(1983) Written and directed by Philip Kaufman; Based on the
book The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe; Starring: Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, Ed
Harris, Barbara Hershey, Dennis Quaid, Fred Ward, Veronica Cartwright, Lance
Henriksen, Harry Shearer and Jeff Goldblum; Available on Blu-ray and DVD
Rating: *****
“I wanted to make a film about – where the main character
was something called ‘The Right Stuff.’ It was a quality that was mysterious,
that manifested itself in every scene of the film. It was sort of a spirit…” – Philip
Kaufman (from 2020 interview at Cinémathèque – Paris)
First of all, a big thanks to Rebecca from Taking Up Room
for hosting the Aviation in Film Blogathon,
a celebration of flight and flicks. This week, I take a look at one of my
unabashed favorites, The Right Stuff. While I don’t have an official top
ten list of all-time favorite movies, if I did, this would certainly occupy a
spot.
Writer/director Philip Kaufman handled the unenviable task
of adapting Tom Wolfe’s captivating book (serialized in Rolling Stone magazine),
which chronicled the story of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, along with the
test pilots who crawled so they could run. Kaufman keeps many threads running
throughout his film, and does an admirable job of avoiding them getting
tangled. Much more than a stuffy chain of events, The Right Stuff focuses
on some of the many unique, colorful individuals who made space flight possible.
Levon Helm’s folksy narration bookends the film, evoking images of the Old West,
as it relates to the unexplored frontier of space.

Set amidst the backdrop of the Cold War, the U.S. and
U.S.S.R. were engaged in a battle for supremacy of the skies: the Space Race. Despite
America’s supposed technical superiority over Russia (One NASA engineer
remarks, “Our Germans are better than their Germans.”), they lag behind the
achievements of the Soviets, with Sputnik and Yuri Gagarin. The desperate urgency
to catch up is encapsulated by a hilarious and horrifying montage of failed
rocket tests. Considering the risks and rewards involved, the freshly minted
astronaut program required a new type of person.

Two parallel stories run throughout the film – It’s as much
about test pilot Chuck Yeager (expertly portrayed by actor/playwright Sam
Shepard)*/** as it is about the Mercury 7 astronauts. Kaufman’s wife reportedly
spotted Shepard in a bar, and insisting that he was perfect for the role. While
Shepard was reluctant to play Yeager at first, Kaufman persisted in pursuing
him until he eventually settled into the role. In retrospect, Shepard was the ideal
choice. Yeager anchors the film, with his “can do” attitude and no-nonsense
approach. Yeager’s laid-back, fearless persona belies the nature of his
extremely hazardous profession, typified by a high pilot mortality rate (The ominous
presence of a minister, played by Royal Dano, looms like a harbinger of death
throughout the film). The film begins in 1947, when Yeager breaks the sound
barrier in his rocket-powered Bell X-1, nicknamed “Glamorous Glennis,” after
his wife (played by Barbara Hershey). While he paved the way for the astronauts,
he wasn’t considered a suitable candidate, because he didn’t fit NASA’s
profile, which required a college degree. Instead, he carries on as he always
had, stretching the capabilities of experimental aircraft. In a climactic
scene, pursuing the elusive world altitude record in a souped-up F-104
Starfighter, he briefly reaches the edge of space, before hurtling down in an
uncontrolled spin. At once, the scene signifies his determination to push the
boundaries, as well as a reminder that for him, space remains just out of reach.
* Fun Fact #1: The real Chuck Yeager served as a technical
consultant, and appeared in the film as a bartender at Pancho’s, a favorite
hangout for test pilots at Edward’s Air Force Base.
* Fun Fact #2: According to Kaufman, Yeager and Shepard
didn’t initially hit it off (Yeager reportedly told the director, “This guy
ain’t me.”), but eventually became friends during the production. On the other
hand, Yeager took an instant shine to Barbara Hershey, who portrayed his wife,
Glennis, referring to her by character’s name.
** Fun Fact #3: Beeman’s Gum is featured prominently in the
film, as Yeager reportedly chewed a stick during each flight. Besides being a
favorite of pilots, the gum originally contained pepsin, which allegedly calmed
the stomach.

Before they ever flew into space, the Mercury 7 astronauts already
enjoyed their celebrity status, to varying degrees. Scott Glenn portrays Alan
Shepard who enjoys a good joke, but is nothing but serious when it comes to his
profession. The late, great Fred Ward excels as gruff Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom,
proving number two is the worst spot. After the fanfare and celebration
following Shepard’s flight, Grissom’s ends in near disaster when the hatch on
his capsule blows prematurely. Instead of a ticker tape parade or a meeting
with the President, he’s treated to an inquiry by doubting NASA officials. Ed
Harris’ charismatic interpretation of John Glenn* comes across as an overgrown
yet amiable boy scout (part of Kaufman’s direction to Harris – smile more), giving
us a hint of the astronaut who would become a politician. Gordon Cooper (Dennis
Quaid) comes across as a cocky goofball, with a tendency to sleep when things
are at their most tense.
* Fun Fact #4: According to co-producer Robert Chartoff, “Ed
Harris walked into the office, and we looked at him and couldn’t believe that
such a person existed. He was not only a wonderful actor but looked so much
like John Glenn. And of course we looked at each other and said, ‘Oh my God,
this is the guy we want.’ I said to Phil (Kaufman), ‘Please, don’t let this guy
get hit by a car. At least, not until after the picture is made.’” (Excerpt
from Wired.com article)

