The Right Stuff (film)

The Right Stuff
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPhilip Kaufman
Written byPhilip Kaufman
Based onThe Right Stuff
1979 novel
by Tom Wolfe
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyCaleb Deschanel
Edited by
Music byBill Conti
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release dates
  • October 16, 1983 (1983-10-16) (Kennedy Center)
  • October 21, 1983 (1983-10-21) (United States)
Running time
192 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$27 million
Box office$21.1 million (domestic only)[2]

The Right Stuff is a 1983 American epic historical drama film written and directed by Philip Kaufman and based on the 1979 book of the same name by Tom Wolfe. The film follows the Navy, Marine, and Air Force test pilots who were involved in aeronautical research at Edwards Air Force Base, California, as well as the Mercury Seven, the seven military pilots who were selected to be the astronauts for Project Mercury, the first human spaceflight by the United States. The film stars Sam Shepard, Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Fred Ward, Dennis Quaid, and Barbara Hershey; Levon Helm narrates and plays Air Force test pilot Jack Ridley.

The Right Stuff was a box-office bomb, grossing about $21 million (domestically) against a $27 million budget. Despite this, it received widespread critical acclaim, and was nominated for eight Oscars at the 56th Academy Awards, four of which it won. The film was a huge success on the home video market. In 2013, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[3] The film was ranked #19 on the American Film Institute's most inspiring movies.

The film was later expanded into its titular franchise, including a television series and a documentary film.