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The Right Stuff

  • 19831983
  • PGPG
  • 3h 13m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
60K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,844
247
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
The Right Stuff (1983)
Home Video Trailer from Warner Home Video
Play trailer3:31
2 Videos
99+ Photos
AdventureBiographyDrama
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
60K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,844
247
  • 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
    • 206User reviews
    • 71Critic 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)
    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)
    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 Yeageras Chuck Yeager
    Scott Glenn
    Scott Glenn
    • Alan Shepardas Alan Shepard
    Ed Harris
    Ed Harris
    • John Glennas John Glenn
    Dennis Quaid
    Dennis Quaid
    • Gordon Cooperas Gordon Cooper
    Fred Ward
    Fred Ward
    • Gus Grissomas Gus Grissom
    Barbara Hershey
    Barbara Hershey
    • Glennis Yeageras Glennis Yeager
    Kim Stanley
    Kim Stanley
    • Pancho Barnesas Pancho Barnes
    Veronica Cartwright
    Veronica Cartwright
    • Betty Grissomas Betty Grissom
    Pamela Reed
    Pamela Reed
    • Trudy Cooperas Trudy Cooper
    Scott Paulin
    Scott Paulin
    • Deke Slaytonas Deke Slayton
    Charles Frank
    Charles Frank
    • Scott Carpenteras Scott Carpenter
    Lance Henriksen
    Lance Henriksen
    • Wally Schirraas Wally Schirra
    Donald Moffat
    Donald Moffat
    • Lyndon B. Johnsonas Lyndon B. Johnson
    Levon Helm
    Levon Helm
    • Jack Ridleyas Jack Ridley…
    Mary Jo Deschanel
    Mary Jo Deschanel
    • Annie Glennas Annie Glenn
    Scott Wilson
    Scott Wilson
    • Scott Crossfieldas Scott Crossfield
    Kathy Baker
    Kathy Baker
    • Louise Shepardas Louise Shepard
    Mickey Crocker
    • Marge Slaytonas 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
    Tom Wolfe's book on the history of the U.S. Space program reads like a novel, and the film has that same fictional quality. It covers the breaking of the sound barrier by Chuck Yeager to the Mercury 7 astronauts, showing that no one had a clue how to run a space program or how to select people to be in it. Thrilling, funny, charming and electrifying all at once. —John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>
    astronautproject mercuryu.s. space programnasaticker tape parade118 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • By flying higher and faster than any other man had ever dared before, Chuck Yeager set the pace for a new breed of hero. Those that had just one thing in common...THE RIGHT STUFF.
    • Genres
      • Adventure
      • Biography
      • Drama
      • History
    • Certificate
      • PG
    • Parents guide

    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 Yeager makes the first supersonic flight, we see the plane's Machmeter going offscale 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 reviews206

    Review
    Top review
    The Best Picture of 1983
    This picture was selected as Best Picture of its year by 2 of the best movie reviewers in recent memory, Siskel & Ebert. They both chose this film because "it showed how things get done in America."

    This is one of my favorite films. If you remember the space race (and not fantasize you do like some other reviewers on this page) and the Mercury astronauts were your heroes too, then watching this movie is like going home again.

    As for the younger crowd? Watching this true story will be a lot of fun, and there are a lot of laughs. But more importantly, it will give you a look into a time when your country actually tried to do important things: not b/c they were easy, as President Kennedy said, but b/c they were hard. A concept so sadly lacking these days.

    Watch everyone, and enjoy. It's quite a ride, and it all really happened.
    helpful•13
    2
    • cagney00
    • Aug 21, 2001

    FAQ2

    • 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

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