter, crippling flop. Perhaps in the year of Return of the Jedi moviegoers were still more interested in fantasy than in the reality of American astronauts risking their lives for knowledge. Fortunately, history tends to right wrongs, and The Right Stuff has been released on a wonderful new 2-DVD set, which retails for $26.99. After twenty years, the film still sucks you in with its professional, consummate storytelling, warm humor and gut-wrenching drama. In fact, once loaded into the DVD player, it's difficult to stop watching -- in spite of the film's daunting 190-minute length. Along with Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in America it's the last great American epic -- the kind of film that couldn't be made today. Frankly, it has always confused me that Sam Shepard plays Chuck Yeager, Scott Glenn plays Alan Shepard and Ed Harris plays John Glenn (too many similar names). Kaufman adapted the famous book by Tom Wolfe.

Starring: 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
Written by: Philip Kaufman, based on the book by Tom Wolfe
Directed by: Philip Kaufman
MPAA Rating: PG
Running Time: 193 minutes
Date: June 20, 2003