(Philip Kaufman, US 1983, 193 min., 35mm)
Thrilling, comedic, and epic, writer-director Philip Kaufman adapts Tom Wolfe’s docu-drama novel about the Mercury program, NASA’s first steps toward space flight. Seeking out test pilots, who they deem to have the “right stuff,” physical, mental, technological, and ethical boundaries are pushed in the efforts to beat the Soviets to space. Nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, the film features a deep cast, most of whom were just beginning their film careers, including Sam Shepard, Fred Ward, Dennis Quaid, Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Lance Henriksen, Barbara Hershey, Jeff Goldblum, and Harry Shearer. With aerial photography that continues to amaze forty years after the film’s release, this big-screen spectacle should not be missed.
Upcoming Events in this Series
Film Screenings | First Man (DCP)
America in Space Ryan Gosling plays the legendary Neil Armstrong in this adaptation of the James Hansen biography, directed by Damien Chazelle (La La Land, Whiplash, Babylon).
Film Screenings, Member Events | For All Mankind (DCP) - Free for Members!
America in Space A dreamy, impressionistic collage of NASA archival footage, Brian Eno's music, and interviews with the real Apollo astronauts, Al Reinert's 1989 documentary depicts a journey to the moon and back.
Film Screenings | Apollo 13 (35mm)
America in Space Based on the true story of NASA’s aborted third trip to the moon, the film follows Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon), and Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) as an explosion in an oxygen tank puts the mission at risk.