Right Stuff

( 13 )

Overview

Philip Kaufman's masterpiece The Right Stuff gets the superb two-disc treatment it richly deserves on this high-quality release from Warner Bros. The film is presented in a gorgeous widescreen transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio. Ace cinematographer Caleb Deschanel's beautiful colors are presented brilliantly. There are English and French soundtracks; the English track has been remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1. English, French, and Spanish subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials ...
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More About This Product

Overview

Philip Kaufman's masterpiece The Right Stuff gets the superb two-disc treatment it richly deserves on this high-quality release from Warner Bros. The film is presented in a gorgeous widescreen transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio. Ace cinematographer Caleb Deschanel's beautiful colors are presented brilliantly. There are English and French soundtracks; the English track has been remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1. English, French, and Spanish subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include scene-specific commentary from Kaufman, Deschanel, producer Irwin Winkler, and conductor Bill Conti. Those same scenes also contain commentary from cast members Dennis Quaid, Ed Harris, Barbara Hershey, Jeff Goldblum, Fred Ward, Veronica Cartwright, Pamela Reed, and Harry Shearer, as well as the real Chuck Yeager. Everyone provides interesting insights into the difficult process of making this sweeping film. Deleted scenes, a timeline of the space program, and a documentary on John Glenn (made at the time he was training to become the oldest man to travel in space) round out this outstanding, highly recommended DVD.
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Special Features

Scene-specific audio commentaries: director Philip Kaufman, producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, and cast members Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright, Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, and Barbara Hershey; deleted scenes; bonus footage including never-before-seen additional scenes " Trudy's Dream," "Chimp and Center Fuse," "Milkshake Connecting," "Second Convolution," "Specimen Request," "Glen Gets Out of Center fuse," "Astronauts Walk Down Hall," "Gus and Trudy at Motel," "Dayroom Liaison Man Speech," "Blood-Mission Control," "New Congress Lift," "NASA Man," "Socks," "Trudy Wakes;" behind-the-scenes documentaries including interviews with the creative talent and filmmakers including Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Barbara Hershey, and Dennis Quaid; interviews with three of the Mercury Seven astronauts (Commander Scott Carpenter, Colonel Gordon Cooper, and Captain Walter Schirra). Thomas Wolfe, author, narrates the introduction, and General Chuck Yeager is also interviewed.
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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Ed Hulse
Space-age flyboys with nerves of steel and swagger to spare are the subjects of Philip Kaufman's larger-than-life adaptation of Tom Wolfe's nonfiction classic. Opening at Edwards Air Force Base in the California desert in the late 1940s, The Right Stuff follows a fraternity of the world's greatest test pilots as they break through the sound barrier on their way to becoming America's first astronauts. All of them possess the requisite test-pilot mystique, that elusive combination of confidence, fearlessness, and talent that constitutes "the right stuff." Their story is brought to life on the screen by a great cast that includes Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, and Fred Ward as Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Gordon Cooper, and Gus Grissom. The Right Stuff brilliantly portrays those heady early days of the space race, humorously shattering the astronaut's Life magazine profile as clean-cut, all-American types to reveal the irreverent individuals underneath with the exception of John Glenn, who turns out to be a Boy Scout through and through. Chuck Yeager Sam Shepard, the greatest test pilot of them all, stands at the heart of the story -- a brooding, enigmatic, unsung hero who never joined the space program nor enjoyed the recognition and ticker-tape parades afforded the astronauts. The result is a thrilling saga of a group of American icons who boldly went where no man had gone before.
All Movie Guide - Nathan Southern
As adapted from Tom Wolfe's seminal novel about the early years of the space program, this stunning, soaring epic (magnificent in the purest sense of the word) manages to capture the exact overtones and themes of its source material while evincing extreme faithfulness to the individual experiences of the first astronauts. Director and scriptwriter Philip Kaufman (who inherited and quickly jettisoned an early adaptation by William Goldman) models his story within the framework of the American western, via countless homages to the cinema of John Ford. In fact, (as film critic Danny Peary notes) Kaufman utilizes the basic dramatic structure and premise of Ford's classic The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962); just as, in that picture, John Wayne rubbed out the villain (and thus, helped tame the west) enabling Jimmy Stewart to take credit for the feat, here Kaufman reveals how aviator Chuck Yeager (Sam Shepard) pioneered the early space program while allowing the media to bestow laurels on the undeserving astronauts. Undeserving, that is, until the men proved themselves once and for all by demonstrating that they had "the right stuff" to qualify as heroes. Throughout, Kaufman interweaves strands of liberal satirical humor, penetrating social commentary and even mysticism (in Australian scenes involving aboriginal rites) within a brilliantly crafted narrative; he also utilizes a healthy amount of footage by the San Francisco-based experimental filmmaker Jordan Belson, who helped create many of the visual effects for outer space. That collaboration paid off: throughout, we are continually dazzled by the showstopping grandeur of extraterrestrial exploration. An epic to end all epics, this picture boasts first rate work by an all-star cast - Shepard, Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, Fred Ward, Scott Glenn, Scott Wilson and Barbara Hershey (to name only a few) deliver some of the finest performances of their careers.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 6/10/2003
  • UPC: 085392449927
  • Original Release: 1983

