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The Right Stuff
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The Right Stuff

1983
Drama
Adventure
3h 13m
Director Philip Kaufman and a stellar cast -- including Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn and Ed Harris -- chronicle NASA's early transition from breaking the sound barrier in 1947 to the expeditions of the Mercury astronauts in the 1960s. Richly variegated and surprisingly funny, this film adaptation of a novel by Tom Wolfe brilliantly depicts the personal, political and technological achievements it took for America to get ahead in the space race.
Directed by:
Philip Kaufman Philip Kaufman
Written by:
Philip Kaufman Philip Kaufman Tom Wolfe
+1 more
Starring:
Fred Ward Fred Ward Ed Harris Ed Harris Scott Glenn Scott Glenn Dennis Quaid Dennis Quaid Lance Henriksen Lance Henriksen Kathy Baker Kathy Baker Jeff Goldblum Jeff Goldblum Sam Shepard Sam Shepard Barbara Hershey Barbara Hershey Donald Moffat Donald Moffat Harry Shearer Harry Shearer Royal Dano Royal Dano
More
Genres:
Drama, Adventure
Country:
USA
Languages:
English, Spanish, Russian
imdb More information at IMDb
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The Right Stuff

1983
Drama
Adventure
3h 13m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 67.79% from 1430 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

(1430)
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philipPhilip
Rated 19 Jan 2008
60
35th
Extremely overrated. It feels like they couldn't decide what movie they wanted to make, so they just made ten types of movies in one.
Rated 19 Jan 2008
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 08 Apr 2011
60
54th
Very good entertainment for such a long movie, it boasts a good cast and runs the gamut from tension to humor, never boring. Believability is not a strong point, though, and everyone is a stereotype: The scientists are nerds, the astronauts' wives hysteria-stricken, the journalists, the politicians, all familiar tropes. The pilots are jocks of course, but that's what makes them the only heroes of the Mercury program according to Hollywood.
Rated 08 Apr 2011
dean_franzDean Franz
Rated 03 Nov 2010
45
39th
Glossy machismo, great for people who only watch one movie a year (meaning people who don't care much for cinema, and just want spectacle). It undeniably looks great, and most of the cast is terrific (notable exception being Shepard), but most of all, it feels completely detached and empty. "But it's about astronauts, lol!" Yeah, that does sound int_zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
Rated 03 Nov 2010
mwgerbmwgerb
Rated 22 May 2011
66
79th
I slightly prefer the unofficial sequel, Apollo 13, although that's probably the engineer in me talking. That being said, this is an excellent blend of heroism and humor that covers the early history of spaceflight, and really captures a fantastic flyboy attitude shared by the Mercury 7 (and Chuck Yeager). Enjoyed it so much that it's hard to believe it's over 3 hours long.
Rated 22 May 2011
citysqwirlcitysqwirl
Rated 14 Aug 2007
86
87th
So detailed and fascinating that it almost feels like a documentary.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
kasperlKasperL
Rated 10 Nov 2018
60
50th
It doesn't earn its long running time, but the charismatic cast keep this tonally wobbly biopic in orbit. There's only one great scene, though - the tense one in which Ed Harris re-enters the earth's atmosphere.
Rated 10 Nov 2018
timmytomtimmytom
Rated 25 Sep 2014
60
36th
Way too long.
Rated 25 Sep 2014
egbertsouseEgbertSouse
Rated 26 Jul 2009
100
97th
There's so much going on in this film, but it doesn't feel nearly as long as it really is (3 hours plus). I liked how smooth the progression went from the early test pilots like Chuck Yaeger to the full-on missions with Shepherd, Grissom, Glenn, and the rest. I liked how graceful the characters were handled, while also keeping up the thrill of the missions. Great cast and an overall "fuckin' A" movie.
Rated 26 Jul 2009
rufamRufam
Rated 13 Mar 2012
60
29th
A peculiar mixture of satire and heroic epic that seems to both make fun of and wholeheartedly embrace the conventions it replicates. There's enough pointed humour, solid acting and strong visuals here to keep one at least mildly interested for three hours, although ultimately the film goes nowhere and its purpose remains unclear. The plot moves forward, without any of the events having any impact -every tense moment is resolved in a cheesy, heroic "twist" and character development is minimum.
