The Right Stuff
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Warner Home Video / 1983 / 193 Minutes / Rated PG
Street Date: June 10, 2003 
Early in my engineering career, I was tasked with measuring a supersonic N-wave (the sonic boom) produced by a high performance aircraft traveling at Mach 1.1 at an altitude of fifty feet. You are not reading that altitude incorrectly: fifty feet. I traveled to Edwards Air Force Base with my calibrated Bruel & Kjaer condenser microphones and a Fairchild battery-operated, 7-channel instrumentation tape recorder. It's unlikely that you've experienced standing directly under a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter as it streaks by at 832 miles per hour. You don't hear a thing as it approaches (it is, after all, traveling faster than the sound it produces). Just as it passed overhead I was struck with what can only be described as a large sheet of plywood as the N-wave's overpressure pounded my entire body, followed immediately by the explosive sound of the plane's engine, its afterburner engaged. Very cool, but in hindsight standing in that plane's path was a damn foolish thing for me to do. One lapse in judgment by the pilot and I would have been reduced to hamburger in milliseconds. I'm grateful that he had The Right Stuff. You may recall that Edwards AFB has the long, flat, dry lakebed that's the alternate landing site for the Space Shuttle. Perhaps more significantly, it's where the most dangerous Air Force research on high performance aircraft was conducted. About fifty years ago, the sound barrier stood as a technological mystery that claimed the lives of many brave and skilled test pilots. And it is here that Chuck Yeager (Sam Shepard) pilots the X-1 rocket plane beyond the speed of sound for the first time. A succession of X-planes were flown at Edwards to push the edge of the envelope, culminating in the remarkable X-15, which made its first flight on June 8, 1959. (The tensions between the X-15 - a rocket powered aircraft that ultimately reached the incredible altitude of 65 miles - and the Mercury program was not neglected in Tom Wolfe's book, but is not mentioned in the film.)
Sputnik and the apparent lead the Soviet's German rocket scientists hold over our German scientists puts the administration and congress into near panic. The Mercury program is born and test subjects are needed. Not pilots, mind you, the original concept was to bolt a man into an automated capsule and fly it from the ground. (This would change as the healthy egos and technical concerns of the astronauts had an influence.) Many unique qualifications are considered for these subjects, but President Dwight Eisenhower insists upon test pilots. Two paper-pushing recruiters (Jeff Goldblum and Harry Shearer) scour the military, visiting facilities as diverse as aircraft carriers and Edwards AFB. Over fifty candidates are invited to work their way through a grueling screening process. When the dust settles, America has its Mercury seven: Al Shepard (Scott Glenn), John Glenn (Ed Harris), Gordo Cooper (Dennis Quaid), Gus Grissom (Fred Ward), Scott Carpenter (Charles Frank), Wally Schirra (Lance Henriksen), and Deke Slayton (Scott Paulin). While the astronauts are being trained for their mission, Yeager and fellow test pilots including Scott Crossfield (Scott Wilson) continue to push the limits of flight at Edwards. They view their NASA brethren as "Spam in the can," but only those who put their lives on the line are permitted to mock. As Fred (Chuck Yeager in a cameo) serves drinks at Pancho's, the local watering hole, Yeager (Shepard) takes a non-pilot civilian to task for disparaging the astronauts. Kaufman periodically switches back to the California desert to follow the laconic Yeager, but the focus is on the experiences of becoming Mercury astronauts and the impacts that work has on wives and families. Writer-director Philip Kaufman does a splendid job of infusing the film with wit and drama. As in Apollo 13, we know the history and the outcomes, so there are few surprises here. Yet, as the film spools, we become invested in these men as we experience some of the tensions and dangers they face, sitting atop ballistic missiles that are notoriously unreliable and frequently fail in a formidable ball of fire. The personal stories add notes of pathos and shared joy, particularly the previously untold arcs of the wives who always conduct themselves in public in a manner that is in the best interests of the Mercury program regardless of their feelings or personal turmoil. Kaufman's casting was a masterstroke; he was able to find up and coming actors that had a resemblance to the astronauts they were to portray. Impeded by the budget, he tapped into talent that had yet to become famous, but just look at the roster of actors; he had great taste. The story is somewhat incomplete, but it still runs a generous 193 minutes; I was unaware of the time.