    • Rating:

  • Source: Warner Home Video
  • Region Code: 1
  • Presentation: Wide Screen
  • Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  • Language: English, Français
  • Time: 3:13:00
  • Format: DVD
  • Sales rank: 10,690

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Sam Shepard Chuck Yeager
Scott Glenn Alan Shepard
Ed Harris John Glenn
Dennis Quaid Gordon Cooper
Fred Ward Gus Grissom
Edward Anhalt Grand Designer
Mary Apick Woman Reporter
Kathy Baker Louise Shepard
Scott Beach Chief Scientist
James Brady Aide to Lyndon B. Johnson
Veronica Cartwright Betty Grissom
David Clennon Liaison Man
Katherine Conklin Woman TV Rerporter
Ed Corbett Texan
Maureen Coyne Waitress
Mickey Crocker Marge Slayton
Tom Dahlgren Bell Aircraft Executive
Royal Dano Minister
John Dehner Henry Luce
Mary Jo Deschanel Annie Glenn
Jane Dornacker Nurse Murch
Richard Duppell The Permanent Press Corp
Bob Elross Review Board President
Charles Frank Scott Carpenter
Jeff Goldblum recruiter
David Gulpilil Aborigine
William Hall The Permanent Press Corp
Jim Haynie Air Force Major
John X. Heart The Permanent Press Corp
Levon Helm Jack Ridley/Narrator
Lance Henriksen Wally Schirra
Darryl Henriques Life Reporter
Barbara Hershey Glennis Yeager
Ed Holmes The Permanent Press Corp
Toni Howard
O-Lan Jones Pretty Girl
Susan Kase Rene Carpenter
Kaaren Lee Young Widow
Donald Moffat Lyndon B. Johnson
Anthony Munoz Gonzales
Scott Paulin Deke Slayton
Michael Pritchard Texan
Pamela Reed Trudy Cooper
William Russ Stick Goodlin
John Ryan Head of Program
Eric Sevareid Himself
Harry Shearer recruiter
Mittie Smith Jo Schirra
Lynn Stalmaster
Kim Stanley Pancho Barnes
Scott Wilson Scott Crossfield
Gen. Chuck Yeager Fred
Technical Credits
Philip Kaufman Director, Screenwriter
W. Stewart Campbell Art Director
Richard J. Lawrence Art Director
Peter Romero Art Director, Production Designer
Caleb Deschanel Cinematographer
Geoffrey Kirkland Production Designer
Ned Kopp Production Designer
Gene Rudolf Production Designer
David Whorf Production Designer
Bill Conti Score Composer
William Goldman Screenwriter
Craig Edgar Set Decoration/Design
Joel David Lawrence Set Decoration/Design
Nick Navarro Set Decoration/Design
George R. Nelson Set Decoration/Design
Michael Polaire Set Decoration/Design
Tom Wolfe Source Author
Charles A. Myers Asst. Director
Glenn Farr Editor
Lisa Fruchtman Editor
Tom Rolf Editor
Stephen A. Rotter Editor
Douglas Stewart Editor
James D. Brubaker Executive Producer
Robert Chartoff Producer
Irwin Winkler Producer
David MacMillan Sound/Sound Designer
Jordan Belson Special Effects
Gary Gutierrez Special Effects
Buddy Joe Hooker Stunts
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Scene Index