In one key scene, the pressures of being in the public eye
reach a boiling point as the astronauts argue with each other about their
responsibility as role models, versus how they conduct their private lives. Shepard
and Glenn almost come to blows over their difference of opinion, but just as
things are about to get out of hand, they find a united cause. NASA wants to send
a chimp up in space, and it becomes clear to the astronauts that they’re held
in the same regard. It all comes to a head when they confront the arrogant NASA
engineers, who view the astronauts as nothing more than an occupant in a
remote-controlled vehicle of their design (“a redundant component”). As pilots,
the astronauts scrutinize the prototype capsule with skepticism (windowless,
with no hatch they can open from the inside, or control in the event of a
system failure). It’s a clash between the hands-on, practical approach of the
astronauts (“We want a window.”) and the arrogant, book-smart engineers (“This
is the way it is.”).

Amidst the drama, there are so many terrific comic moments. Harry
Shearer and Jeff Goldblum (who largely improvised their lines), appear as two
bumbling government recruiters, who court test pilots for the hazardous job. After
his launch is delayed for hours, and he’s bolted into his cockpit, Alan Shepard
declares that he has to urinate. Unfortunately for Shepard, no one considered
this contingency for a supposed 15-minute flight, which sparks a fierce debate
between the engineers and astronauts about what peeing in his spacesuit might
do to his spacecraft. In an earlier scene, also with Shepard, he’s confronted by
a Latino orderly with the ramifications of using a racist impression during a
particularly vulnerable moment.

Kaufman had such a monumental task balancing Yeager’s story,
with the ensemble work of the seven astronauts that it’s inevitable some of the
Mercury 7, notably Scott Carpenter (Charles Frank), Wally Schirra (Lance
Henriksen), and Deke Slayton (Scott Paulin) are relegated more to the
background (for more on these three, I suggest checking out Wolfe’s book). While
Kaufman spends significantly less time on the wives of the astronauts, the
actresses’ performances shine through, speaking to the wives’ strength and resolve
in the face of uncertainty. Trudy Cooper (Pamela Reed) reaches her wit’s end, following
her husband Gordon from base to base, and remaining forever in his shadow. John
Glenn’s wife Annie (Mary Jo Deschanel) refuses to appear on national TV with
Vice President Lyndon Johnson (Donald Moffat), due to a stutter (much to the indignation
of Johnson). Veronica Cartwright (as Betty Grissom) shares one of the film’s
most heart-wrenching scenes with Fred Ward, sharing their anguish and bitterness
about their unfair treatment by NASA officials.

So what exactly is “The Right Stuff?” It’s that indefinable
quality to push the envelope,* and embrace a challenge rather than step away
from it. Just because so-called experts said breaking the sound barrier
couldn’t be done, didn’t mean that it was an impossible task for Yeager. It’s unwavering
resolve under pressure when most individuals would give up – a reliance on wits
and fearlessness. A common trait found among Yeager and the astronauts is that
they’re all adrenaline junkies, driven to be the best and the fastest (Gordon
Cooper asks his wife, “Who’s the best pilot you ever saw,” and subsequently
answers his own question. “You’re looking at him.”) In an early scene, the NASA
recruiters invite Scott Carpenter to consider joining their dangerous program,
which prompts the response, “Count me in.” When John Glenn is informed that his
Mercury spacecraft will be launched by the more powerful, albeit unpredictable
Atlas rocket, he doesn’t hesitate to step up to the challenge.
* Not so Fun Fact: Unfortunately, during filming, Joseph
Svec, a stuntman, was killed filming a parachute drop, when his chute failed to
open.
The excellent performances are matched by the brilliance of the
visuals, thanks to cinematographer Caleb Deschanel’s superb camerawork and
effects supervised by Gary Gutierrez. The action sequences are kinetic and
visceral, punctuated with moments of visual poetry. The sound barrier is
imagined as a demon that lives in the sky. A deftly applied mixture of editing,
effects and photography place us squarely in the cramped cockpit of the X-1
with Chuck Yeager. Sparks in the Australian outback are juxtaposed with
mysterious “fireflies” that surround John Glenn’s capsule, Friendship 7. The
most iconic shot of the film is a slow-motion sequence, depicting the Mercury 7
astronauts walking side-by-side in full gear, which has been copied and
parodied in countless movies (think Monsters, Inc.).

The Right Stuff achieves the virtually impossible
task of de-mythologizing the original astronauts, as it preserves the mythos
surrounding them. Although Kaufman juggles so many characters,* the end results
appear almost effortless. The film features uniformly exceptional ensemble work
by a talented cast of (then) mostly unknowns. Bill Conti’s soaring score
equally plays a vital role, lends the right amount of gravitas to the visuals.
Despite a runtime of nearly three-and-a-quarter hours, it never seems too slow
or too long, but just right (at least to this reviewer). It’s one of the
fastest three hours you’ll ever spend. In an age when manned rocket launches
have become almost passé, and no longer hold the public’s attention the way they
once did, it’s important to remember the bold few who paved the way for everyone
who followed. The Right Stuff is so much more than a history lesson, it’s a
testament to the human spirit, as well as a grand piece of entertainment.
* Fun Fact #5: According to Kaufman, there were 134 speaking
parts.
Sources: “Punch a Hole in the Sky: An Oral History of TheRight Stuff,” by Alex French and Howie Kahn, Wired.com;
Interview with Philip Kaufman at Cinémathèque – Paris, 2020