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The Right Stuff

Play trailer Poster for The Right Stuff PG 1983 3h 13m History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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96% Tomatometer 53 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
This adaptation of the non-fiction novel by Tom Wolfe chronicles the first 15 years of America's space program. By focusing on the lives of the Mercury astronauts, including John Glenn (Ed Harris) and Alan Shepard (Scott Glenn), the film recounts the dangers and frustrations experienced by those involved with NASA's earliest achievements. It also depicts their family lives and the personal crises they endured during an era of great political turmoil and technological innovation.
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The Right Stuff

The Right Stuff

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Critics Consensus

The Right Stuff packs a lot of movie into its hefty running time, spinning a colorful, fact-based story out of consistently engaging characters in the midst of epochal events.

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Critics Reviews

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Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times 10/28/2023
It still thrills with its expert casting and dazzling visuals. Go to Full Review
Pauline Kael The New Yorker 09/13/2023
The Right Stuff gives off a pleasurable hum: it’s the writer-director Philip Kaufman’s enjoyment of the subject, the actors, and moviemaking itself. Go to Full Review
Adam Nayman The Ringer 03/27/2020
Where 2001: A Space Odyssey depicted astronauts (and mankind) as being at the mercy of some higher, alien intelligence, The Right Stuff finds its characters imposing their will on the unknown. Go to Full Review
Mike Massie Gone With The Twins Feb 6
7/10
Informative, straightforward, and an admirable dramatization of a monumental era and program and its key players. Go to Full Review
Alan Jones Starburst 08/01/2022
This timely delve into the past - warts and all - to uncover the roots of a future we are now participating in has a basic ingredient that so many films lately have lacked. And that is integrity Go to Full Review
Taylor Baker Drink in the Movies 09/01/2021
90/100
Episode 12: Away We Go Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Jon G Aug 17 Still one of the best movies of all time in my opinion. See more Kyle M Jul 6 The 80s’ “Apollo 13” just as crowd-pleasing with uplifting sensationalism over stunning imagery backed up by beautifully captivating score to partially express the stellar craftsmanship that transcends its historical facts, aside from how impeccably casted it is to not only solidify the descriptive entertainment value plus bolsters their calibers in appreciation from their respective peaks but also eponymously qualified to be its year’s best. (A-) See more Clark O Jun 27 Incredible. Simply INCREDIBLE. Period. See more Jithin K May 8 So Top Gun Maverick was actually giving homage to this movie with its opening scene. A very well-made movie that tries a lot of things and succeeds in them. My problems with it are all in the intentionality itself. I expected the movie to be very close to the true story because of how much it firmly stands by American exceptionalism while subtly and smartly satirizing everything wrong with that in America. I'm already too fed up with such "American" stories in the first place, but then I found out that there are too many historical inaccuracies, too. The way the movie tries to make the prologue and epilogue portions poignant was very well directed, but still felt weird, especially because of how different the rest of the movie is, but still, it was a nice change of pace. I was surprised to see Ed Harris and searched for his age. At least he was able to look exactly the same for the next 30 years after this movie. See more Ads T Feb 13 Dealing with the development of American space exploration, The Right Stuff is a long movie but commit to it and you will be rewarded with an engaging story with good characters and heart-stopping visual effects. See more Gary B 02/06/2024 The Right Stuff captures the spirit of risk, achievement and heroism like no other movie I can remember. A big part of that is the rousing musical score by Bill Conti, which I wish could be bottled and sold as an energy drink. But it's really the film's offbeatness that sets it apart. There's never been another movie like it. Forty years later, it still seems fresh, like a song no one's been able to copy. See more Read all reviews
The Right Stuff

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Movie Info

Synopsis This adaptation of the non-fiction novel by Tom Wolfe chronicles the first 15 years of America's space program. By focusing on the lives of the Mercury astronauts, including John Glenn (Ed Harris) and Alan Shepard (Scott Glenn), the film recounts the dangers and frustrations experienced by those involved with NASA's earliest achievements. It also depicts their family lives and the personal crises they endured during an era of great political turmoil and technological innovation.
Director
Philip Kaufman
Producer
Robert Chartoff, Irwin Winkler
Screenwriter
Philip Kaufman, Tom Wolfe
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
The Ladd Company
Rating
PG
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 9, 1983, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 15, 2008
Runtime
3h 13m
Sound Mix
Surround, Magnetic Stereo 6 Track, Dolby
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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