Rated 13 Mar 2012
overratedoverrated
Rated 15 Sep 2011
56
57th
Standard boys and their toys material. If you're American, or an engineer, or into the whole mythos surrounding pilots you'll probably dig it. Didn't really like how the scientists and politicians were reduced to obstacles and comic relief, but I suppose you need some sort of antagonist in these kind of stories.
Rated 15 Sep 2011
fredericg54frederic_g54
Rated 20 Oct 2021
7
57th
It's an admirable (if long ass...) movie, consistently well crafted, with a couple of great scenes, but the discrepancy between its lighter, sometimes goofball and its more serious segments kept me from being truly invested in the characters, their personal lives and professional achievements. Edit-wise, it also feels like a strung together series of their missions and some of the Mercury 7 members are just blatantly ignored; I mean, how do you not give Lance Henriksen more screen time?!
Rated 20 Oct 2021
supergloosupergloo
Rated 14 Aug 2007
10
93rd
One of the greatest underrated films of all time. Classic American cinema!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
henrikHenrik
Rated 09 Aug 2014
80
80th
Hard science and riveting pathos in one top notch package. Really liked the rich characters and the performances, giving warmth to the cool space stuff. Not kidding, I like cool space stuff.
Rated 09 Aug 2014
webdwwebdw
Rated 01 Sep 2007
60
33rd
Not quite as good as the raw material the screenwriters had to work with but...
Rated 01 Sep 2007
luna6ixLuna6ix
Rated 06 Jun 2008
84
86th
My only complaint is that it can be a bit uninteresting at times, but most of the rest of the movie is engaging and very entertaining.
Rated 06 Jun 2008
djrossdjross
Rated 14 Aug 2007
30
12th
A very long time since I saw this, but I never understood the praise it received: the characters seemed too uninteresting to warrant such attention, the satirical anti-heroic aspects were weak and half-hearted, and the whole thing seemed very laboured if not interminable.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
potzblitzPotzblitz
Rated 16 Oct 2007
88
59th
A little silly in parts and the Chuck Yeager angle felt tacked on, but overall it's a good film.
Rated 16 Oct 2007
xakkmasterXakkMaster
Rated 23 May 2020
83
71st
Beautiful photography and strong performances, but the narrative is a bit schizophrenic. It's nice to see the astronauts grow as brothers though, even if it's more movie magic than reality.
Rated 23 May 2020
cerebrusCerebrus
Rated 01 Feb 2009
50
26th
Meh?
Rated 01 Feb 2009
vincentevincente
Rated 09 Dec 2007
65
42nd
null
Rated 09 Dec 2007
gwulingwulin
Rated 15 Nov 2012
80
84th
Some parts are good, but generally the movie suffers from lack of a definite storyline. The pointless relationship troubles of the pilots and astronauts further lengthen the thing needlessly. Cut it down to half and you have a good movie.
Rated 15 Nov 2012
nobambanobamba
Rated 26 Jan 2019
70
76th
A salute to Gus and everyone involved in the ambitious space race. The film really makes us care for the drama with the family. Do planes really tumble in the air like that? Very long movie. Fav scene: the astronaut assessment process.
Rated 26 Jan 2019
glumpy99glumpy_99
Rated 22 Mar 2013
70
37th
Kaufman's opus to space flight is in many ways a brilliant technical achievement, especially during its exciting, nail-biting depictions of the test flight sequences, but the film suffers badly during its frequent shifts to a cartoonish, heavy handed tone, especially when dealing with the politics of the era. Overlong, and never really captures the epic feeling that the creative team aspires to, but remains engaging enough, and well performed (Shepherd is a stand-out as the enigmatic Yeager).
Rated 22 Mar 2013
gurrugurru
Rated 14 Aug 2007
60
26th
Interesting as a historic document for space travel fans, tooo looong and too booriing for anyone else.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
panzerwolfpanzerwolf
Rated 14 Aug 2023
72
64th
A very epic, long story that shows us how the US space program came together, starting with the somewhat crazy test pilots who were already putting their lives on the line for the sake of new records and of course, for the thrill of it. Ed Harris is really the actor that shined the brightest for me here. There's a lot here to learn and though it was just a bit too long, I get why it was necessary to properly tell the story.
