Review of The Right Stuff (1983) by Jamie T — 29 Jan 2011

This ambitious, uneven, sometimes maddening, always fascinating evocation of the Mercury Program is as essential and lasting a film as Philip Kaufman ever made, and as bizarre a mixture of patriotism and satire as has ever infused an intended blockbuster. Indeed, it may have been this very strangeness that led in part to the film's disappointing box-office and its somehow losing the Best Picture Oscar to TERMS OF ENDEARMENT.

Philip Kaufman's scripting and direction are brilliant in a mad sort of way. It's a remarkably indulgent film, with some scenes (Australian Aborigines conducting mystical practices by firelight, Sally Rand performing a fan dance) which have little to do with the narrative flow, but which are striking in of themselves. It's a grab bag of oddities and goodies: highlights include a cameo by Chuck Yeager, an omni-present press corps played by San Francisco improv group I Fratelli Bologna (whose every appearance is backed by a strange clicking hiss), trippy evocations of space travel created by the avant-garde filmmaker Jordan Belson, pee and enema jokes at the expense of Alan Shepard (Scott Glenn), and a farcical depiction of Lyndon Johnson (Donald Moffat).

Kaufman, to his credit, handles it all pretty well, the only complaint being an occasional lack of human connection. While the tone throughout is intentionally a bit mythic, one may still find it a bit hard to get truly invested in the story. Despite this, the spaceflight sequences are engaging, and, as many have commented, the film is amazingly well-paced for its three-hour-plus running time. Kaufman's script is amusing and intelligent, and is able to cover a massive scope of time (16 years, 1947-63) and an enormous cast without too much glossing over.

Although the film can seem a bit chilly at times, the actors all do their best to bridge the gaps, and all do quite well. Sam Shepard, as Chuck Yeager, was the only Oscar nominee in the cast, and while it's a shame to single him out at the expense of the others, he's great; a quiet, determined, good-natured presence throughout, folksy but never cloying. He has some great interplay with Levon Helm, who plays Jack Ridley, his friend and strongest supporter--aside from his wife Glennis (Barbara Hershey); a pillar of tough beauty.

As for the Mercury astronauts, four are strongly profiled. Ed Harris plays John Glenn, and while Glenn is portrayed (and described) as a "Clean Marine", Harris is excellent, and in walking a fine line between morality and self-righteousness, never makes a false step. Dennis Quaid, as the brash Gordo Cooper, is constantly amusing, yet he avoids stereotype and obnoxiousness. Fred Ward, as the tragic Gus Grissom, is eminently sympathetic, more so because of his toughness and clear capability, which is useless to him in the face of a simple mishap. Scott Glenn's Alan Shepard, as noted before, is the butt of many jokes, partially as comeuppance for his racism (he delights in imitating Jose Jimenez), and partially due to the shortcomings of his own spacecraft (no way to use the bathroom). But Glenn reins it all in, displaying fine comic skills as well as dramatic ones, especially in the scene where he notifies (John) Glenn of a crisis with his own spacecraft. The interplay between these men and the other astronauts is one of the film's highlights. Unfortunately, Deke Slayton, Scott Carpenter, and Wally Schirra are given fairly short shrift here (Schirra has all of two lines).

This isn't just a man's show. Mary Jo Deschanel is affecting as Annie Glenn, whose stutter puts her through a great deal of distress, especially when she cannot fight off LBJ and the press on her own; Veronica Cartwright is strong as the long-suffering Betty Grissom, whose repressed frustration at not being able to visit the White House (due to Gus's aforementioned mishap) is powerfully conveyed; Pamela Reed, as Gordo's wife Trudy, brings a sense of depth to her role that the script doesn't quite grant; you can see how weary she is of Gordo's brashness, even as she is compelled to stick by him. In supporting roles, Jeff Goldblum and Harry Shearer, as a pair of bumbling recruiters, are quite entertaining, as is Donald Moffat as LBJ ("Well, what the hell is a 'jimp'?); the rest of the huge cast are all equally fine.

The technical aspects are, of course, outstanding. Caleb Deschanel's photography is marvelous from start to finish, as is Geoffrey Kirkland's sweeping production design. Bill Conti's score (apparently based heavily on Holst's "The Planets") is sweeping and moving; it's the perfect complement to the picture and won a deserved Oscar, as did the editing, which helps this massive film to move as gracefully as it does. Jordan Belson's space effects, strange as they are, make a perfect complement to Kaufman's idiosyncratic vision; the other effects have stood the test of time quite well.

In spite of its erratic emotional depth and its occasional descents into farce, THE RIGHT STUFF is a marvelous film, and a quintessentially American film; it's also a must for anyone with a passion for history or space travel.