“The Right Stuff” is a sprawling, brawling, joking crockpot of a film in which a bunch of terrific actors are set free in a true story of heroism and history. The results are a blast, rocketing into the hearts and minds of Americans unfamiliar with the brilliant stories of the first U.S. astronauts.
As high-school homework season hits full stride, I’m thinking of “The Right Stuff” as a marvelous antidote for any schoolchildren sentenced to history papers on the space program. The movie crams all sorts of mostly true facts into powerful entertainment, and sweeps through America’s middle decades with great joy and artistry.
Director Philip Kaufman took on the difficult project of adapting Tom Wolfe’s even more sprawling book on the beginnings of the space program. He starts with noble and taciturn Chuck Yeager in the desert, setting speed records in experimental aircraft and drinking in the dusty local saloon.
From there, we meet a series of appealing faces and jaunty fliers all vying to be the first Americans in space. The tremendous cast includes Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Pamela Reed, Fred Ward, Dennis Quaid, Barbara Hershey and many more — how’s that for a roll call?
And as many critics have noted, the proceedings are surprisingly funny. The accomplished pilots are an intriguing mix of ego and self-deprecation, intense training and juvenile practical jokes. Kaufman lets that spirit play throughout, and as a result, the three-hour film never seems to bog down.
Try the film on your young teenagers as a truly multigenerational show. If your 6-year-old wanders into the room, there may be a blue word here or there, but I guarantee he or she will be asking to go as an astronaut for Halloween.
Sam Shepard in “The Right Stuff.” Warner Bros. PicturesRated: PG, though some ads show the film as an “R.” Either way, it’s a “hard PG,” meaning a few F-bombs and some nudity at a striptease. Teens will not be shocked.
Best suited for: Multigenerational viewing with older children, including grandparents who remember the space race.
