The Right Stuff

1983, History/Drama, 3h 13m

51 Reviews 10,000+ Ratings

What to know

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. Read critic reviews

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The Right Stuff Photos

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Movie Info

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.
  • Rating:
    PG
  • Genre:
    History, Drama
  • Original Language:
    English
  • Director:
    Philip Kaufman
  • Producer:
    Robert Chartoff, Irwin Winkler
  • Writer:
    Philip Kaufman, Tom Wolfe
  • Release Date (Theaters):
     original
  • Release Date (Streaming):
  • Runtime:
  • Distributor:
    Warner Home Vídeo, Warner Bros.
  • Sound Mix:
    Surround, Magnetic Stereo 6 Track, Dolby
  • Aspect Ratio:
    Flat (1.85:1)

Cast & Crew

Sam Shepard
Capt, Col. Chuck Yeager, Test Pilot
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
Barbara Hershey
Glennis Yeager
Kim Stanley
Pancho Barnes
Veronica Cartwright
Betty Grissom
Jane Dornacker
The Right Stuff
Philip Kaufman
Director
Philip Kaufman
Writer
Tom Wolfe
Writer
James D. Brubaker
Executive Producer
Robert Chartoff
Producer
Irwin Winkler
Producer
Todd Boekelheide
Original Music
Bill Conti
Original Music
Caleb Deschanel
Cinematographer
Glenn Farr
Film Editing
Lisa Fruchtman
Film Editing
Ernst Rolf
Film Editing
Lynn Stalmaster
Casting
Geoffrey Kirkland
Production Design
W. Stewart Campbell
Art Director
Richard Lawrence
Art Director
George R. Nelson
Set Decoration
Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for The Right Stuff

All Critics (51) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (49) | Rotten (2)
Full Review… Adam Nayman The Ringer Full Review… Dave Kehr Chicago Reader Full Review… Arthur Knight Hollywood Reporter Full Review… Dolores Barclay Associated Press Full Review… Sheila Benson Los Angeles Times Full Review… Gary Arnold Washington Post Full Review… Taylor Baker Drink in the Movies Full Review… Diego Galán El Pais (Spain) Full Review… Federico Furzan Cinelipsis Full Review… Josh Larsen LarsenOnFilm Full Review… Sean Axmaker Seanax.com Full Review… Matt Brunson Creative Loafing
View All Critic Reviews (51)

Audience Reviews for The Right Stuff

  • Jun 19, 2016
    Lots of people have chronicled great feats of human ingenuity but few (if any) have done so while consistently maintaining a satirical and borderline surreal tone. It's hard to imagine that Kaufman was allowed bizarre flights of fancy (the bumbling government agents played by Jeff Goldblum and Harry Shearer, the press corps played by an improvisational comedy troupe, etc.) in a movie that features Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier and John Glenn orbiting the earth.
    Alec B Super Reviewer
  • Feb 25, 2014
    Unlike the overkill in From the Earth to the Moon, the Right Stuff has it down to just the right lengthy length. Three hours is good for a voyage with these dynamic men who took great risks to travel into space.
    John B Super Reviewer
  • Nov 11, 2012
    The heroes walking under our noses may have been walking on the moon as well. A great history lesson for those jaded in the age of technology. (Gotta admit that "Apollo 13" is betther, though.)
    Christian C Super Reviewer
  • Sep 15, 2012
    A bit of an interesting history lesson and character study about the beginnings of the American space program. Shepard is iconic as Chuck Yeager, Harris does justice as John Glenn, and Fred Ward lends pathos as Virgil Grissom. A feeling of cowboys looking for the next bronc to break pervades the work.
    Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
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