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IMDbPro

The Right Stuff

  • 19831983
  • PGPG
  • 3h 13m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
61K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,869
109
The Right Stuff (1983)
Home Video Trailer from Warner Home Video
Play trailer3:31
2 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Adventure
  • Biography
  • Drama
The U.S. space program's development from the breaking of the sound barrier to selection of the Mercury 7 astronauts, from a group of test pilots with a more seat-of-the-pants approach than ... Read allThe U.S. space program's development from the breaking of the sound barrier to selection of the Mercury 7 astronauts, from a group of test pilots with a more seat-of-the-pants approach than the program's more cautious engineers preferred.The U.S. space program's development from the breaking of the sound barrier to selection of the Mercury 7 astronauts, from a group of test pilots with a more seat-of-the-pants approach than the program's more cautious engineers preferred.
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
61K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,869
109
  • Director
    • Philip Kaufman
  • Writers
    • Philip Kaufman(written for the screen by)
    • Tom Wolfe(based on the book by)
  • Stars
    • Sam Shepard
    • Scott Glenn
    • Ed Harris
Top credits
  • Director
    • Philip Kaufman
  • Writers
    • Philip Kaufman(written for the screen by)
    • Tom Wolfe(based on the book by)
  • Stars
    • Sam Shepard
    • Scott Glenn
    • Ed Harris
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 209User reviews
    • 73Critic reviews
    • 91Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 4 Oscars
      • 11 wins & 16 nominations total

    Videos2

    The Right Stuff
    Trailer 3:31
    The Right Stuff
    "The Right Stuff" History Download
    Clip 4:39
    "The Right Stuff" History Download

    Photos128

    Barbara Hershey and Sam Shepard in The Right Stuff (1983)
    Ed Harris, Lance Henriksen, Dennis Quaid, Scott Glenn, Charles Frank, Scott Paulin, and Fred Ward in The Right Stuff (1983)
    Ed Harris, Lance Henriksen, Dennis Quaid, Scott Glenn, Charles Frank, Scott Paulin, and Fred Ward in The Right Stuff (1983)
    Sam Shepard in The Right Stuff (1983)
    Ed Harris, Lance Henriksen, Dennis Quaid, Scott Glenn, Charles Frank, Scott Paulin, and Fred Ward in The Right Stuff (1983)
    Kathy Baker, Veronica Cartwright, and Pamela Reed in The Right Stuff (1983)
    Dennis Quaid and Scott Paulin in The Right Stuff (1983)
    The Right Stuff (1983)
    The Right Stuff (1983)
    The Right Stuff (1983)
    Ed Harris, Lance Henriksen, Dennis Quaid, Scott Glenn, Charles Frank, Scott Paulin, and Fred Ward in The Right Stuff (1983)
    Ed Harris, Lance Henriksen, Dennis Quaid, Scott Glenn, Charles Frank, Scott Paulin, and Fred Ward in The Right Stuff (1983)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sam Shepard
    Sam Shepard
    • Chuck Yeager
    Scott Glenn
    Scott Glenn
    • Alan Shepard
    Ed Harris
    Ed Harris
    • John Glenn
    Dennis Quaid
    Dennis Quaid
    • Gordon Cooper
    Fred Ward
    Fred Ward
    • Gus Grissom
    Barbara Hershey
    Barbara Hershey
    • Glennis Yeager
    Kim Stanley
    Kim Stanley
    • Pancho Barnes
    Veronica Cartwright
    Veronica Cartwright
    • Betty Grissom
    Pamela Reed
    Pamela Reed
    • Trudy Cooper
    Scott Paulin
    Scott Paulin
    • Deke Slayton
    Charles Frank
    Charles Frank
    • Scott Carpenter
    Lance Henriksen
    Lance Henriksen
    • Wally Schirra
    Donald Moffat
    Donald Moffat
    • Lyndon B. Johnson
    Levon Helm
    Levon Helm
    • Jack Ridley…
    Mary Jo Deschanel
    Mary Jo Deschanel
    • Annie Glenn
    Scott Wilson
    Scott Wilson
    • Scott Crossfield
    Kathy Baker
    Kathy Baker
    • Louise Shepard
    Mickey Crocker
    • Marge Slayton
    • Director
      • Philip Kaufman
    • Writers
      • Philip Kaufman(written for the screen by)
      • Tom Wolfe(based on the book by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The mysterious "fireflies" observed by John Glenn on his first orbital flight were actually tiny flakes of frost illuminated by sunlight. As the spacecraft orbited into darkness behind the Earth, the sub-zero temperatures caused condensation on its skin to freeze. When warmed by the sun on the other side of the orbit, the temperature change caused some of this frost layer to break free and to be illuminated by the sun. This was confirmed by astronaut Scott Carpenter on the next Mercury flight when he banged on the craft's side, causing more of the flakes to break free and become visible.
    • Goofs
      When Chuck Yeager makes the first supersonic flight, the plane's Machmeter is shown going off scale because it only reads up to Mach 1. Although this seems completely silly because the plane was always intended to fly supersonically, it is in fact what happened.
    • Quotes