Side #1 -- Feature
1. The Demon [5:04]
2. The X-1 [2:17]
3. Slick or Yeager (Southwestern Waltz) [4:00]
4. Caught in the Desert [2:47]
5. Beyond the Sound Barrier [8:43]
6. Top Secret [2:30]
7. Best Pilot's Here (I Got a Rocket in My Pocket) [3:47]
8. Pudknockers Reunion [2:45]
9. Comparing Notes [3:53]
10. Bucks for Buck Rogers (Wheel of Fortune, Tennessee Waltz) [3:31]
11. Where the Demon Lives [4:10]
12. Spaceman Candidates [6:03]
13. Best We Can Get [4:30]
14. TV Personality [2:14]
15. Count the Aviator In [1:51]
16. Put to the Test [8:59]
17. Dueling Specimens [4:01]
18. Knowing Gordo Well (Good Golly Miss Molly) [1:57]
19. Ordeal of Capsule Life [4:06]
20. Mercury Astronauts [8:55]
21. The Do-Rights [2:30]
22. Misfires [2:07]
23. Zippers and Monkeys (La Bamba, I Only Have Eyes for You) [6:44]
24. Spacecraft Control [4:10]
25. First in Space [1:42]
26. Man Aloft: Russian [2:00]
27. On the March [1:03]
28. Flight Preparations [3:43]
29. Delays - and Biological Urges [3:50]
30. First American in Space [6:03]
31. Grissom's Malfunction [5:32]
32. Celebration Glitch [8:09]
33. Pancho's in Memoriam [5:05]
34. The Glenns Say No [5:40]
35. Gordo and the Aborigines [1:59]
36. "Godspeed, John Glenn" (Holst's The Planets) [6:53]
37. Warning! [1:22]
38. Swirling Particles [4:02]
39. Reentry...Humming [5:22]
40. The NF-104 [1:33]
41. Texas Welcome [6:47]
42. Plane With His Name [3:37]
43. Fan Dance (Claire de Lune) [2:31]
44. Edge of the Envelope [4:44]
45. Gordo's Heavenly Light [2:48]
46. Coda and End Credits [6:14]
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Menu

Side #1 -- Feature
   Play Movie
   Scene Selections
   Special Features
      Cast & Crew
      Awards
   Languages
      English
      French/Français
      English Subtitles
      French/Français Subtitles
      Spanish/Español Subtitles
      No Subtitles
Side #2 -- Additional Special Features
   The Journey and the Mission Audio Commentary With Selected Scenes: The Cast
   The Journey and the Mission Audio Commentary With Selected Scenes: The Filmmakers
   Documentaries
      Play All
      Realizing the Right Stuff
      T-20 Years and Counting
      The Real Men With the Right Stuff
   Additional Scenes
   Interactive Timeline to Space
      May 5, 1961: Freedom 7 Lifts Off
      May 25, 1961: "I Believe We Should Go to the Moon."
      Feb. 20, 1962: "Godspeed, John Glenn."
      June 3, 1965: Ed White Walks in Space
      Jan. 27, 1967: Disaster on the Launch Pad
      July 20, 1969: "One Small Step for Man..."
      May 25, 1973: Skylab Launches
      April 12, 1981: Launch of the Space Shuttle Era
      Jan. 28, 1986: Challenger
      Oct. 29-Nov. 7, 1998: John Glenn Returns to Space
      Dec. 4, 1998: The International Space Station Realized
      Feb. 1, 2003: Columbia's Last Flight
      2010: James Webb Space Telescope
      2012: Orbital Space Plane
   John Glenn: American Hero
      Introduction
      Warrior
      Astronaut
      Politician
      The Future in Space
      The Launch
      In Orbit
      The Landing
      End Credits
   Theatrical Trailer
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 13 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(7)

4 Star

(5)

3 Star

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2 Star

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1 Star

(1)

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Sort by: Showing all of 13 Customer Reviews

  • Posted October 1, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    From the Earth to the Moon

    One of the finest movies made. This defines having 'the right stuff'.

