The Right Stuff (1983)
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97% of critics liked it
(39 reviews) -
87% of users liked it
(20,941 ratings)
Covering some 15 years, The Right Stuff recounts the formation of America's space program, concentrating on the original Mercury astronauts. Scott Glenn plays Alan Shepard, the first American in space; Fred Ward is Gus Grissom, the benighted astronaut for whom nothing works out as planned; and… More Covering some 15 years, The Right Stuff recounts the formation of America's space program, concentrating on the original Mercury astronauts. Scott Glenn plays Alan Shepard, the first American in space; Fred Ward is Gus Grissom, the benighted astronaut for whom nothing works out as planned; and Ed Harris is John Glenn, the straight-arrow "boy scout" of the bunch who was the first American to orbit the earth. The remaining four Mercury boys are Deke Slayton (Scott Paulin), Scott Carpenter (Charles Frank), Wally Schirra (Lance Henriksen) and Gordon Cooper (Dennis Quaid). Wolfe's original book related in straightforward fashion the dangers and frustrations facing the astronauts (including Glenn's oft-repeated complaint that it's hard to be confident when you know that the missile you're sitting on has been built by the lowest bidder), the various personal crises involving their families (Glenn's wife Annie, a stutterer, dreads being interviewed on television, while Grissom's wife Betty, angered that her husband is not regarded as a hero because his mission was a failure, bitterly declares "I want my parade!"), and the schism between the squeaky-clean public image of the Mercury pilots and their sometimes raunchy earthbound shenanigans. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Philip Kaufman
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure
- In Theaters
- Oct 21, 1983 Wide
- Studio
- Warner Bros. Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine
Moviegoers seeking a grand yet edifying entertainment, right-stuffed with what Kaufman calls "seriousness of subject matter and a wild humor that comes out of left field," now know where to look...
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Variety Staff, Variety
The Right Stuff is a humdinger. Full of beauty, intelligence and excitement, this big-scale look at the development of the US space program and its pioneering aviators provides a fresh, entertaining look back at the recent past.
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Geoff Andrew, Time Out
From the opening moments it is clear that we have the nearest modern equivalent to a Western: men of quiet virtue going skyward, leaving the tawdry world of log-rolling politicians behind.
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Vincent Canby, New York Times
These men remain virtually flawless heroes, almost too good, decent and brave to be true, and it's a measure of how successful the movie is that one is inclined to believe it.
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Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
That the writer-director, Philip Kaufman, is able to get so much into a little more than three hours is impressive. That he also has organized this material into one of the best recent American movies is astonishing.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Sam Shepard
as Chuck Yeager
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Scott Glenn
as Alan Shepard
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Ed Harris
as John Glenn
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Dennis Quaid
as Gordon Cooper
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Fred Ward
as Gus Grissom
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Barbara Hershey
as Glennis Yeager
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Kim Stanley
as Pancho Barnes
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Veronica Cartwright
as Betty Grissom
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Pamela Reed
as Trudy Cooper
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Scott Paulin
as Deke Slayton
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Charles Frank
as Scott Carpenter
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Lance Henriksen
as Wally Schirra
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Donald Moffat
as Lyndon B. Johnson
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Mary Jo Deschanel
as Annie Glenn
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Scott Wilson
as Scott Crossfield
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Kathy Baker
as Louise Shepard
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Mickey Crocker
as Marge Slayton
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Susan Kase
as Rene Carpenter
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Mittie Smith
as Jo Schirra
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Royal Dano
as Minister
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David Clennon
as Liaison Man
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Jim Haynie
as Air Force Major
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Harry Shearer
as recruiter
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Jeff Goldblum
as recruiter
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Scott Beach
as Chief Scientist
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Jane Dornacker
as Nurse Murch
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Anthony Munoz
as Gonzales
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John P. Ryan
as Head of Program
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Darryl Henriques
as Life Reporter
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Mary Apick
as Woman Reporter
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Robert Beer
as Dwight D. Eisenhower
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Ed Corbett
as Texan
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Tom Dahlgren
as Bell Aircraft Executive
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John Dehner
as Henry Luce
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Bob Elross
as Review Board President
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David Gulpilil
as Aborigine
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John X. Heart
as The Permanent Press Corp
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Levon Helm
as Jack Ridley/Narrator
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Ed Holmes
as The Permanent Press Corp
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O-Lan Jones
as Pretty Girl
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Kaaren Lee
as Young Widow
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Michael Pritchard
as Texan
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William Russ
as Stick Goodlin
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Eric Sevareid
as Himself
- Lynn Stalmaster
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Gen. Chuck Yeager
as Fred
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Edward Anhalt
as Grand Designer
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James Brady
as Aide to Lyndon B. Johnson
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Katherine Conklin
as Woman TV Rerporter
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Maureen Coyne
as Waitress
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Richard Duppell
as The Permanent Press Corp
- Toni Howard
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William Hall
as The Permanent Press Corp