      [first lines]

      Narrator: There was a demon that lived in the air. They said whoever challenged him would die. Their controls would freeze up, their planes would buffet wildly, and they would disintegrate. The demon lived at Mach 1 on the meter, seven hundred and fifty miles an hour, where the air could no longer move out of the way. He lived behind a barrier through which they said no man could ever pass. They called it the sound barrier.

    • Alternate versions
      ABC edited 5 minutes from this film for its 1986 network television premiere.
    • Connections
      Edited into Waiting for Superman (2010)
    • Soundtracks
      Southwestern Waltz
      Written by Vaughn Horton (uncredited)

      Performed by Bob Wills

      Courtesy of MCA Records, Inc.

    User reviews209

    Review
    Top review
    far out in space, for the first time...
    I always loved anything connected to science fact and science fiction and this movie is no exception.

    I already owned the Laserdisc version of it, but the DVD is even better.

    I love this movie, but I must consider the interest of the public and I honestly cannot say that this is one for the vast public.

    The theme alone is a difficult one and deals with the history of the Space Age, as it began from an American perspective, and by telling the story of the astronauts involved in the Mercury project.

    Being very long, it might not fit the modern view of a quick-fix movie. This one has to be watched as if your were watching "JFK" or "Gettysburg", therefore with the outmost attention.

    It has spectacular recreations of the actual launches, combined with more private moments, involving the astronauts, their loved ones and those who trained them.

    This is not Science Fiction and it is not an Adventure movie, this is truly a history lesson about how the Space Race got started, how, with whom and why.

    It is a very thoroughly researched movie, although it is not to be confused with a documentary. It is an intelligent movie, with good dialogues, good character recreations, with humor and moments of sadness and tragedy. The heroism of the first astronauts is not represented by their fabulous deeds, but rather by the sacrifices they had to make, in order to be successful.

    If you can bare to sit in front of your TV for 3 hours and 15 minutes without unnecessary interruptions, then this documentation may make it clear why men and women risk so much in going "where no one has gone before".

    But, as I stated before, this is not an easy going movie and is reserved for all those who want to enjoy a good movie in peace.

    I would recommend its showing in every school of the United States, and why not, also throughout the world. Many children would then really appreciate what the conquest of space is all about.
    helpful•58
    19
    • jlpicard1701E
    • Jul 21, 2004

    FAQ3

    • What is the "demon" the narrator talks about in the opening monologue?
    • Who is the man dressed in black seen throughout the movie?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 17, 1984 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Russian
    • Also known as
      • Put u kosmos
    • Filming locations
      • Cow Palace - 2600 Geneva Avenue, Daly City, California, USA
    • Production company
      • The Ladd Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $27,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $21,192,102
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,601,167
      • Oct 23, 1983
    • Gross worldwide
      • $21,192,315
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      3 hours 13 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

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