‘But on that glorious day in May 1963, Gordo Cooper went higher, farther, and faster than any other American…’
I know I bang this drum all the time so forgive me for getting the sticks out once again, but the thought of this film being made today is absolutely unthinkable. This is a 193-minute film that is basically just about male bonding. Very little actually happens. And I don’t mean that as a criticism…
Spanning almost 20 years and the entirety of the USA’s space programme, The Right Stuff chronicles the breaking of the sound barrier through to the first manned expeditions into outer space – an historical epic deserving of the name. The ensemble cast boasts such luminaries as Sam Shepard, Ed Harris, Fred Ward and Dennis Quaid – the man with one of the greatest smiles in cinematic history. Imagine that man recognising you at the bar and throwing out that big ‘ol grin before bounding over. Lovely stuff.
I’d never really heard of The Right Stuff until it popped up on my watchlist despite the fact that it was nominated for eight Oscars (winning four). It strikes me that this is very much an American film which is probably why it isn’t particularly well known in Europe. Or at least it hasn’t endured much beyond the decade in which it was released. This is a shame because in terms of demonstrating how guys interact with other guys, this is right up there. It was clearly a massive influence on Armageddon, a dubious honour some would claim, but I genuinely loved that film and I thoroughly enjoyed this one too. The cast is just a joy to spend time with. Particularly Ward and Quaid. Indeed, I would pay good money to enjoy a few beers with them in the Happy Bottom Riding Club.
The Right Stuff will be a tough sell for a lot of people but if you like films like Top Gun or Rocky (Bill Conti provides the score here) then you will feel at home with these guys.