IMDb >
The Right Stuff (1983)
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsThe Right Stuff (1983) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 42 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 4) |
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
21 October 1983 (USA)
more
Tagline:
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. more
Plot:
The original US Mercury 7 astronauts and their macho, seat-of-the-pants approach to the space program. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Won 4 Oscars.
Another 5 wins
&
11 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(17 articles)
Victoria Principal Prepares to Blast into Space
(From PEOPLE.com. 8 December 2009, 11:35 AM, PST)
[TV] Moonshot
(From JustPressPlay. 30 November 2009, 10:00 AM, PST)
(From PEOPLE.com. 8 December 2009, 11:35 AM, PST)
[TV] Moonshot
(From JustPressPlay. 30 November 2009, 10:00 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Pushing the Envelope of Space!
more (145 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Sam Shepard | ... | Chuck Yeager | |
| Scott Glenn | ... | Alan Shepard | |
| Ed Harris | ... | John Glenn | |
| Dennis Quaid | ... | Gordon Cooper | |
| Fred Ward | ... | Gus Grissom | |
| Barbara Hershey | ... | Glennis Yeager | |
| Kim Stanley | ... | Pancho Barnes | |
| Veronica Cartwright | ... | Betty Grissom | |
| Pamela Reed | ... | Trudy Cooper | |
| Scott Paulin | ... | Deke Slayton | |
| Charles Frank | ... | Scott Carpenter | |
| Lance Henriksen | ... | Wally Schirra | |
| Donald Moffat | ... | Lyndon B. Johnson | |
| Levon Helm | ... | Jack Ridley / Narrator | |
| Mary Jo Deschanel | ... | Annie Glenn |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
193 min
Country:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) |
Dolby (35 mm prints)
Certification:
Canada:A (Nova Scotia) |
Canada:AA (Ontario) |
Canada:G (Quebec) |
Canada:PG (Manitoba) |
Iceland:12 |
Australia:PG |
Finland:S |
France:U |
Ireland:12 |
Norway:11 |
Sweden:11 |
UK:15 |
USA:PG |
West Germany:12 |
Singapore:PG |
Portugal:M/6 |
Norway:12 (original rating)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The production was beset by 15 mile per hour, dust-laden winds when they were filming at Edwards Air Force Base.
more
Goofs:
Factual errors: In the end scene where Col. Yeager is ejecting from the NF-104, the Koch fasteners on his parachute harness are not attached to the risers on the ejection seat. This would be fatal when he separated from the seat post-ejection as he would not be attached to the parachute.
more
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.
more
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.
more
Soundtrack:
Hallelujah Chorus
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (145 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Right Stuff (1983) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Apollo 13 | Superman | The Aviator | Giant | Savage Grace |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Adventure section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |













'The Right Stuff' is one of the most glorious adventure films ever made, a story of incredible heroism, poignant romance, gripping drama, and broad humor...and amazingly, it has actually happened within our lifetimes!
This is a tale of test pilots, 'pushing the envelope', proving the sound barrier couldn't constrain mankind's reach for space. Leading the way is plain-speaking Chuck Yeager (portrayed by Sam Shepard with Gary Cooper-like charm), a Beeman's gum-chewing cowboy with a passion for his feisty wife (the beautiful Barbara Hershey), and hot planes. Not even a broken rib could hold him back when an opportunity to fly the X-1 was offered. His record-breaking flight could fill a movie by itself...and this is just the BEGINNING of the story!
Jumping ahead a few years, Yeager is joined by a new breed of test pilots, whose total love of flight challenges their relationships, and is the true measure of how they define themselves. Among them are 'Gordo' Cooper (Dennis Quaid), a hot dog jet jockey with an unhappy wife (Pamela Reed, giving an exceptional performance); and Gus Grissom (Fred Ward, in his breakthrough role), coarse and direct, and anxious for his shot at the fastest jets.
The entire world changes when the Russians launch Sputnik, in 1957. As the American space program struggles to 'catch up', the government realizes that American men will have to go into space, and President Eisenhower wants 'educated' test pilots to fill this role. Yeager is out (he never completed college), but Cooper and Grissom, and many others, compete for spots in the New Frontier.
These pilots, from all services, are weeded down to seven men, dubbed 'Astronauts', and the Mercury Space Program is born! Along with Cooper and Grissom, the story focuses on Navy pilot Alan Shepard (Scott Glenn), laconic and prone to ethnic humor; and Marine John Glenn (perfectly cast Ed Harris), a 'boy scout' of unimpeachable morals, who loyally supports an impaired wife (sensitively portrayed by Mary Jo Deschanel). Working under the glare of the world press, the seven gradually come to respect one another, and embark on an epic adventure, full of triumph and tragedy!
Meanwhile, Chuck Yeager, snubbed by NASA, continues to test new generations of jets, pushing the 'envelope', until, in a climactic scene, he achieves the threshold of space, himself. The flight is a near disaster, resulting in a horrendous crash, but the image of the burned but undefeated pilot, walking proudly away from the wreckage, is an unforgettable image of courage, and truly defines 'The Right Stuff'!
This is a REMARKABLE film in every way, and is director Philip Kaufman's masterpiece. Lushly scored by Tom Conti (who won an Oscar for the Tchaikovsky-inspired music), the film soars, both on earth and in space!
If you believe the Age of Heroes is past, watch 'The Right Stuff', and you might change your mind! This is a film to treasure!