
The Right Stuff
1983, History/Drama, 3h 13m
51 Reviews 10,000+ RatingsWhat 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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Where to watch
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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.
Cast & Crew
Sam Shepard
Capt, Col. Chuck Yeager, Test Pilot
Capt, Col. Chuck Yeager, Test Pilot
Scott Glenn
Capt. Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr., Mercury Astronaut
Capt. Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr., Mercury Astronaut
Ed Harris
Maj. John Herschel Glenn Jr., Mercury Astronaut
Maj. John Herschel Glenn Jr., Mercury Astronaut
Dennis Quaid
Gordon Cooper
Gordon Cooper
Fred Ward
Gus Grissom
Gus Grissom
Barbara Hershey
Glennis Yeager
Glennis Yeager
Critic Reviews for The Right Stuff
Audience Reviews for The Right Stuff
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Jun 19, 2016Lots 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
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Feb 25, 2014Unlike 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
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Nov 11, 2012The 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
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Sep 15, 2012A 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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