Rated 14 Aug 2023
johnsandwichJohnSandwich
Rated 14 Mar 2013
70
63rd
Entertaining and interesting but a bit corny.
Rated 14 Mar 2013
neonmanNeonman
Rated 27 Nov 2010
90
91st
Just over three hours long and by the end of it you may even want to see more. I love how the portrayal of these gentlemen stutters between genuine heroism and satirical teasing.
Rated 27 Nov 2010
ratinenjratinenj
Rated 26 Sep 2009
88
64th
This well written film captures the early days of NASA and it's precursor from the pilot's and astronouts point-of-view. There all multipile characters involved and all played fine by good character actors like Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn and Ed Harris in the more prominent roles. Somehow the last part of the film loses concentration little bit and fast-forwards the space flights too quickly. Despite that the film holds together well and captures the 15 years of history in over three hours.
Rated 26 Sep 2009
theyshoot07theyshoot07
Rated 02 Mar 2008
71
53rd
# 590
Rated 02 Mar 2008
teeceeteecee
Rated 30 Sep 2008
59
87th
Den holder sig til bogen - godt
Rated 30 Sep 2008
menialretconMenialRetcon
Rated 01 Apr 2018
73
52nd
Haven't made it all the way through. Would rather learn about the engineering than astronauts/pilots.
Rated 01 Apr 2018
addsAdds
Rated 16 Jan 2024
30
6th
Almost feels like 3 movies in 1 and none of them are worth watching.
Rated 16 Jan 2024
kahKAH
Rated 30 Jul 2009
2
40th
Feels more than anything like a glossy commercial.
Rated 30 Jul 2009
pratchett3Pratchett3
Rated 01 May 2018
6
31st
it was very well made and everything, but the subject matter just didn't interest me. also it felt incredibly long.
Rated 01 May 2018
ocelotOcelot
Rated 22 Apr 2014
85
94th
It's so odd that this film was a box office dud -- I'd think appealing subject matter with bombastic patriotism would've been a smash at the height of the Reagan era. But the film is simultaneously satirical and indulgent in its extravagance, and succeeds where many other "epics" falter by actually making the film an epic. It's the story of men linked by the common dream of "chasing the demon" of the skies. What kind of pilot you are doesn't matter, as long as you've got the Right Stuff.
Rated 22 Apr 2014
gr8googlyGr8Googly
Rated 22 Jun 2008
84
83rd
Excellent docu-drama in the vein of Apollo 13. Ensemble cast makes the 3 hours fly right by.
Rated 22 Jun 2008
ceekay19Ceekay19
Rated 04 Aug 2019
60
26th
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."
Rated 04 Aug 2019
theyshoot08theyshoot08
Rated 19 Dec 2008
70
40th
594
Rated 19 Dec 2008
rthornhillrthornhill
Rated 10 Nov 2008
92
81st
Fantastic tale of the Mercury Space Program. The star studded cast will definitely keep you entertained. Highly recommended.
Rated 10 Nov 2008
aarona1caarona1c
Rated 24 Aug 2007
33
30th
Very, very slow.
Rated 24 Aug 2007
antaresAntares
Rated 27 Mar 2011
55
16th
A great film, up until it switches to the seven Mercury astronauts. Then it downgrades to a good film, until Alan Shepard's sub-orbital flight into the upper atmosphere. After that, it assassinates the character of a man who died in Apollo 1 and wasn't around to defend himself after the film's release. There's a reason why Grissom was selected as the commanders of the first Gemini and Apollo flights. At this point the film is reprehensible and subsequently becomes a bloated mess of garbage.
