It’s 1983. The blockbuster age has started, and the top-grossing movie of the year is The Return of the Jedi. However, another pivotal space movie is also released this year, The Right Stuff, a film examining the early years of the space race. Based on the book by Tom Wolfe, The Right Stuff follows the journey of the Mercury Seven as they undergo grueling trials and first-of-their-kind flights.
What The Right Stuff offers offers casual move fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: cutting-edge (at the time) editing of flight and space, a fascinating (and mostly accurate?) retelling of a slice of American history, an ambitious scope, and a tribute to men who had “the right stuff.”