Video: How Does The Disc Look? The film's theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 is presented in anamorphic video. Unlike the original flipper that was released on June 24, 1997, this new transfer runs continuously from a reverse-spiral dual-layer disc. When DVD was in its infancy, I scrupulously avoided long films that required flipping or disc changes; I've always objected to the discontinuities that break the flow of the movie. I may not be able to compare this new transfer with the original, but I'd venture to say that it was worth the wait. Increasing the bit rate may benefit the compression engine used by Columbia TriStar, but it clearly isn't necessary for the MPEG-2 encoder applied by WarnerDespite the 193-minute length of this film, this transfer is absolutely great. Edge halos are absent, imparting a welcome clarity to small object detail and fine textures. Skin tones are very natural. Bright primary colors are painted vividly to the screen without smearing or chroma noise. Even in the frequent presence of clouds and amorphous effects simulating the atmosphere (difficult to compress, as is water), no blocking is visible. Nor did I notice any mosquito noise. This is a consistently solid, film-like presentation that will look wonderful on any large screen capable of revealing the transfer's qualities. It earns a rare top rating for video. Audio: How Does The Disc Sound? The original DVD release included a remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 track, which is again offered here. The surround channels are very active, from the pans of speeding jets to the enveloping applause for the astronauts at a press conference. The applause is more realistic, spread across a more believable rear sound field. Directional cues are just as effective, particularly all the aircraft that may arrive or depart at any point within the 180 degrees of sound around and behind the listener. Deep bass is present, much of it quite satisfying, but the bottom most octave, the one that is felt as well as heard is not as prominent as I would have hoped. Universal captured the overpowering rumble of rocket motors somewhat better in Apollo 13. I'm not sure why Bill Conti's uninspired score won the Academy Award, but it is presented with surprising clarity within a natural acoustic space. The dialog remains crystal clear throughout. The alternative language is in French and presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround. Available subtitles include Spanish, French, and English, for which Closed Captions are also included.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There? The film's length made necessary a second disc for supplements; this permitted Warner to take advantage of the available space and provide a generous array of extras. Rather than offering a feature-length commentary on disc one, disc two contains a sampling of scenes for which two commentaries are offered; the aggregate running time is 24:28. Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright, Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, and Barbara Hershey may be heard in The Cast option. The same sequences then may be played for comments by director Philip Kaufman, producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, and cinematographer Caleb Deschanel for The Filmmakers option. The advantage of limiting the time the participants have to offer comments and relate anecdotes is that they become more relevant, more interesting, and more informative. Quality has replaced quantity. Three newly produced full frame featurettes on the making of the film are included. They may be watched individually or sequentially. First is Realizing the Right Stuff (21:04), followed by T-20 Years and Counting (11:28). These two documentaries are actually a single work divided into two distinct sections. It is the comprehensive story of the making of the film, from the points of view of the book's author, to the filmmakers, to the players. Many of the principles are seen expressing their feelings and views concerning the film. We're given a very revealing look at the special effects, predominantly practical shots with little or no motion control work. And we voyeuristically experience the premiere and subsequent critical acclaim. The initial financial disappointments were followed by a growing appreciation for the film that represents a well-deserved vindication. I was impressed with the affection these experienced film professionals still carry for this motion picture. The third featurette is an historical prospective of the real men of the Mercury program; it's called appropriately enough, The Real Men of The Right Stuff (15:30). Surviving Mercury astronauts (sadly, three are gone), Chuck Yeager, and Tom Wolfe are interviewed and narrate historical film footage.
Thirteen additional scenes (10:54) are included, presented sequentially. None contribute anything of significance to any of the story arcs, so I can fully understand why they were purged from a film that runs over three hours. The Interactive Timeline to Space is a clever little supplement that invites you to select one of fourteen dates for a text or video event highlight. Some are glorious; some are tragic, for the losses of the Challenger and Columbia are included. These events span fifty-one years, starting in 1961 and projecting forward to 2012. John Glenn: American Hero (86:29) is a feature length documentary that originally appeared on PBS. It is a generous biography of a man who distinguished himself in combat, went on to become a test pilot, the first American to orbit the Earth, was elected to the United States Senate, and at the age of seventy-seven returned to space onboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. This is a very well produced documentary. Finally, the theatrical trailer (3:28) is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic video. The 193-minute feature is organized into forty-six chapters. John Glen's autobiography is organized into nine chapters. DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC? No ROM extras have been included. Parting Thoughts Not particularly successful at the box office, The Right Stuff has attracted the attention of more viewers since it was released to home video and DVD. Not quite a cult classic, it has earned a respect and popularity that is well deserved. The film captures the essence of the men who risked their lives for the country and the space program; it does indeed help us understand the nature of the right stuff. This fine film is presented with a splendid transfer and supplemented by very generous and informative extras. Readily available for under $20, it's a great value. Highly recommended. |
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