The Right Stuff (1983)
The Right Stuff is a historical drama directed by Philip Kaufman. The film centers on a group of astronauts who are recruited for Project Mercury, which was the United States' first human spaceflight. The Right Stuff won four Oscars at the 1984 Academy Awards and was based on the novel of the same name written by Tom Wolfe.
The Right Stuff
- Director
- Chris Long
- Release Date
- October 21, 1983
- Studio(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Cast
- Patrick J. Adams , Aaron Staton , Michael Trotter , Colin O’Donoghue , Micah Stock , Jake McDorman , James Lafferty
- Writers
- Chris Long
- Runtime
- 193minutes
- Budget
- $22million
- Franchise
- The Right Stuff
- Creator
- Mark Lafferty
- Story By
Summary
Based on the iconic bestseller by Tom Wolfe, The Right Stuff is an original eight-episode scripted series by National Geographic that offers an inspirational look at the early days of the U.S. Space Program and the incredible story of America’s first astronauts, the Mercury Seven. At the height of the Cold War in 1959, the Soviet Union dominates the space race, and America fears it is a nation in decline.
Newly-formed NASA has the monumental task of sending a man into space, and its engineers estimate they need decades to accomplish the feat. They are given two years. Dubbed Project Mercury, the program recruits and trains just seven astronauts from a handful of the military’s best pilots. Within days of being presented to the world, the Mercury Seven become instant celebrities, forged into heroes before they achieve a single heroic act. At a time when many wondered if America’s glory days were behind it, The Right Stuff is an aspirational story about how ordinary human beings can achieve the extraordinary. As much about who we are today as it is about historic achievements, the series evokes the wonder of this singular era, when the free world looked towards a new horizon of hope as we first stepped off the bounds of our only home to venture into the vast unknown.
The two men at the center of the story are Major John Glenn, a revered test pilot and committed family man with unwavering principles, portrayed by Patrick J. Adams (Suits), and Lieutenant Commander Alan Shepard, one of the best test pilots in Navy history, portrayed by Jake McDorman (What We Do in the Shadows, Lady Bird). The rest of the Mercury Seven includes Lieutenant Gordon Cooper, portrayed by Colin O’Donoghue (Once Upon a Time, Carrie Pilby, The Rite), the youngest of the seven who was selected to everyone’s surprise; Wally Schirra, portrayed by Aaron Staton (Mad Men, Narcos: Mexico, Castle Rock), a competitive pilot with a gift for pulling pranks; Scott Carpenter, portrayed by James Lafferty (The Haunting of Hill House, Small Town Crime), a soulful man who was dubbed “The Poet” by the other astronauts; Deke Slayton, portrayed by Micah Stock (Brittany Runs a Marathon, Escape at Dannemora), a taciturn but incredibly intelligent pilot and engineer; and Gus Grissom, portrayed by Michael Trotter (Underground, The Evening Hour), a no-nonsense test pilot who eventually becomes the second man in space.latest
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