The Right Stuff

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The Right Stuff

PG

1983

3h 13m

History

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

54 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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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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Richard Roeper

Chicago Sun-Times

It still thrills with its expert casting and dazzling visuals.

Oct 28, 2023

Full Review

Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

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.

Sep 13, 2023

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Adam Nayman

The Ringer

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.

Mar 27, 2020

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Informative, straightforward, and an admirable dramatization of a monumental era and program and its key players.

Rated: 7/10

Feb 6, 2025

Full Review

Alan Jones

Starburst

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

Aug 1, 2022

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Taylor Baker

Drink in the Movies

Episode 12: Away We Go

Rated: 90/100

Sep 1, 2021

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Jon G

Still one of the best movies of all time in my opinion.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/17/25

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Kyle M

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-)

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/06/25

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Clark O

Incredible. Simply INCREDIBLE. Period.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/27/25

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Jithin K

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.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/08/25

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Ads T

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.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/13/25

Full Review

Gary B

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.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/06/24

Full Review

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Philip Kaufman

Director

Sam Shepard

Capt

Scott Glenn

Capt. Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr., Mercury Astronaut

Ed Harris

Maj. John Herschel Glenn Jr., Mercury Astronaut

Dennis Quaid

Gordon Cooper

Fred Ward

Gus Grissom

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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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