(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.