Rated 27 Mar 2011
stainStain
Rated 26 Mar 2007
80
68th
At last an epic that doesn't take itself too seriously
Rated 26 Mar 2007
war_machineWar Machine
Rated 07 Sep 2022
60
26th
Soundbarrierdoesntexist+53sputnik+lolcandidatessurfersetc+testscomplol+loolbothjackingitbighumming+monkeystested/trainingtoolol+foughtforwindow-explosivehatch/reentrycontrol+russia1stguyinspace+peesselfthengoesup+61+theyalmostleavehiminocean-nonebelievemalfunction+russianmaninorbit+hadtowaitafewminforcommsback/thenknowifalive+4yearslaterithink3diedinashipfire. 50 first hour then like 60-70. ends 60 then maybe -
Rated 07 Sep 2022
blargetyBlargety
Rated 14 Aug 2007
100
97th
A more perfect biography / documentary has yet to be made.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
opalienneopalienne
Rated 04 May 2008
95
55th
This movie, much like the Cold War itself, makes me want to sing songs about kicking ass.
Rated 04 May 2008
wayofthegunwayofthegun
Rated 04 Mar 2012
90
89th
A great story about American exceptionalism, perseverance, and the will to succeed. Most of the characters are fully realized while still holding an air of mystique. I will say the movie dragged a bit for me before the selection process started and then awhile after the Russian was sent into space, but overall, for a 3+ hour movie, it does a good job of keeping the viewer engaged.
Rated 04 Mar 2012
tathieltathiel
Rated 17 Feb 2010
77
52nd
If you want to see a great NASA-propaganda-movie, this is it! Pretty long, the story of the Mercury program would have been enough, the Yeager-story does not really add up to it. Otherwise interesting for somebody for knows not so much about the time before 1969 and Armstrong & Co.
Rated 17 Feb 2010
sifter132sifter132
Rated 21 Mar 2010
76
51st
Good film, but went a bit long to maintain my interest throughout.
Rated 21 Mar 2010
duderDuder
Rated 24 Jan 2019
65
59th
It does show its age, especially in the beginning where it feels slightly off tone. It does start picking itself up after a while and turns into a solid drama but I do wonder how real the story was depicted here, knowing a bit more detail about the Apollo program, it feels very different, but the reason for those differences might be this program. We do not know though.
Rated 24 Jan 2019
comepeliculacomepelicula
Rated 02 Nov 2012
30
12th
This was boring and too long, the pilots are, like they put it, just monkeys going in the shuttles. No real development there. Was a lot more entertaining when they where testing planes.
Rated 02 Nov 2012
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 11 Jul 2009
74
50th
I don't have any superlatives for this film, but it gets the job done without any major screwups. For a 193-minute movie, it moves pretty swiftly, although there is certainly some stuff that could have been cut (like, um, the Aborigine nonsense). In fact, all of the Chuck Yeager business arguably could have been a separate film, especially as he's one of the most charismatic characters, but his story does lend something to the overall picture.
Rated 11 Jul 2009
paxtonPaxton
Rated 21 Feb 2012
70
65th
Harry Shearer could have done more voices but still a good movie.
Rated 21 Feb 2012
susmattsusmatt
Rated 20 Feb 2012
80
87th
Riveting, edge of your seat ride.
Rated 20 Feb 2012
driscarpindriscarpin
Rated 03 Jan 2007
74
52nd
Os eleitos - onde o futuro começa estreava há 40 anos nos EUA. Esse é outro filme que não vejo desde os anos 90 que me parecia muito melhor naquela época. Entendo completamente as comparações com Hawks e Ford, mas são justamente essas semelhanças que não me atraem, posso passar pano para esse tipo de cinema nos anos 40, mas não pós Nova Hollywood. DVD Warner.
Rated 03 Jan 2007
chemical404chemical404
Rated 30 Jul 2015
59
55th
I had high expectations for this one, but it turned out to be 3 hour-long dick measuring contest with an american flag in the background. On the upside it doesn't feel that long, and I can't say I was bored. I wonder though, if all the phallic symbolism was done on the purpose, or like Freud (supposedly) said sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
Rated 30 Jul 2015
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 26 Feb 2007
60
62nd
Good film.
Rated 26 Feb 2007
oskarhuoskarhu
Rated 15 Sep 2016
81
78th
A shorter running-time would've helped. Good performances and a story that works.
Rated 15 Sep 2016
theyshoot10theyshoot10
Rated 14 Jan 2010
77
54th
465
Rated 14 Jan 2010
stevekimesstevekimes
Rated 24 Jan 2012
90
88th
A heroic story about breaking the sound barrier and the first American astronauts. Great ensemble cast.
