The Right Stuff

Dir: Philip Kaufman

1983

*****

Philip Kaufman's The Right Stuff is the epic adaptation of Tom Wolfe's bestselling novel released in 1979. The book is very red, white and blue and William Goldman's original script was so steeped in American patriotism, it lost the historical essence that made the book so popular in the first place. Once Philip Kaufman was attached as director, he immediately insisted that the source material be respected and told the full story. It is amazing now to think that Goldman's version of the script removed any mention of Chuck Yeager from the story, even though none of it would have ever happened without him. Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler knew a good idea when they read one, so The Right Stuff was always in safe hands. The Right Stuff's run-time is a suitable 192 minutes, any less than that would have meant the loss of important historical events and when an important piece of factual history needs to be told, it needs to be told properly, and it is hard to find a historical drama that is more comprehensive as this. It starts at the beginning at the Muroc Army Air Field in California. Post-war test-pilots hell-bent on breaking speed records and eventually the sound barrier, gather here and compete with themselves and each other to be the fastest pilot alive. Chuck Yeager became the first pilot to fly at the speed of sound after Slick Goodlin's demands of $150,000 up front were denied. Yeager did it for free, stating that he was already paid by the United States Air Force. Yeager wasn't fool-hardy as such, although he actually broke the record while nursing a couple of broken ribs that he kept quiet from his superior officers, but he was definitely of the right stuff. The second chapter sees the growth in popularity of Yeager and Muroc's reputation among pilots. More and more pilots, and their families, moved to the air base to compete to be the fastest of the skies. Yeager kept his record for a while but would find friendly competition in Scott Crossfield. Both men would spend many years breaking each other’s speed records in a number of different test craft. This is when we see the advances in aircraft technology come into play, while the temperament and attitude of the pilots pretty much stay the same. When the space race came about, the American government were desperate to get there first but test pilots were bottom of their list of guinea pigs, due to their uncompromising attitudes and tenacious arrogance. They rarely took orders. In fact circus performers were higher on the consideration list than they were. The film explores the endeavours of the first chose US astronauts and the famous missions known as Mercury Seven. Certain historical inaccuracies do occur for dramatic effect but by and large they are forgivable.  Kaufman was also criticized regarding the controversial 'exploding bolts' incident on astronaut Gus Grissom's space capsule. In the film he is seen panicking and it suggests that it was his fault the door opened early, nearly drowning him in the process. It's been debated in the NASA world for some time but everyone had agreed it wasn't his fault way before the film was made. In Kaufman's defence, he was just following Wolfe's book. The pilots were the right stuff, so the film needed actors with the right stuff. The cast includes Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Sam Shepard, Fred Ward, Dennis Quaid, Barbara Hershe, Lance Henriksen, Harry Shearer and Jeff Goldblum. It's a serious drama but it does have a rather unique and quite endearing humour about it too. It did badly at the box office even though it was critically acclaimed. United Artists had already sold it to The Ladd Company after Heaven's Gate bombed, and after the only other film they had also failed to make any money (although why they funded George Lucas' Twice upon a Time in the  first place is beyond me) the studio folded. However, The Right Stuff wasn't forgotten and it remains a modern classic. It's a very unique breed of epic, exploring not just a part of history but people of history, the priorities of a government and the ambition of pioneers that you just don't see that much of anymore.