2011
Formats
HDTV
Premise
Based on Tom Wolfe's book about the original seven Mercury astronauts.
Liked
The subject, the story-telling.
Thoughts
Despite its length, it never felt long. Despite it being made nearly thirty years ago, it never felt outdated.
My favorite part of the film was when the astronauts took matters into their own hands. It provided the heart of the story and really put me into their corner. The film did a very good job of distinguishing the main characters, as well as capturing the time and place of the beginnings of the space race. I also enjoyed how the film showed the media circus that surrounded the astronauts.
As a former software developer, the battles between the pilots and the engineers were right up my alley and the conversations were spot-on. For a such an ambitious, realistic film about a dangerous profession, I was surprised by the funny moments of levity and social commentary.
The cast was quite awesome, including Jeff Goldblum, Scott Glenn, Dennis Quaid, Ed Harris, Lance Henriksen, Harry Shearer, and the parents of Zooey & Emily Deschanel (in the form of DP and actress). They were all very charming and acted well, even when doing the obligatory macho tryout montage.
My biggest issue with it was the Chuck Yeager subplot. I liked it, and understood they they felt compelled to include him in the story, but was it necessary when the film was topping three hours?
I haven't read Tom Wolfe's novel, but as a film, I found The Right Stuff to be entertaining and educational. The attention to detail, the acting, the pacing and the cool incorporation of archive footage made it an enjoyable, immersive experience that tapped into those exciting Buck Rogers days in American history.