    Some reviewers let the inaccuracies get in the way of their enjoyment. Many (not all) of the events occurred pretty much as portrayed, as verified by other sources. The US space program is a great story on its own -- the pretty accurate HBO "From the Earth to the Moon" miniseries proves that. In The Right Stuff, time lines have certainly been manipulated, yes. Were incidents punched up and dramatized? Sure. Get over it.<BR/><BR/>This has never claimed to be a documentary. This is about motivation, sacrifice and acheivement. In the end governments may enable, but people achieve.You either have the right stuff for the job, or you don't. If you have to have it defined for you, you probably don't have it. This applies to ANY calling.<BR/><BR/>Add in a great script, incredible (for the 80s) visuals and Conti's soaring score, and you have what is easily one of the best movies ever made.<BR/><BR/>Relax, watch this movie and be inspired. <BR/> <BR/>Let those who just don't have the right stuff miss the point and pick the nits.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Great Film! Everyone should see this movie

    I love this movie and have watched it several times. Like a lot of movies, it is based on facts but filled with fiction. This film is timeless and great entertainment for the entire family. The movie gives you a sense of the struggles that occurred at the beginning of the space program and the risks that men took to advance technology. This technology has help create the world we live in today. I would recommend this film to everyone.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Great Movie ..Review from a History/Science Teacher

    Funny, compasionate, entertaining and based on actual events, this movie is a great way to spend a couple of hours. What's more, it's one of those movies that you can watch over and over again, seeing new things everytime. Most definitely not a documentary, this is an entertaining glimpse of America's first astronauts. The comment by one reviewer that this movie should be boycotted is laughable. If you do miss it, you'll be missing one of the better movies out there. What's more, as a teacher I've used this movie to get kids interested in the early days of the space program. The fact that it is enjoyable by those "hard to please" teenagers has caused many of them to do further research on their own. Don't miss it.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Incredible film

    A reviewer here suggested to "boycott" this film.. Are you crazy? This is a fantastic film in which REAL heroes are placed in the context of history. These Mercury pioneers and test pilots paved the way to the moon and shows what is possible with the human spirit. I read the Wolfe book and was very impressed that it's a pretty faithful interpretation to that work. If you're into the space program, watch this film. Excellent.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Great Stuff

    I love the movie. As inaccurate as it may be, the flying sequences are fun, the actors play well off each other and John Glenn is my hero in real life. It's a movie, for heaven's sake, and must be taken as such. I also liked Apollo 13 and Top Gun (SUPER flight scenes!), each for their own reason.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Review by AF Test Pilot

    If you want historical accuracy go read a history book, but if you want a good movie about test pilots and the early space program then The Right Stuff is it. There is obviously no intent on the part of the producer to give a day by day account of the 15 year span covered in the movie but it does touch on historical occurances and glamourize them so that they are entertaining to the viewer. The bottom line is that the movie is great and well worth it as long as you don't take it as a historical documentary. Great acting and spectacular reproduced flying scenes of the Bell X-1, X-1A and the NF-104 Starfighter.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Excellent

    I think this is an excellent film. Although i haven't read the book i do know a lot about the US space program and project Mercury(i have read the book Moonshot). The film is quite accurate- especially the first half with Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier. Although it may not be 100% factual it is highly entertaining(i've seen it 5 times)and i recommend it to anyone interested in spaceflight!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Reeks with inaccuracy

    If you want to watch this film, please beware if you repeat any of the occurrences in it as fact, you will run the risk of looking completely stupid in front of your peers. This film is infamous amongst the experts of space history as being a sickening massacre of the truth. I have to wonder what motive, or bitterness over ones personal failure would lead to such an intentful dishonor of admirable men? I may never know, but boycotting this film could certainly not be a bad idea.

    0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 25, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 22, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 5, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 24, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted July 17, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 13 Customer Reviews