Watch The Right Stuff

The movie "The Right Stuff," released in 1983, is a historical drama that tells the story of the early days of the United States' space program. The movie follows the journey of seven pilots who become America's first astronauts and their experiences as they prepare for and undergo some of the most dangerous and groundbreaking missions in human history.

The movie is based on Tom Wolfe's 1979 book of the same name and features an ensemble cast including Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, and Fred Ward. The film was directed by Philip Kaufman and received critical acclaim upon its release. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won four, including Best Sound, Best Editing, Best Original Score, and Best Sound Effects Editing.

The movie begins in the late 1940s and early 1950s, during the height of the Cold War. The United States is in a race against the Soviet Union to develop the capabilities to send a man into space. The film introduces us to the seven pilots who will eventually become the Mercury Seven, a group of astronauts handpicked by NASA to be the first to venture into space. Each of the pilots possesses a unique set of skills and a fearless attitude that makes them ideal candidates for this dangerous mission.

The movie then shows us the extensive training and preparation that the pilots must undergo before becoming astronauts. They are subjected to rigorous physical and psychological testing, including being placed in isolation tanks and spun around in a centrifuge at high speeds. We also see the behind-the-scenes politics and the media scrutiny that the space program faces, as the U.S. government tries to gain public support for the program and show the world that it is capable of competing with the Soviet Union.

As the Mercury Seven start to fly into space, the movie becomes more intense and emotional. We see the pilots struggling with the reality of being strapped onto a rocket and launched into the unknown. We witness the fear, the thrill, and the triumph of these brave men as they take on the most incredible challenge of their lives.

One of the standout performances in the movie is by Sam Shepard, who plays Chuck Yeager, a legendary Air Force test pilot who was the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound. Yeager becomes a symbol of the fearless, maverick spirit that characterized the early days of the space program. Ed Harris also delivers a memorable performance as John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth.

Overall, "The Right Stuff" is a powerful and inspiring movie that captures the spirit of adventure and exploration that drove the early days of the U.S. space program. It deals with complex themes such as patriotism, heroism, and the struggles of the individual in the face of great adversity. The movie is an important historical document as well as a piece of cinematic art, and it remains a definitive portrayal of this seminal moment in American history.

The Right Stuff is a 1983 drama with a runtime of 3 hours and 12 minutes. It has received poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.8 and a MetaScore of 91.