Rated 24 Jan 2012
krmrkrmr
Rated 29 Nov 2008
57
13th
Spreads itself far too thin and only scratches the surface of the subject matter. I felt as though every 45 minutes could have been taken and stretched out into its own 3 hour movie, only then could it received the attention it deserved. Not to mention as a whole it all just comes off as cheesy, trying oh so very hard to be extremely dramatic.
Rated 29 Nov 2008
montycircusMontyCircus
Rated 24 Aug 2019
60
69th
It's pretty good! I'm interest in planes and aviation so anything about test pilots and astronauts is fine by me. Glad that they weren't treated as saints, and it makes sense that every woman in America wanted some space peen. Saw a 90-minute film the same day that seemed interminably long, but this 3+ hour one "flew" by!
Rated 24 Aug 2019
shockularSHOCKULAR
Rated 13 Jun 2023
73
49th
There is a great movie here that unfortunately is brought down to being pretty good due to overindulgence. There's just no reason for this to be a 3+ hour movie and it really drags at points. The cast is great and a lot of the technical aspects are very impressive, but it's just so long and feels it. There's a lot to like here but sometimes less is more.
Rated 13 Jun 2023
hajikarimihajikarimi
Rated 22 Feb 2012
95
91st
i love bio's!
Rated 22 Feb 2012
schnofelschnofel
Rated 14 Aug 2007
74
82nd
As mythmaking it only really shines with Yeager in the first half hour. For the next hour you marvel at how well the space program tryouts are sold as comedy, and then it gets too long and too full of itself in that special American way.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
icarusIcarus
Rated 12 Feb 2023
60
26th
Honors the Mercury 7, even as it wisely moves beyond the harsh politics of the 70s toward an attempt at re-casting the notion of hero in the modern world. While this is skillfully handled at one level, the film is just kind of a bore. That it goes on for more than 3 hours certainly doesn't help.
Rated 12 Feb 2023
bentienbentien
Rated 01 Aug 2012
74
81st
Cool stuff.
Rated 01 Aug 2012
prestobixPrestoBix
Rated 07 Oct 2019
74
52nd
The trouble is that in the former half of the film, before you begin to see the bigger picture, it's just a series of disparate moments with characters we don't know. In fact, the film hardly has a beginning, middle, or end. So, unlike the best epics, it's not telling one colossal story arch, it's just a bunch of small moments surrounding big historical events, and no matter the magnitude of the history on display, this just isn't a story in the way we want a story to be.
Rated 07 Oct 2019
theyshoot11theyshoot11
Rated 30 Nov 2011
78
56th
#431
Rated 30 Nov 2011
dustydDustyd
Rated 17 Sep 2007
90
98th
character development isn't very even, but this is one hell of a movie.
Rated 17 Sep 2007
matthagenmatthagen
Rated 15 Sep 2021
55
62nd
Seen: 2. It's been nearly 20 years, but I did get around to this one again. I did like it a bit more the second time. There are captivating qualities in play, good performances, some surprisingly funny scenes, and good action. But my goodness is this long, and there is so much that is begging to be tightened.
Rated 15 Sep 2021
lachapellelachapelle
Rated 14 Aug 2007
89
85th
This is part of a trilogy of lon films that you "must see" from the early 80's: The Right Stuff, Ghandi, and Chariots of Fire. That being said, this is a remarkable good movie that is excellently acted and superbly filmed. Ed Harris is fantastic. However, IMHO Fred Ward does the best job as Gus Grissom.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
paulofilmopaulofilmo
Rated 09 Jun 2008
66
26th
Dennis Quaid surprisingly not making me want to kill things here.
Rated 09 Jun 2008
midasoMidaso
Rated 22 Jun 2014
10
98th
One of the last true American epics, wonderful movie with career best performances by most of the cast. Seen over 10 times and every time 3 hours feels like half an hour
Rated 22 Jun 2014
amadeusAmadeus
Rated 12 Feb 2013
72
63rd
"God bless America" blah blah. Russian complex. Waste of time. This movie is art and Rocky IV is not? Get out of here.
Rated 12 Feb 2013

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